Dr. Erin Kerrison

Associate Professor

Build a Statement of Purpose

Generate a tailored SOP for Dr. Erin Kerrison. Improve your application with a focused, well-structured draft.

Biography

Erin Michelle Turner Kerrison is an Associate Professor at Berkeley Social Welfare whose work extends the legal epidemiological framework, focusing on how legal institutions condition structural determinants of health. Her research employs varied agency partnerships and a mixed-methods agenda to investigate the compounded impacts of structural disadvantage, concentrated poverty, state supervision, service delivery, substance misuse, and violence on health outcomes in communities affected by criminal legal system interventions. Kerrison has published significant empirical research across multiple leading journals and has received funding from various organizations, including Arnold Ventures and the National Science Foundation. She actively engages in consulting with several organizations on issues related to Black health and the cessation of state violence. Her educational background includes a BA in Sociology and Philosophy from Haverford College, a MA in Criminology, Law, and Society from Villanova University, and a PhD in Criminology from the University of Delaware. Kerrison is an active member of several academic and professional communities, including the American Society of Criminology and the Law & Society Association. Her teaching includes courses on social welfare research and legal epidemiology as part of the Master of Social Work and PhD programs.

Research Interests

Courses

SW 282A: Seminar in Social Welfare Research SW 185AC: Big Ideas -- Prison Abolition SW 260: Forensic Social Welfare SW 282A: Seminar in Social Welfare Research -- Data Science for Social Good SW 282A: Seminar in Social Welfare Research II SW 295: Writing for Publication Seminar SW 298: Legal Epidemiology

Requirements for University of California, Berkeley

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
GRE Subject
Overall Score
Required:500
Overall
Required:500
TOEFL
Total
Required:90
IELTS
Overall
Required:7
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree or recognized equivalent Preparation comparable to undergraduate major at Berkeley in Mathematics or Applied Mathematics 2 full years lower-division work (Calculus, Linear Algebra, Differential Equations, Multivariable Calculus) 8 one-semester upper-division courses (Real Analysis, Complex Analysis, Abstract Algebra, Linear Algebra)
Application Checklist
  • Graduate Application
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Personal History Statement
  • Three Letters of Recommendation
  • Unofficial Transcripts
  • C.V./Resume
  • Course and Textbook List
Specialization Notes

The Mathematics Subject GRE is required for the Fall 2026 admissions cycle. General GRE is optional.