▁Abb ott ▁graduated , ▁receiving ▁her ▁Ph . D . ▁in ▁econom ics . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 6 , ▁Abb ott ▁received ▁a ▁Car neg ie ▁Fellow ship ▁and ▁continued ▁her ▁studies ▁at ▁University ▁College ▁London , ▁and ▁the ▁London ▁School ▁of ▁Econom ics . ▁She ▁learned ▁from ▁social ▁reform ers ▁Sid ney ▁Web b ▁and ▁Be atrice ▁Web b , ▁who ▁champion ed ▁new ▁approaches ▁to ▁dealing ▁with ▁pover ty . ▁The ▁Web bs ▁influenced ▁the ▁direction ▁of ▁Abb ott ' s ▁career . ▁The ▁Web bs ▁were ▁in ▁favour ▁of ▁repe aling ▁the ▁British ▁" po or ▁laws " — which ▁they ▁viewed ▁as ▁de mean ing ▁to ▁people ▁in ▁pover ty — and ▁they ▁supported ▁establish ing ▁programs ▁to ▁eliminate ▁pover ty . ▁While ▁studying ▁in ▁London , ▁Abb ott ▁lived ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁time ▁in ▁a ▁social ▁reform ers ' ▁settlement ▁in ▁a ▁pover ty - str icken ▁area ▁of ▁the ▁East ▁End , ▁where ▁she ▁gained ▁experience ▁in ▁social ▁work . ▁ ▁Early ▁career ▁▁ ▁Abb ott ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 7 ▁after ▁her ▁years ▁studying ▁in ▁London , ▁and ▁took ▁a ▁job ▁teaching ▁econom ics ▁at ▁W elles ley ▁College . ▁Though ▁her ▁job ▁at ▁W elles ley ▁was ▁highly ▁regarded ▁for ▁a ▁woman ▁with ▁a ▁Ph . D ▁at ▁the ▁time , ▁she ▁desired ▁to ▁return ▁to ▁Chicago . ▁She ▁got ▁her ▁chance ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 8 ▁when ▁Soph on is ba ▁Bre ck in