Cooperative Degrees Program

http://www.socialwork.pitt.edu/academics/master-social-work-msw

In addition to the MSW and PhD degrees, graduate students in the School of Social Work have the opportunity to select from several unique dual degree programs. MSW students can avail themselves of one of the eight joint or cooperative degree programs; two joint degree programs are available to PhD students.

Detailed below are joint degree programs offered by the School of Social Work in tandem with the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, the Graduate School of Public Health, the School of Law, the School of Education, and the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.

MSW/Master of Public Administration, MSW/Master of Public and International Affairs, and MSW/Master of International Development

Three unique joint degree programs are offered by the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work, through its COSA concentration, and the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. These joint programs provide students with a broad professional education to prepare them for eventual service in urban non-profit and government organizations, community development policy, and social and urban planning. They provide experienced students with opportunities to expand their knowledge base and enable other students to develop more marketable professional skills than are usually acquired through single-degree programs. Students in these joint programs earn a Master of Social Work from the School of Social Work and a Master of Public Administration, Master of Public and International Affairs or a Master of International Development from the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs.

Students must be admitted to both programs in order to qualify for admission to the joint degree program. Degree candidates must meet the minimum foundation, concentration, and specialized requirements of both schools, except where substitutions are appropriate and approved by the faculty advisors. Depending upon which joint degree program the student elects, the total number of credits required for graduation ranges from 72 to 88 credits. For most students, this means that individual programs can be completed within six to seven terms of full-time residency. Students electing to terminate the joint degree program before its completion must complete all the work required by the respective schools for either degree in order to receive that degree separately.

The easiest way to apply to the Master’s Degree in Social Work Program at the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work is to use our online application.

University of Pittsburgh
Graduate School of Public and International Affairs
Office of Admissions
3601 Wesley W. Posvar Hall
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
412-648-7640
www.gspia.pitt.edu

MSW/Master of Public Health program

The MSW/MPH program requires a three year curriculum plan. Students will complete the required core courses in both the MSW and the MPH program. Selected required courses from each program will count as elective courses toward the degree in the other program. A reciprocal agreement between both programs with regards to the acceptance of student electives will facilitate effective curriculum planning.

The total number of credits to be taken will be 86 (50 in Social Work, and 36 in GSPH). Students will be required to complete two field placements (one in the first year and one in the second) as required by the MSW program, and as is consistent with the practicum requirements of the MPH program.

The second field placement will have a public health emphasis and count as the required MPH practicum experience. All students will be required to complete the GSPH Capstone course, and complete an essay as required by the MPH program. Students will be assigned faculty advisors from both SSW and GSPH and these advisors will work collaboratively with the student to plan the academic course of study.

Upon completion of the joint degree program, the student would receive the Master of Public Health and the Master of Social Work degrees from the respective schools. The curriculum is established in an effort to have the requirements for both degrees met by having certain classes at one school fulfill requirements at the other.

The efficient way to apply to the Master’s Degree in Social Work Program at the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work is to use our online application.

For more information on the MSW/MPH program please contact:

University of Pittsburgh
School of Social Work
Office of Admissions
2104 Cathedral of Learning
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
(412) 624-6302
E-mail: sswadmissions@pitt.edu

MSW/Juris Doctorate

The School of Social Work (SSW) and the School of Law offer a cooperative educational program through which students may earn both the Master of Social Work (MSW), the primary professional degree in social work, and the Juris Doctor (JD) degree, the first professional degree in law. The MSW-JD program will enable students with interests in a wide range of areas where law and social work converge - such as child welfare, aging, health, mental health, juvenile and criminal justice, family issues, and housing - to engage in a highly integrative educational experience that will include academic courses, field placements, and research opportunities at the intersection of both professions. The joint degree program allows one to earn both degrees in four years rather than five.

Increasingly, social work professionals and attorneys are working together to promote the well-being of their clients. These areas of convergence exist in practice with individuals, families, and groups as well as with communities and organizations. The intersection of legal and social work concerns is also evident at the policy level, and research from both professional disciplines has been used to inform these activities. It is not uncommon for practitioners from both fields to work in concert to draft, implement, and/or advocate for legislation at the local, state, and federal levels.

The MSW-JD program is one among several programs that the Schools of Social Work and Law have jointly established throughout their long and rich history of collaboration.

Neither degree may be granted prior to fulfillment of all requirements for the joint degree program.

Faculty Advisors

University of Pittsburgh School of Law
Professor Kevin Deasy, MSW, JD
3900 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
(412) 648-5642
deasy@pitt.edu

University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work
Professor Jeffrey Shook, MSW, JD, PhD
2117 Cathedral of Learning
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
(412) 648-9365
jes98@pitt.edu

PhD Joint Degree Programs

The School of Social Work offers two joint degree programs to PhD students: one leading to the MSW and the PhD and another with the Graduate School of Public Health. (Separate applications are required for either MSW or MPH admission.)

Programs

Joint Degree

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