Master of Social Work and Master of Public Health Dual Degree Program

Mission Statement

A combined Master of Social Work (MSW) and Master of Public Health (MPH) degrees is offered through the collaboration of the Tulane School of Social Work (SSW) and the Department of Global Community Health Sciences and Behavioral Sciences (GCHB) in the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine (SPHTM). Through this program, a student can prepare for a career in social work as well as receive training in the methods and practice of public health. The flexibility resulting from both degrees allows the student to fill a professional role in the planning, management and delivery of human services within communities and public health organizations.

MSW/MPH - GCHB Program Description

This joint-degree program is designed for those wishing to pursue a career that emphasizes family and child health. This program requires completion of 89-90 credits: 75 credits in coursework (detailed below) and 15 credit hours in field instruction. The program begins in the fall semester and takes at least five continuous semesters , including the summer. In the beginning of the program students take courses primarily in social work, and as the semesters progress students take an increasing proportion of their courses in the school of public health. In the last semester students take all of their courses in public health.

Students should meet with their respective advisors in both the School of Social Work and Department of Global Community Health and Behavioral Sciences to review course requirements and map out the best plan to suit their specific career interests.

Admission Requirements

The prospective student must apply to and be accepted separately by each of the two schools, the Tulane School of Social Work and the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. Note: the GRE is required for the SPHTM. We strongly urge students to apply to SPHTM before beginning the MSW in the Fall, but application to the SPHTM can be made no later than October 15th for the spring semester. Students who begin the MPH in their second term may require an additional semester to finish all required coursework.

Information on admission to the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, including requirements and submission dates, may be found here.

Information on admission to the Tulane School of Social Work may be found here.

Program Competencies

It is expected that students will acquire both social work practice skills and core public health competencies through successful completion of core coursework in both schools. Upon completion of the program, the graduate should be able to:

• Assess individual and community needs for public health programs
• Demonstrate competence in planning community-based public health programs and research projects
• Implement and manage preventive strategies, interventions and programs at the community level
• Acquire the ability to identify and use various methods of evaluating community-based public health programs
• Communicate and advocate for community health programs and policies
• Serve as a resource person for community-based programs in public health
• Promote cultural competence within diverse community settings
• Utilize clinical social work skills to affect individual and community health behavior change
• Incorporate knowledge of the Public Health core areas of epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health, health systems management, and the biological, social, and cultural aspects of health and disease in addressing and solving problems

Additional Requirements

Students must fulfill several additional degree requirements:

• Practicum: The SSW requires a 990 hour Field Practicum (330 hours x 3 semesters). 300 of these hours may be used to meet the SPHTM Practicum requirement, provided those work hours are invested in public health oriented activities (for example, population-based and prevention-oriented program planning, intervention, and/or evaluation). Both the SSW and SPH have specific learning goals and requirements that students must fulfill and document regarding their practicum. Information about the GCHB requirements may be found in the student practicum handbook, information about the SSW requirements may be obtained through the School of Social Work Field Handbook.

Dual MSW/MPH-GCHB Curriculum: 16-Month Full-Time MSW Coursework

The full-time MSW program requires around 15 credit hours per semester over 16 consecutive months for a total of 52 credit hours in the MSW Program. Each student completes a total of 15-credit hours of combined social work and public health field practicum, which equates to three semesters of 316 hours of actual field work each semester.

Semester 1 - 16 SW Credits

Semester 3 - 14 SW Credits

Semester 4 - 10 SW Credits

The MPH Courses which count towards the dual MSW Degrees are:

For more information

• Students should research both the School of Social Work and the Global Community Health & Behvioral Sciences within the School of Public Health to understand the requirements of both degrees.
• The School of Social Work website
• Sample course schedule for dual MSW/MPH GCHB students
• Information about the dual MSW/MPH in the Department of Global Community Health and Behavioral Sciences
• Additional information for all GCHB - MPH students
• The Dual MSW/MPH-GCHBS is curretly offered only for on campus MSW students enrolled in full time coursework.
• For information related to the dual MSW/MPH please contact:
  • within the School of Social Work please contact the TSSW Adminissions by emailing msw@tulane.edu
  • within the School of Public Health, please contact Aubrey Madkour at aspriggs@tulane.edu or (504) 988-1127.