Master of Social Work and Public Health Dual Degree

A combined Master of Social Work (MSW) and Master of Public Health (MPH) degree is offered through the collaboration of TSSW and the Department of Social, Behavioral, and Population Sciences (SBPS) 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 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

The dual degree MSW/MPH program requires 75 credits in coursework and 15 credit hours in field education for a total of 90 hours. The combined social work and public health practicum equates to three semesters of 316 hours of field work each semester for a total of 948 hours.

The program begins in the fall semester and takes at least five consecutive 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 portion of their courses in public health. The final semester’s coursework focuses solely on public health.

Students interested in this dual degree may refer to the separate requirements of the MSW and MPH in Social, Behavioral, and Population Sciences.

Field Education

Our field education program exposes students to real-world social work and public health practice as well as diverse populations and social issues. Field opportunities are available at agencies in New Orleans and surrounding parishes. Students spend three days a week in field instruction for three consecutive semesters after their first semester.

With Tulane’s high-touch program, students focus and engage in a variety of ways. Required MSW coursework in human behavior, direct and community practice, social justice, data analysis, and program evaluation teach tangible skills to leverage strengths and apply interventions that empower individuals, families, and communities. The MSW program effectively prepares students in accordance with the standards set forth by various regulatory bodies. Our pass rates on Association of Social Work Boards licensure examinations are consistently above the national average.

The MPH program teaches fundamentals of public health, including health systems policy and management, epidemiology, biostatistics, and community training methodologies, and allows students to focus on a particular content area, including community health, gender and sexuality, or social innovation.

You will engage with the dual degree program via team projects and teaching, problem-based learning, creative simulation, field work, and electronic learning exchanges.

MSW course descriptions   MPH course descriptions

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.

Refer to Tulane’s class schedule to determine availability of courses in any given semester.