Bring a legal lens to your social work career with our dual Master of Social Work (MSW) and Juris Doctorate (JD). The strong character, inclusive culture, and warm community of Tulane School of Social Work delivers clinical, community, and policy-based practice training that will prepare you to do work that matters. By combining the MSW with a JD, students open doors to forensic social work, policy, and more.
Set yourself up for success with degrees from the twelfth-oldest School of Law and the fifth-oldest School of Social Work in the country. The joint MSW/JD will give you a taste of New Orleans, as it can only be taken on campus.
GET A GLIMPSE OF THE MSW/JD EXPERIENCE
| Program | Enrollment Options | Term Start | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Degree Type | Modality | Accelerated (4 years) | Part-Time | Fall | Spring | Summer |
| MSW/JD | Online | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| On Campus | ✅ | -- | ✅ | -- | -- | |
Prospective students must apply to and be accepted separately by each of the two schools, Tulane School of Social Work and Tulane Law School. Should a student be accepted into one school but not the other, they are free to enroll in that program, either the traditional MSW or Law degree.
Individuals must meet each school's admission requirements and must complete separate applications for each school. Admission is highly competitive and limited to graduates of accredited colleges and universities. Applications are accepted online from October 1 through March 31.
Applicants to Tulane’s Dual MSW/JD program must meet the following requirements:
- A strong performance in undergraduate or postgraduate study or strong employer references.
- A bachelor's degree. An official transcript listing your bachelor's degree with the conferral date is required.
- A grade-point average of 3.0 or better on a 4-point scale (preferred).
- Meet all Law School admission requirements
Applicants to the Master of Social Work program must submit the following documents with their electronic application:
- Statement of Interest - Three to five double-spaced pages that should address the following:
- Trace the origin and development of your interest in social work as a professional, including any significant influences or experiences.
- What qualifications do you bring to the classroom and social work practice? Do you have any limitations that might affect your ability to practice social work, that you would like to disclose?
- Discuss your experience working with populations other than your own. This may include gender identity, race, religion, socioeconomic and/or cultural background.
- Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV) - If you are unsure how to format your resume, feel free to reference our guide.
- Official Transcript(s) - One copy of official transcript(s) from each Certificate, Associate, Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral level institution you have attended. To be considered official, a transcript (1) must be sent directly from your institution to Tulane School of Social Work and (2) must show completion of coursework required for the degree, the degree earned, and the date of degree conferral.
- If your overall GPA from your undergraduate degree-granting institution is 3.0 or higher, you are not required to submit transcripts from institutions where you received transfer credit toward your Bachelor's degree.
- References/Recommendations - A minimum of two (2) Letters of Recommendation (LORs) must be received from the recommenders through the application portal. Please note that NO personal references (family, friends, social acquaintances, co-workers) will be accepted. Applicants should select at least two academic or professional references from the following categories:
- Professors
- Academic mentors
- Employers or supervisors
- Applicants must separately apply to and be accepted by Tulane Law School.
| On-Campus Programs | |
|---|---|
| Early Submission Deadline | March 1 |
| Priority Deadline | April 1 |
| Final Submission Deadline | June 1 |
Applicants who have earned a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree within the past five years from a Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) accredited program may be granted Advanced Standing, enabling them to qualify for an MSW in three semesters of full-time study.
Advanced standing requirements include:
- Cumulative GPA of 3.3 or better on a 4.0 point scale,
- 3.0 GPA in all undergraduate substantive courses is required.
- B+ average in their field practicum.
The MSW can only accept transfer credits from other MSW programs that were accredited by the Council on Social Work Education at the time the student attended. Review our Transfer Credit Policy here.
Review Tulane Law School's Transfer Credit Policy here.
Review our International Student Admission Policy here.
