Students with an interest in law as well as social work may pursue the MSW/JD program. This plan of study will give you outstanding interdisciplinary skills to apply to critical social issues, and dual-degree graduates may work in forensic social work, juvenile justice, corrections, child advocacy, legislative advocacy, and public policy.
Those who plan to primarily practice law benefit from a social work education in working with families and couples, victims of domestic violence, and other groups and individuals whose legal issues have strong psychosocial correlations. A social work background provides attorneys with the tools needed to understand their clients and work collaboratively with them and community resources. Similarly, a legal education gives social work professionals many of the tools they need to affect change essential to assisting their clients.
Program Structure
Students who wish to pursue the JD and MSW degrees jointly must do so by beginning the joint program at the School of Social Work. The MSW/JD dual degree program is 133 credit hours. The MSW, which normally requires 60 credit hours, grants 6 hours for work completed at Tulane Law School, thereby reducing its own requirements to 54 credit hours. The Law School reduces its requirements from 88 to 79 hours. Completion of both degrees takes four years.
| Regular Program Req Hours | Dual Degree Req Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| MSW | 60 | 54 |
| Law | 88 | 79 |
| Total | 148 | 133 |
Students will consult with their advisors both at the School of Social Work and the Law School for course planning.
ADMISSION INFORMATION GET A GLIMPSE OF THE MSW/JD EXPERIENCE
