Program Contacts: Carol R. Awasu, 203-582-6433; and Carolyn Wilkes Kaas, 203-582-3234
Students interested in earning both a JD and a Master of Social Work may earn both degrees on an accelerated basis by enrolling in the Dual-Degree JD/MSW program.
The two degree programs, if completed separately, require 146 credits – 86 for the JD and 60 for the MSW. Students in the dual-degree program are required to complete only 131 total credits.
Dual-degree students earn:
- The JD with 77 law credits and 9 social work credits (from courses approved in advance by the associate dean for academic affairs in the School of Law); and the
- MSW with 54 social work credits and 6 law credits (from courses approved by the director of the MSW program).
The two programs, which require five years of study if taken separately, can be completed in 4½ years or in 4 calendar years (if 11 law credits are earned during summer semesters).
Students must apply and be accepted separately to each program. Ideally, students would apply to both programs before starting either degree, but a student enrolled in either program could, during the first year (and possibly later), apply for and be accepted to the other program. Upon admission to the dual-degree program, the enrolled student must meet with the director of the MSW program and the law school associate dean for academic affairs.
Students may begin their study in either the MSW or JD program but must complete the first year in each program before any advanced courses can be taken in that program. Students will obtain each degree upon completion of all graduate requirements for that degree.
Dual-Degree JD/MSW Program of Study
The curriculum for the professional courses in the program are subject to modification as deemed necessary to maintain a high-quality educational experience and keep current with best practices in the profession.
Scheduling Options: Beginning with the MSW
MSW Generalist Curriculum (30 credits). Note: 3 of these credits also count toward the law degree.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Credits | |
| SW 500 | Generalist Field Education Practicum I (w/ seminar (16 hours per week in field placement) | 3 |
| SW 501 | Social Work Practice I: Social Work Practice with Individuals and Families | 3 |
| SW 504 | Social Welfare and Social Policy | 3 |
| SW 505 | Social Work Research | 3 |
| SW 511 | Human Behavior in the Social Environment I: Theories for Practice for Individuals and Families | 3 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| SW 502 | Generalist Field Education Practicum II (w/ seminar (16 hours per week in field placement) | 3 |
| SW 503 | Social Work Practice Ii: Social Work Practice with Groups, Organizations and Communities | 3 |
| SW 507 | Issues of Diversity and Oppression | 3 |
| SW 512 | Human Behavior in the Social Environment II: Theories for Groups, Organizations and Communities | 3 |
| SW 580 | Clinical Assessment and Diagnosis | 3 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| JD Required First-Year Curriculum | 15 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| JD Required First-Year Curriculum (cont.) | 15 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Summer Semester | ||
| Students have the option of earning law credits during the first summer. | ||
| Credits | 0 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| MSW Specialized Curriculum (6 credits count toward the law degree) | ||
| SW 600 | Specialized Practice Field Education Practicum in Health/Behavioral Health I | 4 |
| SW 601 | Social Work Practice III: Specialized Clinical Social Work Practice | 3 |
| SW 604 | Evaluation Research Work Programs and Practice | 2 |
| Law School Elective | 3 | |
| Clinical Elective course | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| SW 602 | Specialized Practice Field Education Practicum in Health/Behavioral Health II | 4 |
| SW 603 | Social Work Practice IV: Specialized Organizational Social Work Practice | 3 |
| SW 605 | Integrative Seminar/Capstone Project | 2 |
| Law School Elective | 3 | |
| MSW Elective course | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Summer Semester | ||
| Students may earn law credits, if needed. | ||
| Credits | 0 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| JD Upper-Level Curriculum, including all other graduation requirements | 15 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| JD Upper-Level Curriculum (cont.) | 15 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Summer Semester | ||
| Students may earn law credits, if needed. | ||
| Credits | 0 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
Scheduling Option: Beginning with the JD
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| First Year | ||
| Required JD First-Year Courses | 30 | |
| Summer | ||
| Students may earn course credit | ||
First Year: JD Required First-year Curriculum (30 credits).
Summer: Students may earn law credits during the first summer.
Second Year: MSW Generalist Curriculum (30 credits). Note: 3 of these credits will count toward the law degree.
Summer: Students may earn law credits during the second summer.
Third Year: JD Upper-level Curriculum, including all other graduation requirements (30 credits). Note: 6 of these credits will count toward the MSW.
Summer: Students may earn law credits during the third summer, if needed.
Fourth Year: MSW Specialized Curriculum (30 credits). Note: 6 of these credits will count toward the law.
Note: While it is possible to enroll for two years in one program and then two years in the other, an alternating schedule is recommended.
Admission to Dual-Degree JD/MSW Program
Students interested in earning both a JD and a Master of Social Work may earn both degrees on an accelerated basis by enrolling in the Dual-Degree JD/MSW program. Students must apply and be accepted separately to each program. Ideally, students would apply to both programs before starting either but a student enrolled in either program could, during the first year (and possibly later), apply for and be accepted to the other program.
To qualify for admission to the MSW program, students must have earned a bachelor’s degree from a college or university accredited by a recognized regional accrediting association, with a preferred minimum GPA of 3.0 and at least 20 semester credits in liberal arts.
Background Check and Drug Screening
To ensure their safety and maintain high-quality care of patients, clinical affiliates of the university require that students have a criminal background check. All students entering the Quinnipiac JD/MSW program are required to undergo a criminal background check (through the university vendor) prior to beginning classes. This is a mandatory component of the program. In addition, MSW students may be required to undergo a criminal background re-check and/or drug screen prior to any of their field placements. The results are made available to the student through their own personal and secure online portal. Whenever a Quinnipiac JD/MSW student may need proof of his/her criminal background check for field placements, the student will release the information directly from their personal portal to the clinical site. The cost of the criminal background check and any re-checks and/or drug screens is the responsibility of each individual student.
Additional Program Costs
As a clinical education program, the MSW program requires some expenses that go beyond standard university tuition and fees:
- Clinical/Fieldwork Education Travel (gas, parking, public transportation) – You are responsible for the costs associated with travel to and from field internships. Costs: variable.
- Background Check: Quinnipiac University and its clinical affiliates require that all students undergo a criminal background check, through the university vendor, prior to beginning classes (University Criminal Background Check Policy). Please note that placement sites may require that students participate in the agency’s background check, in addition to the one required by the university.
- University background check cost – $63 for all domestic addresses for the past 7 years or $158 for students who have resided in New York state in the last 7 years due to NY state surcharge.
- Some students may be required to do an annual recheck one year after the initial background recheck. Cost: $32 per annual recheck.
- Drug Screening: Some sites require physical and/or substance use drug screens as well as fingerprinting. MSW students are expected to comply with all agency requirements prior to beginning field internships.
- Liability Insurance: All students have liability insurance coverage through the university, free of charge, while performing required clinical activity. Students may choose to purchase additional coverage at their own expense.
- EXXAT and APPROVE: Students enrolled in the MSW program must enroll in EXXAT and APPROVE.
- EXXAT is the clinical tracking and assessment program used by the School of Health Sciences. Cost: one-time payment of $150 per student enrolled in the MSW program (students are responsible for this cost).
- APPROVE is the program within EXXAT that tracks all student health and safety records, provides documentation to prospective clinical sites, and and provides notification of impending expiration dates. Cost: $35 - first year, after which it is $10 per year.