Program Overview
Overview of the JD/MSW Program
The Juris Doctor/Master of Social Work (JD/MSW) dual degree offers students the opportunity to gain an exceptional knowledge base and skill set that will prepare them to assume positions of leadership in law and social policy, to advocate effectively for clients, to understand systems and institutions, and to actively pursue social justice. Students enrolled in Washington University's JD/MSW program frequently seek careers in the areas of traditional social work, public interest law, government administration, nonprofit management, social entrepreneurship, and public policy, among others.
Program Structure and Requirements
The JD/MSW program generally takes four years to complete, which is one less than it would take if the two degrees were completed separately. Students may start their first year in either the WashU Law or the Brown School. They will generally move to their counterpart school for the second year and then pursue mixed course work during the final two years.
Credit Requirements
Dual-degree JD/MSW students are required to complete 125 credits between both schools. The majority of the credits (77) must be law credits; the remaining credits (48) must be taken in social work. Overall, dual-degree students save themselves from having to complete 15 additional credits by completing this program. An even greater benefit is that students are able to transfer credits from one school to fulfill the degree requirements of the other school. For example, 9 social work credits count toward the JD; 12 law credits count toward the MSW.
- Program/Credit hours required:
- Law: 77
- Transferred from Social Work: 9
- Total JD Degree: 86
- Social Work: 48
- Transferred from Law: 12
- Total MSW Degree: 60
Program Structure Example
Since students can start in either school, there is no set structure to the dual-degree program. The following chart provides an example of how a typical dual-degree JD/MSW student's program will be structured:
- Year of Program/Starting in Law/Starting in Social Work:
- 1st Year:
- Starting in Law: 1L year - all 1L law courses
- Starting in Social Work: All social work (mostly core) courses
- 1st Summer:
- Starting in Law: Legal Internship
- Starting in Social Work: Social Work Practicum
- 2nd Year:
- Starting in Law: Mostly (or all) social work courses
- Starting in Social Work: 1L year - all 1L law courses
- 2nd Summer:
- Starting in Law: Social work practicum; 1 or 2 summer courses
- Starting in Social Work: Legal internship and/or social work practicum
- 3rd Year:
- Starting in Law: Assorted courses (mostly law)
- Starting in Social Work: Assorted courses (mostly law)
- 3rd Summer:
- Starting in Law: Social work practicum
- Starting in Social Work: Social work practicum; 1 or 2 summer courses
- 4th Year:
- Starting in Law: Assorted courses (mostly law)
- Starting in Social Work: Assorted courses (mostly law)
- 1st Year:
Additional Program Requirements
- Every student's plan of study is slightly different, depending on the student's individual preferences. Some students prefer to load up their courses during the year so that they can do an additional summer legal internship. Others might participate in several time-intensive activities (e.g., trial or moot court teams, the D.C. clinic, a journal, a legal clinic), which may prevent them from taking heavy course loads and thereby causing them to rely more heavily on their summers as a time to earn credit.
- Students entering the program with a bachelor's degree in social work will have slightly different program requirements.
Conclusion
The JD/MSW dual degree program at Washington University offers students a unique opportunity to combine the study of law and social work, preparing them for careers in a variety of fields. The program's structure and requirements are designed to provide students with a comprehensive education in both law and social work, and to help them develop the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in their chosen careers.