This fall, the USC School of Social Work will be offering for the first time a dual-degree program that will allow students to earn both master’s and doctoral degrees in social work concurrently.

The MSW-to-PhD direct program is designed for exemplary students who meet and exceed the admission requirements of both the Master of Social Work and Doctor of Philosophy of Social Work programs.

R. Paul Maiden, vice dean of faculty and student affairs, said the new program was created with the expectation that these students would make significant contributions in translational science and evidence-based practice in social work research.

“The idea is to give exceptionally talented and bright MSW students early access to our senior research faculty,” Maiden said. “This new program creates opportunities for mentoring the best and the brightest social work scholars. It’s another example of our curriculum innovation.”

Prospective students must meet the admission requirements for both the MSW and PhD programs to qualify for this special dual-degree track. A total of at least 90 units is required for completion of both degrees, with at least 42 units taken in the MSW program and at least 48 units in the PhD program, exclusive of units earned from the dissertation. The program can be completed in four years, and the MSW and PhD degrees are awarded simultaneously upon completion of all program requirements.

The School of Social Work established the first social work doctoral program in the western United States in 1953 and continues the tradition of admitting highly motivated, self-directed individuals interested in university research and teaching. Students who are admitted to this competitive fast track pursue an in-depth, customized course of study – they develop individualized study plans with their mentors at two points in their MSW-to-PhD career – in an atmosphere that fosters interdisciplinary scholarship.

Once MSW degree requirements have been met, students will collaborate on faculty research projects in addition to pursuing their own funded research. The school’s prolific faculty help doctoral students develop highly visible portfolios of research through conference presentations and publications. Students will also have access to the school’s hub of funded research activity, the Hamovitch Center for Science in the Human Services, which supports more than $35 million in sponsored research.

Another new dual-degree option this fall is an MSW and a Master of Public Health offered through the School of Social Work and the Department of Preventive Medicine in the Keck School of Medicine of USC. This program offers interdisciplinary preparation in public health and social work for a career in promoting health, preventing disease and enhancing the delivery of health and social services in the community.