Master of Social Work (MSW) and Master of Public Administration (MPA)

Print Degree Planner (opens a new window) |

School of Graduate Studies >> College of Liberal Arts

Master of Social Work/Master of Public Administration (MSW/MPA) Dual Degree Program

The Master of Social Work and the Master of Public Administration programs at the University of Southern Indiana offer the University’s first dual degree program. Students will have the opportunity to complete a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree and a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree in two years. Refer to the Master of Social Work (MSW) section and either the Master of Public Administration, Nonprofit Administration (MPA) or Master of Public Administration, Public Sector Administration (MPA) sections of the bulletin for specific admissions requirements and curriculum guidelines.

Students must be admitted to both graduate programs before beginning the dual degree program. Below is the curriculum for the joint MSW/MPA degree programs. Students can enroll in the full-time liberal arts track for non-BSW degreed students or the two-year advanced standing track for BSW degreed students. A minimum of two years is needed to complete the MSW/MPA dual degree program.

MSW Curriculum

Students without a BSW degree (Liberal Arts track) must complete the following courses (25 hours):
SOCW 503 - The Social Welfare System Credits: 3
SOCW 504 - Human Behavior and the Social Environment (HBSE) I Credits: 3
SOCW 505 - Human Behavior and the Social Environment (HBSE) II Credits: 3
SOCW 506 - The Foundation of Social Work Practice Credits: 3
SOCW 508 - Micro Systems: Practice with Individuals, Groups, and Families Credits: 3
SOCW 509 - Macro Systems: Institutional and Community Systems Credits: 3
SOCW 510 - Social Welfare Policy and Service Credits: 3
SOCW 511 - Graduate Field Placement I Credits: 3
SOCW 512 - Integrated Field Placement Seminar I Credits: 1
All students seeking the MSW degree (both the Liberal Arts track and the Advanced Standing track) must complete the following courses (30 hours):
SOCW 601 - Clinical Assessment and Psychopathology in Social Work Credits: 3
SOCW 602 - Clinical Planning and Treatment Process in Social Work Credits: 3
SOCW 605 - Practice Evaluation Credits: 3
SOCW 608 - Theories of Clinical Practice Credits: 3
SOCW 610 - Human Diversity in Social Work Practice Credits: 3
SOCW 611 - MSW II Graduate Field Placement Credits: 2-4 (taken twice, 2 hours each)
SOCW 612 - MSW II Integrated Field Placement Seminar Credits: 1-2 (taken twice, 1 hour each)
SOCW 652 - Family and Couples Therapy Credits: 3
SOCW 660 - Clinical Practice with Groups Credits: 3
SOCW 671 - Social Work Management in the Clinical Setting Credits: 3

SOCW Electives (6 hours)

Two electives chosen from 500-600 level courses within social work; courses outside the discipline require approval of MSW Program Director. For MSW/MPA dual degree students, both electives will be PA courses.

MSW Hours: 61 (36 hours for advanced-standing, BSW degreed students)

Two-year advanced-standing MSW students (those with a BSW degree) receive credit for foundation 500-level courses, with remaining 600-level listed courses required for the MSW degree (36 hours).

MPA Curriculum

PA 601 - Organizational Behavior Credits: 3
PA 606 - Public and Nonprofit Personnel Administration Credits: 3
PA 609 - Budgeting in Public and Nonprofit Administration Credits: 3
PA 618 - Research Methods in Public Administration Credits: 3
PA 632 - Introduction to Public Administration Credits: 3
PA 644 - Policies and Processes in the Public Sector Credits: 3
PA 645 - Program Evaluation in the Public and Nonprofit Sector Credits: 3

PA Electives (3 hours)

Choose one of the following:

PA 605 - Foundations of Nonprofit Administration Credits: 3
PA 611 - Leadership Skills in Public Administration Credits: 3
PA 614 - Interpersonal Communications within Organizations Credits: 3
PA 631 - Fundraising and Volunteer Administration Credits: 3
PA 655 - Project Management in Public Administration Credits: 3
PA 663 - Strategic Planning Credits: 3
PA 664 - Nonprofit Leadership Credits: 3
PA 684 - Grant Writing Credits: 3
PA 689 - Independent Study in Public Administration Credits: 3
PA 690 - Special Topics in Public Administration Credits: 3
MPA Hours: 24

Total MSW/MPA Hours: 85 (60 hours for advanced-standing students, BSW degree students)

SOCW 605 , SOCW 610 , SOCW 611 and SOCW 671 (13 credits) apply to both MSW and MPA degrees, with 61 hours applying to the MSW and 37 hours toward the MPA. For advanced-standing BSW degreed students, 36 hours apply to the MSW and 37 to the MPA. Students must also complete SOCW 605 - Practice Evaluation and affiliated capstone project, cross-listed with PA 697 - Capstone Seminar in Public Administration , in order to graduate with both degrees. For the MSW degree, both the field placement (SOCW 611 ) and the capstone (SOCW 605 ) must include administrative practice experiences.

For more information about the MSW program, visit www.usi.edu/liberal-arts/master-of-social-work. For more information about the MPA program, visit www.usi.edu/mpa.

Two Year Liberal Arts (non-BSW) Schedule

First Year

Fall Semester:
SOCW 503 - The Social Welfare System Credits: 3
SOCW 504 - Human Behavior and the Social Environment (HBSE) I Credits: 3
SOCW 506 - The Foundation of Social Work Practice Credits: 3
SOCW 510 - Social Welfare Policy and Service Credits: 3
PA 632 - Introduction to Public Administration Credits: 3
Spring Semester:
SOCW 505 - Human Behavior and the Social Environment (HBSE) II Credits: 3
SOCW 508 - Micro Systems: Practice with Individuals, Groups, and Families Credits: 3
SOCW 509 - Macro Systems: Institutional and Community Systems Credits: 3
SOCW 610 - Human Diversity in Social Work Practice Credits: 3
PA 609 - Budgeting in Public and Nonprofit Administration Credits: 3
Summer Semester:
SOCW 511 - Graduate Field Placement I Credits: 3
SOCW 512 - Integrated Field Placement Seminar I Credits: 1
One or two courses chosen from PA 605 , PA 611 , PA 614 , PA 631 , PA 655 , PA 663 , PA 664 , PA 684 , PA 689 or PA 690 (Credits: 3-6) ¹

Second Year

Fall Semester:
SOCW 601 - Clinical Assessment and Psychopathology in Social Work Credits: 3
SOCW 608 - Theories of Clinical Practice Credits: 3
SOCW 611 - MSW II Graduate Field Placement Credits: 2
SOCW 612 - MSW II Integrated Field Placement Seminar Credits: 1
SOCW 652 - Family and Couples Therapy Credits: 3
SOCW 660 - Clinical Practice with Groups Credits: 3
Spring Semester:
SOCW 602 - Clinical Planning and Treatment Process in Social Work Credits: 3
SOCW 605 - Practice Evaluation Credits: 3
SOCW 611 - MSW II Graduate Field Placement Credits: 2-4 (taken twice; 2 credits)
SOCW 612 - MSW II Integrated Field Placement Seminar Credits: 1-2 (taken twice; 1 credit)
SOCW 671 - Social Work Management in the Clinical Setting Credits: 3
PA 618 - Research Methods in Public Administration Credits: 3
One course chosen from PA 605 , PA 611 , PA 614 , PA 631 , PA 655 , PA 663 , PA 664 , PA 684 , PA 689 or PA 690 (Credits: 3) ¹
Summer Semester:
PA 606 - Public and Nonprofit Personnel Administration Credits: 3
PA 644 - Policies and Processes in the Public Sector Credits: 3
PA 645 - Program Evaluation in the Public and Nonprofit Sector Credits: 3

Two Year Advanced Standing (BSW Degreed Students) Schedule

First Year

Fall Semester:
SOCW 601 - Clinical Assessment and Psychopathology in Social Work Credits: 3
SOCW 608 - Theories of Clinical Practice Credits: 3
PA 632 - Introduction to Public Administration Credits: 3
Spring Semester:
SOCW 602 - Clinical Planning and Treatment Process in Social Work Credits: 3
SOCW 610 - Human Diversity in Social Work Practice Credits: 3
PA 609 - Budgeting in Public and Nonprofit Administration Credits: 3
Summer Semester:
One or two courses chosen from PA 605 , PA 611 , PA 614 , PA 631 , PA 655 , PA 663 , PA 664 , PA 684 , PA 689 or PA 690 (Credits: 3-6) ¹

Second Year

Fall Semester:
SOCW 611 - MSW II Graduate Field Placement Credits: 2
SOCW 612 - MSW II Integrated Field Placement Seminar Credits: 1
SOCW 652 - Family and Couples Therapy Credits: 3
SOCW 660 - Clinical Practice with Groups Credits: 3
One course chosen from PA 605 , PA 611 , PA 614 , PA 631 , PA 655 , PA 663 , PA 664 or PA 684 (Credits: 3) ¹
Spring Semester:
SOCW 605 - Practice Evaluation Credits: 3
SOCW 611 - MSW II Graduate Field Placement Credits: 2-4 (taken twice; 2 credits)
SOCW 612 - MSW II Integrated Field Placement Seminar Credits: 1-2 (taken twice; 1 credit)
SOCW 671 - Social Work Management in the Clinical Setting Credits: 3
PA 618 - Research Methods in Public Administration Credits: 3
Summer Semester:
PA 606 - Public and Nonprofit Personnel Administration Credits: 3
PA 644 - Policies and Processes in the Public Sector Credits: 3
PA 645 - Program Evaluation in the Public and Nonprofit Sector Credits: 3

Note:

¹ The MPA curriculum only requires two electives, with the option to take both during the summer semester of the first year, or one during the summer semester of the first year and one during the fall semester of the second year.