Program Contact: Amber Kelly 203-582-7843; Carolyn Kaas 203-582-3234
Students interested in earning both a JD degree and a Master of Social Work degree 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 1) their JD with 77 law credits and 9 social work credits (from courses approved in advance by the law school associate dean for academic affairs); and 2) their MSW with 54 social work credits and 6 law credits (from courses approved by the MSW program director). The two programs, which require five years of study if taken separately, can be completed in 4½ years in the ordinary course, 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 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 their MSW adviser 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.
For more information on this program, see the Social Work page.