Degree Programs
Master of Social Service and Master of Public Health (MSS/MPH)
Bryn Mawr College’s Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research (GSSWSR) and Thomas Jefferson University’s School of Population Health (JSPH) are partnering to offer a unique opportunity to complete dual degrees in social work (Master of Social Service – MSS) and public health (Master of Public Health – MPH).
Increasingly, the practice of healthcare, especially in serving the neediest populations, depends on community-based multidisciplinary teams of practitioners, researchers, and policy makers who are well-grounded in health, social, and legal services. The Bryn Mawr-Jefferson collaboration acknowledges the long-standing synergy between social work and public health and also recognizes the growing interest among professionals to further their preparation by earning multiple graduate degrees.
Timeframe
Those interested in the MSS/MPH Dual Degree Program must first apply and be accepted to Bryn Mawr College GSSWSR. MSS students then apply to Jefferson in their first MSS year by February 1 for Fall entrance the following Fall as well as apply for financial aid through Jefferson.
Joint degree students will study at both Bryn Mawr Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research and Jefferson School of Population Health. The completion of the dual degree takes approximately three years for full time students. Student progress follows the following sequence:
- Year One: Complete the first year of the MSS curriculum (10 units)
- Year Two: Complete all coursework for the MPH (September to June)
- Year Three: Complete the MSS curriculum while preparing and finishing their MPH Capstone Project.
NOTE: MSS Students take a leave of absence from GSSWSR MSS after their first year to complete their MPH coursework at Jefferson in their second year.
Program Requirements
(for the GSSWSR students who opt for the MSS/MPH dual degree)
- Completion or satisfactory academic progress toward completion of stipulated coursework for the MSS
- Minimum grade of B or GSSWSR equivalent for all MSS coursework completed at GSSWSR
- Competency in basic statistics, demonstrated by satisfactory completion (grade of B or higher) of undergraduate or graduate coursework in statistics; or passing score on JSPH Basic Statistics Qualifying Test
- Sincere interest and readiness to matriculate into the MPH degree program as demonstrated by personal essay and interview
- Current full-time students must first discuss their interest in the JSPH MPH program with their faculty advisor and be recommended for eligibility to apply. Please note that the number of applicants eligible to apply is limited.
Program Information
GSSWSR Students who opt to earn the MSS/MPH dual-degree are eligible to transfer up to 12 credits (3 MSS courses) into Jefferson’s MPH program. This reduces the number of credits required to complete the MPH program from the original 45 to 33 and reduces the cost of the MPH program by more than 25%.
The courses eligible for transfer include:
- Research Informed Practice I/II (B133/B134)
- Social Policy Foundations (B151)
- Community Strategies and Assessment: Advocacy and Action (B158)
- Multiculturalism and Diversity: Advanced Perspectives (B254)
- Field Education III,IV (practicum) (B263/264)
MSS Students must have completed one full year of Field Education and all foundation classes before starting the MPH program
- Field Education I & II
- Foundation Practice I & II
- Research Informed Practice I & II
- Theoretical Perspectives in Social Work I & II
- Assessment and Psychopathology Across the Lifespan, or Community Strategies and Assessment: Advocacy and Action
- Social Policy Foundations and Analysis
To satisfy the MPH Clerkship requirement, the MSS Field Education practicum (B263/264) will include at least 120 hours in a community-based initiative. JSPH will review the suitability of placement, but GSSWSR will secure the placements and provide supervision (preceptors) for them.
The one-year MPH schedule of courses consists of:
FALL SEMESTER
Introduction to Public Health
Social and Behavioral Foundations of Public Health
Basic Public Health Statistics
Health Research Methods
Elective
SPRING SEMESTER
Fundamentals of Epidemiology
Fundamentals of Environmental Health
US Health Care Organization and Delivery
Public Health Policy & Advocacy
Elective
SUMMER SEMESTER
Program Planning and Evaluation
Clerkship
Capstone Seminar
Capstone Project (development)
Elective
Career Opportunities
With advanced study in both social work and public health, professionals who complete the dual degree program acquire expanded knowledge and skills that broaden their appeal and value in the workplace. Graduates work in managed care organizations and hospitals, local and state health and welfare departments, federal and voluntary health and social service agencies, community based organizations, medical-legal partnerships, and advocacy coalitions.
