About the MSW/MPH Program

Program Overview

The Master of Social Work and Master of Public Health (MSW/MPH) dual degree program at The University of Georgia (UGA) provides students with an interdisciplinary education using biopsychosocial and epidemiological perspectives to address critical health issues at the local, state, national, and international levels. Graduates of this program will have the knowledge and skills to combine social work intervention at the individual (micro) level with the public health goal of prevention at the population (macro) level. The program’s focus on health disparities underscore the social justice commitment of both professions to enhance human well-being.

The MSW/MPH dual degree program at UGA is the only program in the state of Georgia and one of about forty programs in the United States.

Why pursue dual MSW and MPH degrees? 

Graduates with dual MSW/MPH degrees demonstrate an ability to complete a rigorous program of study that involves transdisciplinary methods integrating public health’s focus on prevention and social work’s focus on intervention, creating a strong foundation to improve the health and well-being of communities.

The fields of Social Work and Public Health complement each other in several ways [1]:

Shared Values

• Enhancing social, economic and environmental justice 
• Eliminating disparities between and among various populations 
• Focusing on oppressed, vulnerable, and at-risk groups

Shared Theories

• Understanding how social systems relate to health status (Public health: social epidemiology; Social work: ecological approach – person in environment)

Shared Practices

• Family-centered 
• Community-based 
• Culturally competent 
• Coordinated care 
• Trans- and inter-disciplinary teams

Areas of practice for MSW MPH graduates include:

• Prevention-oriented clinical practice
• Health education and health promotion
• Health program planning, development, and evaluation
• Health policy analysis
• Management at local, state, national, and international levels
• Public health advocacy
• Research 

 Learn more about the UGA MSW/MPH Program.

References

[1] Sable, M. R., Schild, D. S., & Hipp, J. A. (2012). Public health and social work. In S. Gehlert & T. Browne (Eds.), Handbook of Health Social Work (pp. 64-99). Hoboken, NJ: WILEY.