Master of Social Work/Master of Public Health

Mission Statement

The combined Master of Social Work (MSW) and Master of Public Health (MPH) degrees are offered through the collaboration of the Tulane School of Social Work (SSW) and the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine (SPHTM). Through this program, a student can prepare for a career in social work as well as receive training in the methods and practice of public health. The flexibility resulting from both degrees allows the student to fill a professional role in the planning, management and delivery of human services within communities and public health organizations.

Program Description

This joint-degree program is designed for those wishing to pursue a career that emphasizes family and child health. This program requires completion of 83 credits: 65 credits in coursework (36 in social work and 32 in public health) and 15 credit hours in field instruction. The program begins in the fall semester and takes at least five continuous semesters (including the summer). In the beginning of the program students take courses primarily in social work, and as the semesters progress students take an increasing proportion of their courses in the school of public health. In the last semester students take all of their courses in public health.

Program Competencies

Students are provided with knowledge about all of the core areas of public health and thus the competencies required on a national level. Beyond the department core courses, the MSW/MPH program in the Department of Community Health Sciences offers courses and training in three areas: 1) Maternal and Child Health (MCH); 2) Health Education and Communication (HEDC); and 3) Nutrition (NUTR). The national competencies for both MCH and HEDC are included in those prescribed courses of study and will be apparent from the courses outlined below. The student is required to graduate with the public health core courses, departmental core courses, and selected courses from MCH, HEDC, and/or Nutrition required courses. This coursework provides students with the competencies needed for planning, development, implementation and evaluation of community-based public health programs with governmental organizations, community agencies and/or service clinics.

Upon completion of the program, the graduate should be able to:

• Describe community health problems in terms of time, magnitude/severity, scope, dispersion/location, and co-occurrence/co-morbidity and identify the scientific underpinnings and determine the validity of evidence for interventions addressing community health problems;
  Courses -- SPHL6010; CHSC Courses: 6410, 6420, 6460, 6510, 6610, 6750, 6770; SSW7410
  
• Apply knowledge of demographic, health, familial, socio-cultural, environmental and community factors to the design of community health programs and social services
  CHSC Courses: 6100, 6110, 6410, 6460, 6510, 6210, 6220, 6260, 6800
  
• Recognize different strengths, needs, values, and practices of diverse cultural, racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups and determine how these factors affect health status, health behaviors, and program design
  Courses -- CHSC Courses: 6100, 6110, 6140, 6420, 6460, 6510, 6220, 6610, 6750, 6800; SSW Courses: 7120
  
• Prepare and interpret data from vital statistics, censuses, surveys, service utilization, and other relevant reports on the health of populations, and have the ability to detect meaningful inferences from data and the translation of data into information.
  Courses -- BIOS6030; EPID6030; CHSC Courses: 6120, 6130m 6140m SSW7430;
  
• Evaluate the integrity and comparability of community health data and identify existing gaps
  Courses -- CHSC6130; EPID6030
  
• Integrate population-based health promotion and disease prevention strategies within primary care and other service delivery systems, including social work
  Courses -- HSMG6030; CHSC Courses: 6100, 6770
  
• Develop mechanisms to monitor and evaluate program and service networks for their effectiveness and quality, including use of performance measures.
  Courses -- CHSC Courses: 6110, 6120, 6130, 6750; SSW7410
  
• Develop strategies to assure integrated service systems for community health
  Courses -- CHSC Courses: 6140, 6420, 6460, 6510, 6770; SSW Courses: 7320, 7330;
  
• State the feasibility and expected outcomes of and barriers to achieving each policy option and decide on the appropriate course of action
  Courses -- CHSC Courses: 6110, 6140, 6420, 6510, 6770; SSW7410;
  
•  Plan and implement health education/communication strategies, interventions, and programs
  Courses -- CHSC Courses: 6110, 6130, 6210, 6800; SSW Courses: 7310, 7320, 7330
  
•  Communicate and advocate for health and health education
  Courses -- CHSC Courses: 6100, 6120, 6130, 6210, 6220, 6260, 6800; SSW Courses: 7310, 7320, 7330;
  
•  Assess individual and community needs for health education/communication
  Courses -- CHSC Courses: 6110, 6120, 6130, 6210, 6800; SSW Courses: 7310, 7320, 7330;
  

Admission Requirements

The prospective student must apply to and be accepted separately by each of the two schools, the Tulane SSW and the Tulane SPHTM. The point of entry into this dual degree program is through enrollment in the School of Social Work in the fall semester. Statement of intent to study for both degrees and acceptance by the SPHTM should preferably occur prior to the fall semester but must occur no later than at time of registration for the spring semester of the following year. MSW and MPH courses are taken concurrently. Details regarding the SPHTM application process can be found at http://www.sph.tulane.edu/admissions/requirements.htm. Additional admission requirements for SPHTM are as follows:

A. Admission to the School of Social Work

B. Undergraduate transcripts showing a cumulative GPA of no less than 3.0

C. Combined GRE scores (verbal and quantitative) of no less than 1000

D. Three letters of recommendation

E. Statement of career goals.

F. Acceptance into the SPHTM program no later than the beginning of the second semester of study.

Program Requirements

A total of 42 credits will be required at the SPHTM, with ten credits will be transferred from coursework at the School of Social Work. SPHTM courses may be waived given appropriate documentation of relevant education or courses. This meets the requirement by the American Schools of Public Health (ASPH) of a minimum of 42 credits for the MPH degree and waiving no more than 25% of those credits.

School Core Courses (18 credits):

[Note: Joint degree students in the MSW/MPH are encouraged to apply for a waiver of SPHL6030 based on their social work courses and experiences.]

Departmental Core Courses (Three of these four are required; 9 credits):

MSW/MPH Requirements (8 credits):

Eight credits to be selected from the courses below. In order to concentrate in a particular area, all 8 credits must be taken within the same area (i.e, MCH, HEDC, or NUTR). If the student chooses courses in multiple areas, he/she will receive a general MPH in Community Health Sciences:

MCH

HEDC

NUTR

Requirements at the School of Social Work: 

*This includes 36 credits of coursework and 15 credits of field practice, which must fulfill both the SPH and SSW practicum requirements

Sample Course Schedule

View a sample course schedule

Practicum

The SSW requires a 990 hour Field Practicum (330 hours x 3 semesters), which also serves to meet the SPHTM Practicum requirement. This practicum must contain a public health component (for example, population-based and prevention-oriented program planning, intervention, and/or evaluation). Please see the SPHTM Practicum handbook for further details:

http://www.sph.tulane.edu/main/academics/PracticumHandbook2007.pdf

Prior to SPH graduation, MSW/MPH students must complete the following items, all of which are described in the handbook, which should reflect the student’s experience with the practicum:

1. Form E
2. Abstract
3. Report (5 pages)
4. APHA-grade poster for CHS poster day

Culminating Experience

Students in the Department of Community Health Sciences can choose one of two options for their culminating experience:

1.      Public Health Analysis

2.      Comprehensive Examination

Public Health Analysis

The Public Health Analysis is an in-depth written report that considers a topic of relevance to public health practice.  It involves a thorough review of the literature, discussion, and recommendations for public health policy and practice.  The content and format of the report are described in school and departmental  guideline documents.

Comprehensive Examination

The Comprehensive Examination consists of two parts:  Part A – a school-wide examination based on core competencies, as well as cross-cutting competencies, established by the American Schools of Public Health; and Part B – a departmental-specific examination based on principles and concepts of Community Health Sciences, as covered in the required departmental core courses.

Additional Information

School of Social Work Website

School of Public Health Handbooks and Guides

Additional Information for all CHS MPH degrees

For more information: contact Cathy Taylor, ctaylor5@tulane.edu, 504.988.5391