Admissions

The College of Social Work and the School of Law participate in a combination degree program that allows individuals to complete both the Master of Social Work and Juris Doctor degrees in less time than completing the two degrees separately. Application to the M.S.W. Program is made through the USC Graduate School and application to the J.D. Program is made through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC). Application reviews, including required supplemental application materials required by the programs, and admission recommendations are made independently by the College of Social Work and by the School of Law. Official notification of admission into the M.S.W. Program will be made by the Graduate School.  Students enrolled in both Master of Social Work and Juris Doctor courses in any term may be subject to fees for both programs.  

 Students enrolled in either the M.S.W. or J.D. Program beyond their first year of graduate study cannot apply for the combination degree program.  Advanced Standing social work students enrolled beyond the summer bridge term cannot apply for the combination degree program. The Juris Doctor degree is not offered as a part-time program; therefore, students enrolled in the part-time M.S.W. Program are not eligible for the combination degree program. 

Degree Requirements M.S.W (60 Hours) / J.D. (90 Hours)

Students must complete the combination degree program by starting in the J.D. Program. Each program offers a typical sequence of courses; through academic advisement with a combination degree coordinator in each program, students select specific courses to satisfy the requirements for each degree. All curriculum and hour requirements must be satisfied in order to graduate from the combination degree program.  Students in the combination degree program must complete the program within seven academic years. See the Social Work, M.S.W. and the J.D. bulletin for additional information.

The J.D. Program accepts up to nine (9) hours of social work courses as electives in its program and the MSW Program accepts up to six (6) hours of law courses towards the MSW degree. Thus the 60-credit hour MSW degree and 90-credit hour J.D. degree can both be completed with a total of 135 credit hours. However, according to the American Bar Association (ABA), the J.D. Program cannot accept any social work credits earned prior to matriculating in the law program. The first year of law studies must be completed at one time. Students enrolled in the dual degree M.S.W/J.D. program must be enrolled concurrently in SOWK courses and at least three (3) credit hours of LAWS courses in the semester during which they plan to share SOWK credit hours toward the J.D. degree.

The table below reflects the plan of study for a full-time student who begins the dual degree program in law. Note that the courses beyond the first year of law studies may be adjusted due to program or accreditation changes.

Law course descriptions are found in the School of Law Bulletin

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Students may elect to take these courses during summer sessions in order to meet curriculum requirements upon approval of the dual degree coordinator in each program.