The school offers a combined Master of Social Work / Doctor of Philosophy (MSW/PhD) in social work. The MSW/PhD prepares students to conduct research that contributes to the social work knowledge base. The combined program permits students to apply a limited amount of credit toward both graduate degrees, reducing the time required to graduate. Students complete required coursework for both degrees, a social work practicum, a research practicum, a teaching practicum, and a comprehensive examination of the empirical literature before beginning to conduct their dissertation research. Students’ coursework at the PhD-level includes courses in four outside disciplines—sociology, psychology, public health, and education.

The MSW/PhD program seeks students who have a passion for research in a specialized area of social work knowledge and are planning a career in research. Applicants will be evaluated on their research focus, career goals, fit with faculty research, and letters of recommendation. Additionally, we prefer that MSW/PhD applicants have completed social work coursework, earned a B or above in a statistics course, and have gained experience in an area of social work practice.

Please review both the MSW program and the PhD program pages for more information. Individuals must apply to the MSW program and the PhD program; applications are reviewed by the admissions panels of both programs. About 10% of applicants for the MSW/PhD program are admitted.   

To ascertain your fit for the combined MSW/PhD program, please contact:
Kate Kemp, MSW, LISW
Program and Admissions Administrator
308 North Hall (NH)
kate-kemp@uiowa.edu
319-335-1254