About
The dual Master of Social Work and Juris Doctor (M.S.W. and J.D.) program is designed for those seeking to make a difference in the lives of individuals through direct legal and social interaction and intervention. The program provides students with a thorough grounding in social work and the law through academic instruction and practical application. The dual degree program requires that prospective students apply for and be accepted to both programs. To graduate, students must earn 131 total credit hours.
Available Options
-
Direct Practice Concentration
-
Management and Community Practice Concentration
-
Trauma Informed Practice Concentration
-
Advanced Standing Concentration
Accreditation
For information regarding accreditation at UNLV, please head over to Academic Program Accreditations.
Learning Outcomes
Students who successfully complete a program at BSL will be able to demonstrate:
- Legal and Law-Related Knowledge
- Knowledge of specific areas or aspects of substantive law, legal theory, or legal procedure
- Example: Acquiring knowledge of domestic / comparative / international / transnational legal doctrine and processes, jurisprudence, knowledge of legal theory, and statutory / regulatory law and processes.
- Analysis and Decision-Making
- Understand and develop solutions to legal problems
- Example: Analyzing, being creative or innovative, exercising practical judgment, problem solving, and reasoning.
- Policy Evaluation
- Draw connections between specific legal issues and policy contexts or values
- Example: Understanding or evaluating specific situations in light of fundamental principles and values such as equality, fairness, liberty, justice, or analytical orientations such as economics, public safety, or public policy.
- Professional Identity
- Responsibilities of lawyers to their profession and society
- Example: Demonstrating awareness of professional commitments to continued learning, community involvement and service, diligence, engagement, ethics, honesty, integrity, and dedication.
- Writing
- Written professional communication for a variety of professional purposes
- Example: Creating written texts for different audiences and purposes, advocating, negotiating, analyzing, memorializing transactions, or disseminating knowledge.
- Oral Communication
- Using oral communication for a variety of professional purposes
- Example: Advising, advocating, counseling clients, influencing, listening, presenting information, speaking for professional purposes.
- Information Gathering and Processing
- Obtaining and assessing information about facts, law, procedure, and people
- Example: Fact finding, interviewing, researching, and sorting known information so as to identify what is important for particular purposes.
- Interpersonal Perspectives
- Emotionally intelligent engagement, team building, collaboration, cooperation, and leadership
- Example: Seeing the world through the eyes of others, resolving conflicts, empathizing, evaluating, mentoring, organizing and managing others.
- Client and Practice Management
- Skills required to ethically and effectively manage ethical, professional and business aspects of the legal profession
- Example: Building relationships with clients, members of the legal profession, and others, handling stress, identifying client or community needs, organizing one's own work, using technology and electronic media.
Career Possibilities
Graduates of the law school typically work as attorneys. A law degree is a prerequisite for admission to the bar in most states, and bar admission is required to engage in the practice of law. Law school graduates work in private law firms, business, government, non-‐profit, and academic settings. Possibilities include:
- Public Welfare Administrator
- Attorney
- Prison Administrator
- Probation or Parole Officer
- Legislator
- Executive Director of a Non-Profit
- Legal Aid Attorney
- Labor Attorney
- Family Law Attorney
Requirements
Dual Degree: Master of Social Work & Juris Doctor
Plan Description
The Juris Doctor/Master of Social Work (JD/MSW) dual degree program allows students to be admitted to both programs and to pursue the two degrees concurrently.
Pursued individually, the JD and MSW add up to a higher amount of credits. This dual degree offers students the option to complete both programs with a credit reduction, due to the sharing of elective course options between programs.
For more information about your program, including your graduate program handbook and learning outcomes, please visit the Degree Directory.
Plan Admission Requirements
Applications available on the UNLV Graduate College website.
Applicants to the JD/MSW degree program must apply for, and gain admission to, both the Boyd School of Law JD program and to the School of Social Work MSW program, respectively.
Admission requirements are the same as those listed under the regular JD and MSW programs.
While applications from current students in either program will be considered, students normally should seek and satisfy admission to enter both programs upon entering the university. However, petitions requesting admission to the dual JD/MSW program from students at more advanced stages in either program will be considered. Those interested are encouraged to submit a request for permission to participate in the program, along with applications for admission, at the earliest possible time. Contact the William S. Boyd School of Law at (702) 895-2440 and the UNLV School of Social Work programs at (702) 895-3311 for further information on admissions requirements.
All domestic and international applicants must review and follow the Graduate College Admission and Registration Requirements. Students are accepted into a degree program as described in the Graduate Catalog. The faculty and corresponding subdisciplines and subplans within the described programs are subject to change at any time.
Plan Requirements
Subplan 1 Requirements: Direct Practice Concentration
Course Requirements
Total Credits Required for the Social Work M.S.W.: 54
Required Courses – Credits: 27
- SW 701 - Social Welfare Policy I
- SW 703 - Social Welfare Policy II
- SW 715 - Human Behavior and the Social Environment I
- SW 716 - Social Work Research I
- SW 719 - Foundation Practicum I
- SW 720 - Foundation Practice Methods I
- SW 726 - Social Work Research II
- SW 729 - Foundation Practicum II
- SW 730 - Macro Theory and Practice
Direct Practice Courses – Credits: 24
Capstone Course – Credits: 3
Total Credits Required for the Juris Doctor: 80
Degree Requirements
Graduation Requirements
Subplan 2 Requirements: Management and Community Practice Concentration
Course Requirements
Total Credits Required for the Social Work M.S.W.: 54
Required Courses – Credits: 27
- SW 701 - Social Welfare Policy I
- SW 703 - Social Welfare Policy II
- SW 715 - Human Behavior and the Social Environment I
- SW 716 - Social Work Research I
- SW 719 - Foundation Practicum I
- SW 720 - Foundation Practice Methods I
- SW 726 - Social Work Research II
- SW 729 - Foundation Practicum II
- SW 730 - Macro Theory and Practice
Management and Community Practice Courses – Credits: 24
- SW 759 - Field Practicum I (MCP)
- SW 760 - Management and Community Practice I
- SW 765 - Financial Management and Resource Development
- SW 769 - Field Practicum II (MCP)
- SW 707 - Contemporary Issues in Diversity
- SW 770 - Management and Community Practice II
- SW 775 - Advanced Policy Practice
- SW 776 - Legal and Ethical Issues in Social Work
Capstone Course – Credits: 3
Total Credits Required for the Juris Doctor: 80
Degree Requirements
Graduation Requirements
Subplan 3 Requirements: Trauma Informed Practice Concentration
Course Requirements
Total Credits Required for the Social Work M.S.W.: 54
Required Courses – Credits: 27
- SW 701 - Social Welfare Policy I
- SW 703 - Social Welfare Policy II
- SW 715 - Human Behavior and the Social Environment I
- SW 716 - Social Work Research I
- SW 719 - Foundation Practicum I
- SW 720 - Foundation Practice Methods I
- SW 726 - Social Work Research II
- SW 729 - Foundation Practicum II
- SW 730 - Macro Theory and Practice
Trauma Informed Practice Courses - Credits: 24
- SW 707 - Contemporary Issues in Diversity
- SW 776 - Legal and Ethical Issues in Social Work
- SW 779 - Field Practicum I (TIP)
- SW 780 - Trauma and Co-occurring Addiction Disorders: Screening, Assessment, and Treatment
SW 780 - Trauma and Co-occurring Addiction Disorders: Screening, Assessment, and Treatment
Loading from UNLV Catalog…Close - SW 781 - Trauma and the Brain
- SW 782 - Trauma-informed Systems and Policies
- SW 789 - Field Practicum II (TIP)
- SW 790 - Trauma-Focused Family-Based Practice
Capstone Course – Credits: 3
Total Credits Required for the Juris Doctor: 80
Degree Requirements
Graduation Requirements
Sublan 4 Requirements: Advanced Standing
Course Requirements
Total Credits Required for the Social Work M.S.W.: 42
Bridge Courses – Credits: 12
Concentration Courses – Credits: 18
Direct Practice
Management and Community Practice
Trauma Informed Practice
- SW 779 - Field Practicum I (TIP)
- SW 780 - Trauma and Co-occurring Addiction Disorders: Screening, Assessment, and Treatment
SW 780 - Trauma and Co-occurring Addiction Disorders: Screening, Assessment, and Treatment
Loading from UNLV Catalog…Close - SW 781 - Trauma and the Brain
- SW 782 - Trauma-informed Systems and Policies
- SW 789 - Field Practicum II (TIP)
- SW 790 - Trauma-Focused Family-Based Practice
Elective Courses – Credits: 9
Capstone Course – Credits: 3
Total Credits Required for the Juris Doctor: 80
Degree Requirements
Plan Graduation Requirements
Students cannot graduate from one portion of the dual degree until the requirements for both are met.
Students must apply to graduate from both programs for the same semester.
Successfully complete the capstone seminar.
Students may apply for graduation up to two semesters prior to completing their degree requirements. All required forms must be submitted to the graduate college via the Grad Rebel Gateway.
Documents/Downloads
Contacts
Graduate Coordinator
Ivet Aldaba
School of Social Work
The programs offered by the School of Social Work strive to instill values of social and economic justice, respect and worth of others, cultural diversity, and self-determination. We also foster a strengths-based environment that emphasizes openness, collaboration, and engagement striving towards individual and community resiliency.
Website
Phone
Greenspun College of Urban Affairs
The Greenspun College of Urban Affairs is committed to creating contemporary solutions for resilient communities. Our academic programs focus on making effective public policy, creating support structures to meet behavioral and mental health challenges, ensuring cities are safe and prepared to meet emergency situations, effective and ethical journalism, and interpersonal and public communication strategies.
Website
Phone
William S. Boyd School of Law
The William S. Boyd School of Law prepares students for the competent and ethical practice of law, offering three- and four-year programs for the Juris Doctor degree.