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.

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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

Application deadlines

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.

Subplan 1 Requirements: Direct Practice Concentration

Total Credits Required: 134

Course Requirements

Total Credits Required for the Social Work M.S.W.: 54

Required Courses – Credits: 27
Direct Practice Courses – Credits: 24
Capstone Course – Credits: 3

Total Credits Required for the Juris Doctor: 80

Required Courses – Credits: 44 Free Electives at Law School – Credits: 24 Directed Electives at Law School – Credits: 12

Degree Requirements

Complete course work with a minimum overall grade point average of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale. To complete their MSW degree, students must successfully complete and pass a comprehensive examination.

Graduation Requirements

See Plan Graduation Requirements below.  

Subplan 2 Requirements: Management and Community Practice Concentration

Total Credits Required: 134

Course Requirements

Total Credits Required for the Social Work M.S.W.: 54

Required Courses – Credits: 27
Management and Community Practice Courses – Credits: 24
Capstone Course – Credits: 3

Total Credits Required for the Juris Doctor: 80

Required Courses – Credits: 44 Free Electives at Law School – Credits: 24 Directed Electives at Law School – Credits: 12

Degree Requirements

Complete course work with a minimum overall grade point average of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale. To complete their MSW degree, students must successfully complete and pass a comprehensive examination.

Graduation Requirements

See Plan Graduation Requirements below.

Subplan 3 Requirements: Trauma Informed Practice Concentration

Total Credits Required: 134

Course Requirements

Total Credits Required for the Social Work M.S.W.: 54

Required Courses – Credits: 27
Trauma Informed Practice Courses - Credits: 24
Capstone Course – Credits: 3

Total Credits Required for the Juris Doctor: 80

Required Courses – Credits: 44 Free Electives at Law School – Credits: 24 Directed Electives at Law School – Credits: 12

Degree Requirements

Complete course work with a minimum overall grade point average of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale. To complete their MSW degree, students must successfully complete and pass a comprehensive examination.

Graduation Requirements

See Plan Graduation Requirements below.

Sublan 4 Requirements: Advanced Standing

Total Credits Required: 122

Course Requirements

Total Credits Required for the Social Work M.S.W.: 42

Bridge Courses – Credits: 12

Complete 12 credits by completing all of the following courses:

Concentration Courses – Credits: 18

Complete 18 credits of coursework from one of the following concentration areas, by completing all of the courses displayed under the chosen concentration:
Direct Practice
Management and Community Practice
Trauma Informed Practice

Elective Courses – Credits: 9

Complete a minimum of 9 credits of Social Work electives, or other advisor-approved graduate-level courses.

Capstone Course – Credits: 3

Total Credits Required for the Juris Doctor: 80

Required Courses – Credits: 44 Free Electives at Law School – Credits: 24 Directed Electives at Law School – Credits: 12

Degree Requirements

Complete course work with a minimum overall grade point average of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale. To complete their MSW degree, students must successfully complete and pass a comprehensive examination.

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.

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Documents/Downloads

Contacts

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.

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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.

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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.

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