Dual Degree Opportunities : Social Work

The Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan and the School of Social Work offer a dual degree program, which enables students to pursue concurrent work in business administration and social work leading to the MBA and MSW degrees. 

The program is arranged so that all requirements for both degrees are completed in two and one-half years of enrollment. The degrees are awarded simultaneously.

This combined degree program is not open to students who have already earned either the MBA or MSW degrees. Students registered in the first year of either program may apply.

Students admitted to this dual degree program must satisfy the following requirements:

1) The MBA 57 credit hour degree program including:

  • 45 Business Administration Credits, made up of:  
    • Roughly 30 credit hour MBA core (no credit is awarded for Business Administration core courses successfully waived: credit must be earned with Business electives);
    • Roughly 15 elective hours in Business Administration;
    • MBA Communication Requirement.

2) The MSW 60 credit hour degree program including:

  • 42 credit hours of required course work, of which 15 are Field Instruction;
  • 2 elective hours in Social Work;
  • 16 hours of transferable credit hours from the School of Business Administration.

The total credit hours for the dual degree must be at least 89.

Dual degree students are required to take the complete sequence of first-year courses in one school during year one of the program, and the complete sequence of first year courses in the other school during year two of the program. The final requirements for each school will be completed in year three.

The 89 graduate hours of the dual program comprise two and one-half academic years consisting of the six 14-16 hour semesters, including Spring/Summer term. The Spring/Summer term must follow the first year in the School of Social Work. In the preferred sequence, students will take the MBA core courses in the second year and the final business electives in the Fall term of year three. No course work completed prior to admission in either of the two halves of the programs may be counted toward the MBA requirements of the dual program.

Applicants interested in the MBA/MSW combined program must file separate applications to each school and be admitted by both schools. Applicants must indicate on both applications that they are applying for this specific dual degree program(please make sure the correct box is checked on the MBA application). Each school will apply its own deferred admission standards to students who elect to take the first year in the other school.

Students interested in the Dual Degree Program in Social Work and Business Administration should review the Stephen M. Ross School of Business website regarding the MBA program, and then consult with or make an appointment with SSW Professor John Tropman (tropman@umich.edu).