MSW vs MPH?

Hi! Great question, and good you're thinking about this now. Both MSWs and MPHs are fairly broad generalist degrees, which is why I'm a big fan--they open a lot of doors in terms of possible jobs down the road. I have an MSW from UNC. UNC is one of the places that offers the MSW/MPH and I know several people who went this route. So hopefully I can help you think through this a bit.

To answer your last question first: yes, you would be able to do policy work with just an MSW. However, when you enter an MSW program, you generally have to choose between two tracks: macro and direct (==clinical), and then specify beyond that what specific population you are interested in working in: adults, children, elderly, etc. SO, if you are interested in clinical social work, it's nearly impossible to do both. In that way, I would recommend you think about a dual program so you can get your clinical training through the MSW and the policy training through the MPH. In addition, MSW programs vary greatly on whether they are more heavily oriented toward clinical training or macro training. So spend a lot of time talking to people from the programs and looking at their websites before you make that decision. IF you decide you don't want to have the clinical option, I would recommend going with the MPH for policy work.

The other thing you should know is that once you graduate with your MSW, you have to work two years (it varies by state), take a licensing exam, and then apply for your license to practice clinical social work without supervision (called a LCSW). So the training to become a therapist takes two years of school (MSW), and then two years of practice before you have your full license. So if you're not sure that would be a fulfilling career for you, keep in mind that it really takes about 4 years before you're able to be a licensed therapist.

Have you thought about what particular populations or policy issues you're most passionate about? I would spend some time doing that soul-searching because that will have a huge impact on where you decide to go to school. For example, if you're really interested in working with people with HIV, you want to look at programs that have faculty members who also share this interest so you know you'll get the right training.

Hope this helps a bit! Feel free to right back with any other questions this might have raised.

Laura McDaniel, MSW, LICSW

Hello! This is a great question, and I would like to back up everything Laura said, but also chime in with a bit more.
While it is true that you can pursue policy work with either degree (and really only pursue the clinical side with the MSW) I think that there are many MSW programs that offer a solid foundation in clinical work during the first year -- and then allow you to specialize in administration or policy (for example) during your second year. That means, though, that it IS very important to research the programs and internship opportunities before deciding on a particular school - and to have as much insight as possible into what you'd like to do down the road (with what populations of clients, etc).

Depending on what state you are in, the licensing requirements will be different. You can find that out in advance too! For example, in NY state, you can become a licensed social worker and do clinical practice, without the two years of practice that Laura describes above. You would be an LMSW instead of an LCSW. Different agencies have different hiring requirements/expectations, so in part, your employment-ability will depend on what setting you choose to work in. I work at a social service agency with many LMSWs employed both in direct service/clinical and administrative work.

The only other thing I would add is to think broadly about "policy work" and "administration." Many people who choose a direct service/clinic route engage in a lot of psycho-education, community education, and advocacy -- which would be considered "policy work" by some. It's also not uncommon for people who have direct service experience but aspirations to more macro positions to 'move up the ranks' and supervise others, manage programs, and even manage agencies (aka administration).

Good luck!