MPH and Social Work MSW

In addition to the overall Master of Public Health degree competencies, graduates will be able to:

1. Practice competency in relationship skills;
2. Knowledge of the interrelationships in the biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors in human life, including the impact of disease, injury, and emotional distress and their implications for social work practice;
3. Skill in methods of scientific inquiry for the purpose of advancing professional knowledge and practice;
4. Basic skill in the application of a range of social work treatment methodologies for the purpose of differential diagnosis and intervention;
5. Practice competency in applying a biopsychosocial approach to the assessment of human problems;
6. Practice competency in applying a biopsychosocial approach to treatment of human problems through individual, family, and group modalities; and
7. A basic knowledge of managerial processes in social services, including program planning, personnel management, finance, and evaluation.

Public Health

It is recommended that students take some Public Health courses prior to admission to the dual-degree program. This reduces stress related to logistical conflicts in course scheduling. These courses can be taken prior to full admission to the College of Public Health and before acceptance to the dual-degree as the College of Public Health allows students to transfer in a maximum of 12 credits taken before admittance to a course of study. Students who have been admitted to the College of Public Health may elect to take core courses in public health in the summer prior to matriculation in full coursework.

There are no required prerequisites in the MCH or the BH concentration.

Social Work advanced standing students may also wish to take public health courses the fall before social work courses begin. It is recommended that students take two of the Public Health Core Courses immediately upon admission: Most public health core courses are available online every semester.

• PHC 6000 Epidemiology (3)
• PHC 6050 Biostatistics I (3)

Please refer to the following pages for specific information on the requirements for individual concentrations in the College of Public Health:

1. Maternal and Child Health Concentration page: Maternal and Child Health MPH
2. Behavioral Health Concentration page: Behavioral Health MPH

Note: Students requesting waivers for any courses must meet with their assigned advisors to present their case.

MSW Course Work

Please refer to the following link for details on course work for the Master of Social Work Program: http://socialwork.cbcs.usf.edu/masters/coursework.cfm

MPH Course Work

1. Refer to the Maternal and Child Health Concentration for course work details:  Maternal and Child Health MPH

• • Two foundation Courses in Social work may substitute for PHC 6410 Social and Behavioral Sciences Applied to Health. Substitutions will be reviewed on a case by case basis.
  • Social Work Courses may be taken as 3 hours of Public Health approved electives or concentration support courses if approved by program advisor.
  • Field Placement for MPH is usually combined with MSW clinical placement & Special Project for MPH is usually combined with MSW special project.
  • Public health courses with a clinical content may count toward Social Work licensure, but the Director of the School of Social Work must first approve them.
  • Minimum of 51 credit hours for MPH

2. Refer to the Behavioral Health Concentration for course work details: Behavioral Health MPH

• • PHC 6410 Social and Behavioral Sciences Applied to Health may be waived for students with extensive social work, psychology, or counseling backgrounds.
  • Minimum 45 credit hours for MPH

3. For Both Concentrations:

• • Field Placement: PHC 6945 Supervised Field Experience (Public Health - see http://health.usf.edu/publichealth/academicaffairs/fe/) is usually combined with the Social Work clinical placement. The placement is handled primarily through the Social Work Department, with prior consultation with the Public Health advisor. The dual-degree program is designed to afford students an opportunity to learn a more holistic interdisciplinary approach to planning services particularly in maternal child health settings. Students enrolled in the dual-degree program will take three semesters of field placement, in accord with the requirements of the MSW program.
  • Research Project: The student should consult with the Public Health and Social Work advisor before beginning the joint research project. Work on the research project is most often done simultaneously with the field placement.  
  • Note: A comprehensive core exam is also required before completion of the MPH portion of the dual masters program.

Course Substitutions and Waivers

Decisions about course substitutions and waivers will be made on a case by case basis.

• Given how the system currently operates, students may not receive financial aid for all the courses required in both the programs although they may request aid to do so. Therefore, students seeking the dual-degree are strongly encouraged to review information provided under the Graduate Section of the following webpage: http://usfweb2.usf.edu/finaid/other/satisfactory_progress.aspx.
• Students are advised to ask for assistance from the USF financial aid office (their financial advisors) to learn more about financial aid so that they can make the best possible and an informed decision regarding pursuing the dual-degree program.
• Check the student resources section below for information on scholarships and other funding opportunities that students can explore.

Please look at the following for student resource information. We have pointed out some specific ones of which we encourage you to be aware:

• Public Health Tuition and Fees and Financial Assistance at:  http://health.usf.edu/publichealth/financial.html

• Graduate Assistantships: Graduate assistantships are awarded each semester and are available through both the School of Social Work and the Department of Community and Family Health. Graduate assistants may be assigned to assist with research or teaching functions, assist in developing seminars or workshops, or do other work that is related to graduate study as well. Graduate assistants are paid a biweekly stipend and sometimes qualify to receive tuition waivers as well. Students should inquire within the department, with the office of field placement, and with individual faculty members about upcoming assistantship openings.

• Maternal-Child Health (MCH) Leadership Traineeships: Federally funded traineeships in maternal and child health leadership are available to students admitted to the MPH or PhD programs in maternal and child health within the Department of Community and Family Health. Traineeships provide stipends and/or financial assistance toward tuition as well as a program designed to support the development of MCH leadership skills. MCH traineeships are competitive awards and the availability of the traineeships is dependent on annual funding. Interested students should have career goals that indicate a clear commitment to MCH. Applications should be forwarded to students once the application for admission to the graduate school is received. Applications for the traineeships are accepted in early summer. Both first and second year students are eligible for the awards. Students should indicate their interest in the traineeship at the time of application. For more information, visit: http://health.usf.edu/publichealth/mch/index.html

• Scholarships from the School of Social Work: There are many scholarships available to social work students including the Betty Bodde, Margaret Wright, and Wayne Vasey Scholarships which are offered by the School of Social Work at various times throughout the year. You might start by contacting the USF Office of National Scholarships (ONS). That office is dedicated to providing guidance and support for USF’s students as they compete for scholarships across all disciplines. The scholarships and fellowships are for creative, motivated, academically strong students who are leaders in and out of the classroom.  You can also go to the School of Social Work web site where you will find an extensive list of available scholarships and fellowships.

• Additional list of scholarships: Check scholarships under News section of social work website (http://socialwork.cbcs.usf.edu/newsEvents/news.cfm)

• College of Behavioral and Community Sciences website: Look at the College of Behavioral and Community Sciences Website for other funding opportunities that may be available. Here is the link to that: http://www.cbcs.usf.edu/CurrentStudents/Scholarships.cfm