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Social Work and Juris Doctor, M.S.W./J.D. - CHHS, UNH
Graduate
Social Work and Juris Doctor
Develop advanced skills in both law and social work, learning to advocate for clients with a deep understanding of both legal frameworks and psychosocial dimensions.
2026
Degree
Master of Social Work/Juris Doctor
Location
Durham, NH
Courses
25*
Credit
Varies
Full-time
Varies
Part-time
Varies
The dual JD/MSW program at UNH offers innovative preparation for addressing complex social justice challenges through combined legal and social work expertise. Here you'll be able to develop advanced skills in both disciplines, learning to advocate for clients with a deep understanding of both legal frameworks and psychosocial dimensions.
With coursework that integrates legal knowledge and clinical social work practice, our program prepares you to tackle critical issues like immigration, discrimination, and intimate partner violence. This unique combination positions you to serve clients holistically, whether as a social worker navigating legal systems or an attorney addressing complex psychological and social concerns.
*Number of courses and course credit hours may vary, please reach out to your academic advisor for exact requirements.
Key Links
WHY GET A DUAL J.D. AND MASTER’S DEGREE IN SOCIAL WORK?
Getting a dual J.D. and M.S.W. degree gives you the advanced specialized knowledge and perspective of both legal and social issues pertaining to individuals and communities, a distinct advantage in today’s complex society. As a social worker with legal skills, you’ll be prepared to advocate effectively for your clients involved in the legal system. As an attorney with clinical social work skills, you’ll be better able to understand the unique psychological and social concerns of your clients and pursue strategies to achieve clients’ goals that are responsive to these vital dimensions of clients’ needs. This dual degree program is especially beneficial in holistically and effectively addressing critical social justice issues, including immigration, gender bias and discrimination, and intimate partner violence.
WHY STUDY LAW AND SOCIAL WORK AT UNH?
Take advantage of UNH’s combined academic strengths — the College of Health and Human Services’ Department of Social Work, fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, and UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law, accredited by the ABA. You can save time and money, finishing in four years, compared to pursuing both degrees separately. All students complete a foundation-year course of study, then elect a second-year concentration either in direct/clinical practice or community/administrative practice. Both concentrations require classroom work and two year-long field internships.
POTENTIAL CAREER AREAS
- Child welfare
- Community health
- Government agencies
- Juvenile/adult criminal justice
- Law
- Nonprofits
- Politics and public policy
- Public welfare
- Social work
- Substance abuse
Curriculum & Requirements
Program Description
Program Description
The Department of Social Work and the School of Law at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) offer a dual degree program. In four years, students will be able to complete two graduate degrees, a master in social work (M.S.W.) and a Juris Doctor (J.D.) to prepare for careers in law and social work.
For more information about the program contact the admissions team at unh.socialwork@unh.edu.
Requirements for the Program
Requirements for the Program
Juris Doctor (J.D.)
Social Work (M.S.W.)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Social Work Required Courses | ||
| SW 820 | Social Welfare Policy I | 3 |
| SW 830 | Social Work Practice I | 3 |
| SW 831 | Social Work Practice II: Practice in Small Groups and Community Organizations | 3 |
| SW 840 | Implications of Race, Culture, and Oppression for Social Work Practice | 3 |
| SW 850 | Human Behavior and the Social Environment I (HBSE I) | 3 |
| SW 851 | Human Behavior and the Social Environment II (HBSE II) | 3 |
| SW 860 | Research Methods in Social Work | 3 |
| SW 880 | Internship I 1 | 3 |
| SW 881 | Internship II 2 | 3 |
| SW 926 | Social Welfare Policy II | 3 |
| SW 930 | Advanced General Practice III: Clinical Assessment and Intervention | 3 |
| SW 931 | Advanced Generalist Practice IV: Community and Administrative Practice | 3 |
| SW 952 | Human Behavior and the Social Environment III | 3 |
| SW 962 | Data Analysis and Statistics | 3 |
| SW 965 | Program and Practice Evaluation | 3 |
| SW 982 | Internship III 3 | 4 |
Capstone: | ||
| SW 983 | Internship IV 4 | 4 |
- 1
Seminar and concurrent two-day/week internship/academic year
- 2
Seminar and two-day/week internship continued from SW 880 Internship I
- 3
Seminar and concurrent three-day/week internship/academic year
- 4
Seminar and three-day/week internship continued from SW 982 Internship III In Field IV (SW 983 Internship IV), students will complete an assignment that will highlight their ability to demonstrate all 9 social work competencies.
Student Learning Outcomes
Student Learning Outcomes
Program Learning Outcomes
Master of Social Work:
- Student demonstrates ethical and professional behavior.
- Student engages diversity and difference in practice.
- Student advances human rights and social, economic and environmental justice.
- Engage in practice informed research and research-informed practice.
- Engages in policy practice.
- Engage with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
- Assess individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
- Intervenes with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
- Evaluates practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
Juris Doctor
Application Requirements & Deadlines
Application Requirements & Deadlines
Deadlines
Applications must be completed by the following deadlines in order to be reviewed for admission:
- Fall: April 15
- Spring: N/A
- Summer: N/A
- Special: N/A
Application fee: Waived for current J.D. students
Campus: J.D. offered in Concord and M.S.W. offered in Durham.
New England Regional: No
Accelerated Masters Eligible: No
New Hampshire Residents
Students claiming in-state residency must also submit a Proof of Residence Form. This form is not required to complete your application, but you will need to submit it after you are offered admission, or you will not be able to register for classes.
Transcripts
If you attended UNH or Granite State College (GSC) after September 1, 1991, and have indicated so on your online application, we will retrieve your transcript internally; this includes UNH-Durham, UNH-Manchester, UNH Non-Degree work and GSC.
If you did not attend UNH, or attended prior to September 1, 1991, then you must upload a copy (PDF) of your transcript in the application form. International transcripts must be translated into English.
If admitted, you must then request an official transcript be sent directly to our office from the Registrar's Office of each college/university attended. We accept transcripts both electronically and in hard copy:
- Electronic Transcripts: Please have your institution send the transcript directly to grad.school@unh.edu. Please note that we can only accept copies sent directly from the institution.
- Paper Transcripts: Please send hard copies of transcripts to: UNH Graduate School, Thompson Hall- 105 Main Street, Durham, NH 03824. You may request transcripts be sent to us directly from the institution or you may send them yourself as long as they remain sealed in the original university envelope.
Transcripts from all previous post-secondary institutions must be submitted and applicants must disclose any previous academic or disciplinary sanctions that resulted in their temporary or permanent separation from a previous post-secondary institution. If it is found that previous academic or disciplinary separations were not disclosed, applicants may face denial and admitted students may face dismissal from their academic program.
Letters of recommendation: 3 required
Recommendation letters submitted by relatives or friends, as well as letters older than one year, will not be accepted.
At least one letter must attest to observed skills in a volunteer or employment setting that would be indicative of success in the social service field. It is recommended that two of the letters be from UNH Law faculty.
Personal Statement/Essay Questions
Applicants must provide a well-constructed double-spaced essay of 4-5 pages. Please respond to the questions below:
- Explain the personal, academic, organizational, volunteer and/or paid work experiences that have influenced your choice of social work as a profession.
- Social workers are bound by the NASW Code of Ethics, which state in part: "Social workers are sensitive to cultural and ethnic diversity and strive to end discrimination, oppression, poverty, and other forms of social injustice." With this in mind, discuss a current social issue of great concern or interest to you and how you hope to make an impact as a social worker.
- In alignment with the NASW Code of Ethics, the UNH Department of Social Work strives to operate from an anti-oppressive perspective and broadly promotes Anti-Oppressive Practice (AOP). Discuss at least 2 examples of oppression prevalent in society. Reflect on how these issues of oppression may influence your work/role as a social worker.
- Given the rigorous nature of a graduate social work program, what personal attributes do you possess that will enable you to balance school, internships, and personal commitments? How will you engage your supports/resources when you need help?
Note: The UNH Department of Social Work does not consider protected class identities in admissions decisions. As such, you are not required to share information in your response that would reveal your race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, ability status, military, law-enforcement, or veteran status.
Resume
A current resume is required with your submitted application.
Additional Department Requirements
In addition to the three letters of recommendation a complete application will include a statement of support from UNH Law. Current UNH Law students must request a statement of support from Lauren Berger, the UNH Law Assistant Dean for Students. Ask to have the letter sent directly to you as you will need to provide it when you submit your application. For new law students you may provide a copy of your admit offer letter in lieu of a formal statement of support.
Important Notes
All applicants are encouraged to contact programs directly to discuss program-specific application questions.
Significant volunteer and/or work experience in the field is strongly recommended. Graduation from an accredited undergraduate institution with a broad liberal arts background is required.
Students planning to enroll in the MSW’s advanced standing track must consult with Professor Sharon Murphy to understand the timing unique to the program.
International Applicants
Prospective international students are required to submit TOEFL, IELTS, or equivalent examination scores. English Language Exams may be waived if English is your first language. If you wish to request a waiver, then please visit our Test Scores webpage for more information.
Explore Program Details
Admission Requirements
Admission Requirements
Prospective students should contact UNH Law's Admissions Department for more information: admissions@law.unh.edu and the MSW Admissions Office: Christie.davis@unh.edu
Admission Requirements: Juris Doctorate
The Admissions Committee follows professional guidelines when reviewing applications. At a minimum, you must provide information demonstrating that you have the requisite intellectual skills to be successful in law school. While LSAT scores and undergraduate GPA are important considerations for admission, they are not the sole factors. We also look for maturity, initiative, public service and a fit with our educational philosophy and curricular strengths. In the application, you will need to give us clear evidence of your abilities through your essay, detailed descriptions of challenging work, and specific letters of recommendation. The Admissions Committee looks at each applicant as a whole person and spends a great deal of time reviewing every application, especially the essay portion.
Application Process
Applicants interested in the JD/MSW dual degree program should apply to the JD program during the application cycle, October 1 - April 1, and to the MBA or MSW program by August 15, 2014. The LSAT will serve as the required standardized test for the JD, MBA, and MSW programs. Please indicate on your JD application your intention to apply to the dual degree program. Candidates must apply before the deadlines and be admitted to both programs, and a 1L cumulative grade point minimum must be maintained to qualify for the dual degree.
Application Fee
There is no fee to apply to the University of New Hampshire School of Law JD program.
Online Status
When we receive your application, we will acknowledge its receipt via e-mail and assign you a password to Applicant Online Status, where you will be able to track your application's progress. It may take a few days or more to receive your Law School Report because it may contain letters of recommendation, LSAT scores, and transcripts, so please be patient. Make sure, however, that your LSDAS records are current and complete.
Admission Requirements: Master of Social Work
The department encourages applications from persons who
- Hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university;
- Have attained an overall grade-point average of "B" or better in undergraduate coursework;
- Have completed courses in a broad range of liberal arts and science disciplines;
- Have acceptable recommendations from three individuals, one of whom must be a member of an academic faculty
- Have completed satisfactorily a personal statement of interest in pursuing graduate education in the field. Though not required, significant volunteer and/or work experience in the field is strongly recommended.
Students who do not meet the liberal arts and science expectations may be asked to complete additional coursework prior to or during the first year of their enrollment in the program. Except for students applying to the dual degree program in social work and kinesiology, standardized graduate examinations are not required, but results of such tests may be submitted to supplement other admission materials.
Students applying for advanced standing must hold a degree from an accredited B.S. in S.W./B.S.W. program with a minimum grade-point average of 3.2 (4.0 point scale). This coursework must have been completed within five years of the date of M.S.W. matriculation. Advanced-standing applicants must also submit a reference from a B.S.W. faculty member and the undergraduate field supervisor or field coordinator.
Application Instructions, MSW:
Applications are to be made to the Graduate School, using the downloadable admissions application or by applying online. Interested applicants for the dual degree are required to be accepted for admission into both programs.
