3-2 MSW Program
Designed specifically for Washington University undergraduate students, this program allows students to earn both their undergraduate degree and a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree in a total of five years.
The 3-2 MSW program is available to students pursuing any major in Washington University's College of Arts & Sciences. We encourage interested students to take courses relevant to preparation for graduate studies in social work. Examples of disciplines related to social work include (but are not limited to) the following:
- African & African American Studies
- American Cultural Studies
- Anthropology
- Economics
- Education
- Global Studies
- Political Science
- Psychological & Brain Sciences
- Sociology
- Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
To be eligible to apply to the 3-2 program, applicants must complete all distribution and major requirements by the end of their junior year, with elective credits available to be applied toward MSW course credit during their senior year (i.e., the first year of the MSW program).
Applicants to the 3-2 program must also adhere to the following requirements:
- Complete the Certification for 3-2 Program Eligibility form (PDF), with signatures from the undergraduate advisor(s) and Jennifer Romney, associate dean in the College of Arts & Sciences, to be submitted with the application to the MSW program.
- Review the Application Instructions and the 3-2 Application Instructions and submit all required materials.
- Apply to the MSW program by March 1 of their junior year.
Although all admission requirements for the MSW program apply to 3-2 applicants, special consideration will be given for the level of field experience due to the undergraduate status of the applicants. We strongly encourage applicants to highlight all leadership and service experiences, such as internships, volunteer work, work with social service organizations, study abroad, service learning courses, and so on to demonstrate a commitment to social work and the mission of the Brown School.
3-2 Program Enrollment and Financial Aid
In the fall and spring semesters, tuition and fee charges are based on the student's primary, full-time enrollment, which is referred to as the student's Program of Study (POS). Students accepted into the 3-2 MSW program will remain coded to their undergraduate POS in university systems for their fourth year of study, even though the student will be completing graduate-level coursework at the Brown School.
3-2 MSW students will continue to be charged the standard full-time undergraduate tuition rate for the fourth year of study. They will receive financial aid for the fourth year based on their eligibility for undergraduate financial aid awards, including Pell Grants.
In the fifth year, 3-2 students will have their POS switched to the Brown School and will be charged at the MSW tuition rate applicable to that academic year. Any Brown School scholarship awarded at admission to the 3-2 program will only apply to the fifth year.