The Master of Social Work (MSW) and Master of Public Health (MPH) dual degree is a collaboration between the University of Denver and the Colorado School of Public Health at the Anschutz Medical Campus. The fields of public health and social work share much in common. Both strive to improve health and social functioning, with public health focusing primarily on physical health trends and epidemiology and social work focusing primarily on social and emotional wellness and behavioral health. What can you do with an MSW/MPH dual degree? Medical and public health services, substance use prevention and treatment, and community and behavioral health are just a few of the options.

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Your Career Options

With an MSW and MPH dual degree, you’ll graduate with a competitive, cross-disciplinary skill set that will give you an advantage in the job market. Career options include:

  • Developing public health interventions
  • Creating policy around issues such as substance use and behavioral health
  • Developing and implementing public health prevention programs and campaigns
  • Providing leadership in managed care organizations, hospitals, health care agencies, community-based organizations and coalitions
  • Providing health education
  • Collaborating with local and state systems to improve public health
  • Advancing health equity
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Learn more about the MSW and MPH dual-degree curriculum.

Explore

Explore some of our field education options with a focus on public health

  • Colorado Community Health Network

    The Colorado Community Health Network is a statewide association of community health centers with a mission to increase access to high-quality health care for people in need in Colorado. Interns experience the full range of public policy work related to health care issues, including analyzing legislation, attending hearings at the Capitol, preparing fact sheets, writing legislative updates and lobbying legislators. Interns also have opportunities to gain skills in program development, grant writing, public relations and marketing.

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  • Denver Health Medical Center–Denver Public Health

    Denver Public Health, a department within Denver Health Medical Center, is a nationally recognized public health agency committed to innovating practice and improving health for everyone by working with communities and partners. Interns work directly with community members who are impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, doing case investigation and resource navigation. Interns are also involved with a project to guide and inform local public health interventions and programs to improve health equity in the local community. Interns engage with the community, develop tools, carry out interviews and focus groups, and conduct quantitative and qualitative analyses to help understand factors that may contribute to health disparities.

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  • Farley Health Policy Center

    The Eugene S. Farley, Jr. Health Policy Center is a multidisciplinary policy think tank that translates and generates evidence to inform policy that advances comprehensive community health. The center has expertise in integrated behavioral health, primary care payment, workforce, social policy and public benefits. Interns provide consultation, coordination and analyses for local and state government, other changemakers, health agencies and foundation-based funders.

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Key Faculty

 
Michael Talamantes

Michael M Talamantes

Clinical Professor

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Jessica Zaslav

Jessica Zaslav

Assistant Professor of the Practice, Field Faculty; Associate Director of Field Ed

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“I found my own path. I was able to learn skills that helped me grow while helping with really impactful work.”

Kyria Brown, MSW/MPH ’20 Read More
Kyria Brown

MSW/MPH Application Process 

You must apply for the MSW and MPH separately and be accepted into each program in order to qualify for the dual degree.