Social Work Dual-Degree Programs
In today’s multifaceted and increasingly interconnected world, collaboration matters. That’s why the Graduate School of Social Work collaborates with other schools to give Denver Campus MSW students the opportunity to pursue multiple educational and professional interests simultaneously through our master of social work (MSW) dual-degree programs.
Our interdisciplinary dual and cooperative graduate degree programs allow you to earn your MSW while earning a graduate degree in another field. With a dual degree, you get to study what you’re most passionate about and graduate with a competitive, cross-disciplinary skill set that will give you an advantage in the job market. And because some courses taken for one degree also earn credit toward the other degree, dual-degree programs let you graduate sooner and at a lower cost than if you pursued the degrees separately.
- Master's
- A master’s degree is the first level of graduate study, typically requiring one to two years of full-time study. To pursue a master’s, you’ll need an undergraduate (bachelor’s) degree. Many degrees are specialized to prepare you to enter the job market as a highly qualified applicant or work as an educator in your field.
- MSW
- Master of Social Work
Graduate School of Social Work
Animals and Human Health Certificate
About this Program
The Animals and Human Health professional development certificate focuses on animal-assisted therapy, activities and learning and forging a strong human-animal bond.
University College
Arts and Culture Marketing
About this Program
Cultivate audiences for arts and culture programming through the use of strategic marketing. In this program, you’ll learn to plan, sustain, and develop marketing initiatives on behalf of arts and culture organizations, helping to build awareness and loyalty to both nonprofits and for-profits in the sector. From digital communication to traditional promotional efforts, learn to launch and assess successful marketing campaigns.
Enhance your knowledge of identifying key audiences and leveraging strategic marketing to reach them in this program designed for marketers in the arts and culture sector. Whether you're pursuing digital communication or more traditional promotional initiatives, you'll find ways to reach and retain your target market.
University College
Arts and Culture Outreach and Advocacy
About this Program
Develop skills needed to cultivate connections and advocate for arts and culture in communities of all kinds. In this program, you’ll learn to design engaging events and targeted programs, apply entrepreneurial thinking and develop effective approaches to secure grant support. Be an advocate for the arts, prepared with the knowledge needed to thrive.
Gain the practical knowledge needed to cultivate arts and cultural initiatives across all kinds of communities. From planning engaging events to applying entrepreneurial thinking, developing marketing plans to securing grant funding, you’ll gain the skills needed to help nonprofit and for-profit organizations create a productive community presence.
Graduate School of Social Work
Canine-Assisted Intervention Specialist Certificate
About this Program
The Canine-Assisted Intervention Specialist certificate provides the knowledge and experience needed to ensure a therapy dog’s welfare and well-being.
Graduate School of Social Work
Equine Behavior
About this Program
This course teaches equine behavior and how it relates to human-horse interactions and equine health through an online course with short, weekly assignments.
Graduate School of Social Work
Equine-Assisted Mental Health Practitioner Certificate
About this Program
The Equine-Assisted Mental Health Practitioner certificate trains mental health professionals to enhance their clinical practice through equine-assisted therapy.
Graduate School of Social Work
Master of Social Work & Denver Master of Business Administration
About this Program
Offered in collaboration with the University of Denver Daniels College of Business, a master of social work (MSW)and Denver master of business administration (MBA) will prepare you for a career in nonprofit management, corporate social responsibility, social entrepreneurship, and corporate diversity and inclusion efforts. The full-time, weekday program will expand your career opportunities into the corporate and private sector as well as allow you to incorporate such business skills as accounting, marketing, management and strategic planning into traditional social work settings in the nonprofit and government sectors.
Graduate School of Social Work
Master of Social Work & Juris Doctor
About this Program
You can earn your master of social work (MSW) along with a juris doctor (JD). Offered in collaboration with the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, this degree combination will prepare you with the social work skills, values and perspectives of social justice, strengths-based approaches, systems theory, clinical theories and community organizing that will make you most effective when working with vulnerable and oppressed clients. Graduates become attorneys and social workers who are uniquely prepared to work in immigration law, family law, drug courts, civil rights law, mediation and criminal law.
Graduate School of Social Work
Master of Social Work & Master of Arts in International Development
About this Program
Offered with the University of Denver Josef Korbel School of International Studies, the Master of Social Work (MSW) and Master of Arts (MA) in international development will steep you in development theory, policy-oriented decision making and analysis, institutional politics and the practical skills needed for a career in government, multilateral and bilateral development agencies, nongovernmental organizations and the private sector.
Graduate School of Social Work
Master of Social Work & Master of Arts in International Human Rights
About this Program
Offered with the University of Denver Josef Korbel School of International Studies, the Master of Social Work (MSW) and Master of Arts in International Human Rights (MA) link human rights to development, health, security and humanitarian assistance and will give you the specialized skills needed to engage communities and individuals to address complex problems. Together, these degrees will prepare you to work in international nonprofits, international rights advocacy organizations, international aid agencies, governmental and intergovernmental organizations, the human rights legal profession, and academia.
Graduate School of Social Work
Master of Social Work & Master of Arts in International Studies
About this Program
Offered in conjunction with the University of Denver Josef Korbel School of International Studies, the Master of Social Work (MSW) and Master of Arts in International Studies (MA) will ready you for a career in the government, private and nonprofit sectors. The MA degree provides opportunity to tailor a program to fit your specific needs and interests. The MSW emphasizes social justice, a systems approach to diagnosing and addressing problems, and clinical skills for engaging with client systems at the micro, mezzo and macro levels, making dual-degree students uniquely adept at engaging communities and individuals to address complex problems, especially within cultures that are new to them.
Graduate School of Social Work
Master of Social Work & Master of Divinity
About this Program
Religious understanding is crucial for counselors in a global age. Offered in collaboration with the Iliff School of Theology, a Master of Social Work (MSW) and Master of Divinity (MDiv) provides spiritual and social work training that will help religious professionals in their career advancement and bivocational work as counselors and ministers or chaplains who want to incorporate social work in their ministry.
Graduate School of Social Work
Master of Social Work & Master of Legal Studies
About this Program
You can earn your master of social work (MSW) along with a master of legal studies (MLS). Offered in conjunction with the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, these degrees will prepare you to be an effective practitioner in social policy and to affect change at all levels of community and government as you interact with lawyers, assess risks and opportunities, and understand the legal, legislative and regulatory landscape.
Graduate School of Social Work
Master of Social Work & Master of Public Health
About this Program
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 a lot in common. Both strive to improve health and social functioning, with public health focusing primarily on physical health and social work focusing primarily on social, emotional and mental health. What can you do with an MSW/MPH dual degree? Medical and public health services, substance abuse prevention and treatment, mental health and child welfare are just a few of the options.
Graduate School of Social Work
Master of Social Work & Master of Public Policy
About this Program
Offered together with the University of Denver Josef Korbel School of International Studies, the Master of Social Work (MSW) and master of public policy (MPP) will prepare you to create change at all levels of community and government. You’ll gain in-depth knowledge about policy and how to effectively work with clients. If your career path might include making policy-level decisions, then this degree pair may be right for you.
Graduate School of Social Work
Master of Social Work & Professional Master of Business Administration
About this Program
Offered in collaboration with the University of Denver Daniels College of Busines, a master of social work (MSW) and professional master's in business administration (PMBA) can be completed during evenings and weekends with fewer credits than the Denver MBA degree. The MSW/PMBA will expand your career opportunities into the corporate and private sector as well as allow you to incorporate such business skills as accounting, marketing, management and strategic planning into traditional social work settings in the nonprofit and government sectors. It will prepare you for a dynamic career in nonprofit management, corporate social responsibility, social entrepreneurship, and corporate diversity and inclusion efforts.
Graduate School of Social Work
MSW Certificate in Animal-Assisted Social Work
About this Program
The first of its kind in the nation, our Animal-Assisted Social Work (AASW) master’s certificate explores social justice from the perspective of humans, animals and the environment. This certificate is only available to students enrolled in our Denver Campus MSW Program, and you’ll complete the certificate and your MSW program at the same time. Together, the MSW and certificate will prepare you to consider humans, animals and the environment in practice settings that range from therapeutic programs to animal shelters and sanctuaries
Offered by the Graduate School of Social Work and the Institute for Human-Animal Connection, this certificate will add three specialized elective courses to the MSW curriculum during your concentration year. The certificate also includes field internships that examine critical human, animal and environmental connections in the U.S. and internationally.
Graduate School of Social Work
MSW Certificate in Global Social Work
About this Program
Whether you intend to work internationally or in the United States, the Global Social Work Certificate will help you understand global connections and perspectives. Through a series of courses, specialized monthly in-service experiences, and internship projects, you’ll gain the skills and knowledge needed to work cross-culturally, either at home or abroad.
You’ll complete this certificate concurrently with your Denver Campus MSW program. The certificate is open to Denver Campus MSW students in any pathway and may be stacked with other MSW certificates. To enhance course content and internship experiences, you’ll participate in Let’s Go Global, a series of monthly trainings and activities related to international social work.
Graduate School of Social Work
MSW Certificate in Human-Animal-Environment Interactions in Social Work
About this Program
The first of its kind in the nation, our human-animal-environment interactions in social work (HAEI-SW) master’s certificate of specialization prepares you to recognize the impact of human-animal-environment interactions in culturally responsive and ethically advanced professional social work practice settings. This certificate is currently available to students enrolled in our Denver Campus MSW Programs, and you complete the certificate alongside your other MSW coursework. Together, the MSW degree and certificate will prepare you to consider humans, animals and the environment in both clinical and community-based social work settings such as mental health agencies, schools, and animal shelters.
Offered by the Graduate School of Social Work and the Institute for Human-Animal Connection, this certificate will add three specialized elective courses to the MSW curriculum during your specialization year.
Graduate School of Social Work
MSW Certificate in Latinx Social Work
About this Program
As the Latinx population continues to grow in Colorado and nationwide, there is a critical need for bilingual and culturally responsive social workers. Our MSW Latinx Social Work Certificate addresses this need, preparing you for a bilingual career serving individuals and families of Latin American origin
You’ll complete this certificate concurrently with your MSW program. The certificate includes an intensive Spanish-language immersion component, an experiential course taught in Mexico, and other specialized courses in addition to a field internship in which you’ll work with Spanish-speaking clients. A minimum of intermediate proficiency in Spanish is required for admission to the Latinx Social Work Certificate program, which is only available to students enrolled in our Denver Campus MSW Program.
Graduate School of Social Work
Orientation to Human-Animal Interactions
About this Program
The Orientation to Human-Animal Interactions course introduces the connection between humans and animals and looks at micro, mezzo, and macro career applications in this field.
Graduate School of Social Work
School Social Work Certificate
About this Program
You will learn the laws affecting students and schools in Colorado and become proficient in completing school-based assessments for things such as development, suicide and substance use. By spending time with social workers in diverse school settings in the Denver metro area, you’ll gain a first-hand understanding of school social work, from the assessments used to the role social workers play in schools.
Graduate School of Social Work
Social Work
About this Program
Social work is a growing career path where professionals work toward social justice, advocate for marginalized groups and make a positive difference in the world. In the Master of Social Work (MSW) program at the Graduate School of Social Work (GSSW), students apply social work theories and research through classroom experiences, community projects and field internships. GSSW students are diverse change makers who work toward equity, inform policy and serve humanity during their educational journey and throughout their professional careers. Classroom instruction and field education prepare students for a fulfilling career as they work with individuals, families, communities and organizations.
Our curriculum allows students to specialize in their area of interest with an Advanced Social Work Practice concentration that is customizable, with several pathways that focus on practice from youth to older adults in clinical, community and international settings. Students develop relationships with faculty and conduct research on global issues like homelessness or trauma in mental health. With more than 750 field internship sites from schools and hospitals to public and private agencies, students choose their internship placement and immediately apply theory in a practice setting. To accommodate diverse learning needs, GSSW has four MSW program locations in Denver, Glenwood Springs, Durango and online (MSW@Denver).
Graduate School of Social Work
Social Work
About this Program
The doctoral program at the Graduate School of Social Work (GSSW) trains master's-level human service professionals to become social work researchers, educators and policy experts. This program is among the oldest social work doctoral programs in the West, enrolling students from across the nation and around the world. PhD students spend their time in the field conducting powerful research and developing solutions for the most pressing problems in society. Throughout the program, students work alongside GSSW faculty who are committed to scholarship rooted in social justice.
The doctoral curriculum includes advanced content in theory, policy and research methodology. Students learn and practice quantitative, qualitative and mixed-methods research approaches as well as analytic techniques. Our extensive network of community-based partners-from large healthcare systems to social service providers to schools and community organizers-gives PhD students the opportunity to collaborate on community-engaged research. PhD students work with faculty mentors to apply their skills in ongoing research projects locally, nationally and internationally.
Graduate School of Social Work
Undergraduate/ Graduate Social Work Degree Program
About this Program
University of Denver undergraduate students who are interested in a social work career can jumpstart their graduate education with our Undergraduate/Graduate Social Work Degree Program (3+2 Program), which allows completion of a bachelor’s degree and our social-justice-focused Denver Campus Master of Social Work (MSW) in just five years. With the 3+2 Program, you’ll graduate sooner and save money since you’ll need fewer undergraduate credits than a standard undergraduate degree program.
With online and on-campus options in three locations, we have the right MSW for you.
Dual Undergraduate/Graduate Degree
If you are a current University of Denver undergraduate student, you may combine your bachelor’s degree in any field with a master of social work (MSW) degree, graduating with both degrees in five years. You’ll save substantial time and money by earning the MSW one year sooner than would be possible if the two degrees were earned consecutively.
In this dual undergraduate/graduate degree program, you’ll complete your undergraduate requirements, as well as your major and minor requirements, during your first three years at the University of Denver. During the fourth year, you’ll begin the MSW curriculum.
MSW & JD Dual Degree
For two Graduate School of Social Work students, dual-degrees in social work and law provide a strong foundation for systems change.
