Students may earn both a Master of Social Work degree and a Master of Public Health degree through this dual-degree program. The MPH degree is awarded through the Gillings School of Global Public Health (SPH) at UNC-Chapel Hill. Although students can choose from a number of different concentrations in public health the dual degree program works particularly well for maternal, child and family health, health equity, social justice and human rights, health policy, global health and health behavior.<br>To complete coursework for both degrees, students earn 77 credit hours (44 hours in social work and 33 hours in public health) over a three-year period if students decide to concentrate in Community Management and Policy Practice (CMPP). Students who opt for the Direct Practice (DP) concentration will need 6-9 more credit hours, determined based on additional course work and field practicum hours required. Students register for social work courses in their first year and primarily public health courses in their second and third years.<br><br>Potential candidates must apply separately to each school. Acceptance into one program does not guarantee acceptance into the other program. The MPH program requires selection of concentration during the application process. Students applying to the MSW program can signal an interest in the DP or CMPP concentration during the application process and then formally declare their intention at the start of the fall semester. The first year of the dual degree program is completed within the School of Social Work.<br><br>Students are encouraged to complete at least one year of work experience after completing the bachelor's degree and before applying to the dual-degree program. If a student has not yet completed work experience, we recommend that the student apply first to SSW and apply to SPH during the first year of MSW coursework. Applications that include recommendations from SSW faculty members about a student's ability to complete graduate-level coursework and interest in public health may be more competitive.