nyu social work phd program

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• Before starting your application for admission to our MSW, DSW, or PhD Program, please read the application instructions .
• Admit terms vary by degree and pathway, so visit our deadlines page for more information. To learn about the requirements for our degree programs and pathways, please visit our Applying to Silver page .
• If you are interested in our BS Program, please visit NYU’s Undergraduate Admissions portal .

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Best Schools for Social Work

Ranked in 2024, part of Best Health Schools

In an advanced social work curriculum, students will take

In an advanced social work curriculum, students will take courses in social welfare policy, human behavior and ethics, balanced with hands-on experience in clinical settings. These are the top social work programs. Each school's score reflects its average rating on a scale from 1 (marginal) to 5 (outstanding), based on a survey of academics at peer institutions. Read the methodology »

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Funding Packages for Full-Time PhD Students

If you are accepted as a full-time NYU Steinhardt PhD student, you are eligible for our generous funding package, which includes a stipend, scholarship, and healthcare coverage. Information is below and on our doctoral funding website. 

Funding Opportunities

The Steinhardt Fellowship Program

The standard Steinhardt Fellowship package includes an annual stipend, tuition remission for required course work, and student health insurance through your fifth year. The fellowship is reserved for full-time doctoral students. The 2024-2025 stipend is $33,867. Complete details are provided with each offer of admission.

Research Assistantships

Some doctoral students may be appointed to a Research Assistantship. Research Assistants are funded by external grants and work with a principal investigator on a funded research project. Unlike Steinhardt Fellows, Research Assistants agree to work 20 hours per week on an ongoing research project, typically with a team of faculty and other students. Research Assistants may not perform additional work assignments such as teaching or grading.

For the duration of the assistantship, Research Assistants receive funding that includes a stipend, tuition remission for required course work, and student health insurance.

Other Expenses to Consider

Beyond what is covered by your Steinhardt Fellowship or Research Assistantship, you may have additional expenses that you should keep in mind as you plan your budget. These may include, but are not limited to:

• Late registration fees
• Tuition for undergraduate courses
• Tuition for graduate courses not applicable to your degree
• Tuition for courses in excess of the total point requirement for your degree
• Tuition for courses completed after the end of the fifth year
• Tuition for courses and fees used to maintain official enrollment for study leading to a degree after the end of the fifth year; see doctoral student policies for more information
• Student health insurance for students beyond the fifth year (note that students who are employed by NYU, such as Research Assistants or Adjunct Instructors, may receive health insurance as an employee benefit)

Social Work (BS)

Program description.

The Bachelor of Science degree in social work provides students with the knowledge and training to be a generalist practice professional, while learning a diverse set of skills that are centered around making human connections, problem-solving, leadership, advocacy, human rights, interprofessional collaboration, and social and economic justice. As part of their academic journey, students gain the tools to enable them to work with diverse individuals and communities in a variety of human service agencies and organizations--from public service agencies to private companies.

While a part of the social work program, students develop the ability to work across cultural barriers from a local, national, and global perspective. They combine electives and required course work with a field internship that gives them supervision, work experience, leadership, and training in the internationally recognized field of social work.

The undergraduate program at NYU Silver is broad enough to prepare students for many different professions. Because of the extensive professional training students  receive as an undergraduate, they may be able to earn a master's degree with only one additional year of study. If, on the other hand, they want to go to work immediately upon graduation, they will be well prepared to make an impact in the world.

The School's program is fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.

New York University's Office of Undergraduate Admissions supports the application process for all undergraduate programs at NYU.  For additional information about undergraduate admissions, including application requirements, see How to Apply . 

Program Requirements

Sample plan of study, learning outcomes.

Upon successful completion of the program, students will be able to:

• Apply generalist social work skills within a variety of settings and with a variety of populations 
• Communicate effectively with clients and colleagues from diverse backgrounds 
• Work within agencies and communities 
• Evaluate the effectiveness of practice interventions through self-reflection and supervision 
• Understand and adhere to the profession’s values, including a commitment to promoting economic and social justice through interventions, honoring client confidentiality, and (especially) emphasizing client’s right to self determination 
• Exercise self-awareness and introspection to minimize intrusion of personal issues into practice 

NYU Policies

University-wide policies can be found on the New York University Policy pages .

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Dual Degree in Social Work (MSW/MPH)

This interdisciplinary, three-year program with the NYU Silver School of Social Work allows you to combine social work and public health with a global focus. At completion of this full-time program, you will have earned a Master of Social Work (MSW) and a Master of Public Health (MPH), starting you off in a prime position for advanced career options in either field.

Your courses are drawn from relevant programs across six schools at NYU, covering areas of social work; public service; medicine, dentistry, and nursing; and culture, education and human development.

As part of the MSW/MPH program, I learned so much about the systems required to impact change in social, behavioral, and environmental factors that influence global public health and social work both in the field and the classroom." - Ambrose Appiah, MSW/MPH 2013

What Can I Do with This Degree?

The MSW/MPH dual degree provides you with the skills to pursue professional careers in both social work and public health, preparing you for leadership and educational roles in community healthcare settings, government agencies, and non-profit organizations in the United States and internationally.

93 Total Credits (50 MSW credits/43 MPH credits)

Fall (15 credits)

GPH-GU 2380 Data-Driven Decision Making in Global Public Health (3) GPH-GU 2120 Foundations of Global Health (3) GPH-GU 2106 Epidemiology (3) GPH-GU 5171 Global Health Informatics Workshop (0) GPH-GU 5175 Readings in the History & Philosophy of Public Health I (0) MSWPF-GS 2006 Human Behavior in the Social Environment (3) MSWPF-GS 2003 Social Welfare Programs & Policies I (3)

Spring (14 credits) GPH-GU 5220 Applying Systems Thinking to Global Health Practice (3)* GPH-GU 5180 Readings in the History & Philosophy of Public Health II (0) GPH-GU 5185 Readings in the History & Philosophy of Public Health III (0) MSWPF-GS 2001 Social Work Practice I (4) MSWPF-GS 2100 Practicum Instruction I (4) MSWPF-GS 2007 Human Behavior in the Social Environment II (3)

Summer (13 credits)

MSWPF-GS 2002 Social Work Practice II (3) MSWFD-GS 2200 Field Instruction II (4) MSWPF-GS 2010 Diversity, Racism, Oppression, and Privilege (3) MSWPF-GS 2014 Practice with Groups (3)

Fall (16 credits)

GPH-GU 2995 Biostatistics for Public Health (3) GPH-GU 2140 Global Issues in Social & Behavioral Health (3) GPH-GU 2190 Essentials of Public Health Biology (3) MSWAC-GS 2002 Social Work Practice III (3) MSWFD-GS 2300 Field Instruction III (4)

Spring (16 credits)

GPH-GU 2153 Global Environmental Health (3) GPH-GU 2110 Health Care Policy (1.5) GPH-GU 2112 Public Health Management & Leadership (1.5) MPH Elective (3) MSWAC-GS 2009 Social Work Practice IV (3) MSWFD-GS 2400 Field Instruction IV (4)

Fall (11 credits)

MPH elective (3) MPH elective (3) GPH-GU 2359 Applied Practice Experience Seminar (2) MSWPF-GS 2001 Human Behavior in the Social Environment III (3)    

Spring (8 credits)

GPH-GU 2360 Integrated Learning Experience Seminar (2) MPH elective (3) MSW Elective (3)

* prior to Spring 2024, this course was called "Accelerating Progress Towards Health-Related SDGs".

MSW/MPH Requirements Checklist

For More Information

NYU Master of Public Health Program [email protected]  

NYU School of Social Work Admissions Office MSW Program Phone: (212) 998-5910 Email:  [email protected]

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MSW Program at Shanghai and New York

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS NYU Shanghai and NYU Silver’s joint MSW program at Shanghai and New York provides the opportunity to experience an innovative global MSW education. The program consists of a generalist practice curriculum in Shanghai followed by a specialized practice curriculum in clinical social work in New York City. Extended immersion in Shanghai and New York allows students to critically reflect on cultural, social, and economic similarities and differences between these two environments, and it enhances their learning about and capacity for culturally appropriate practice. Students also participate in a total of 1200 hours of field learning experience. 

GLOBAL MSW EDUCATION The MSW at Shanghai and New York program is designed for students of any nationality who desire a truly global social work education. Global and multi-cultural content is infused throughout the curriculum. Shanghai field placements not only feature bilingual (English and Mandarin) opportunities, but they also provide a focus on emerging social issues in China today. New York field placements provide a complementary focus on social and clinical issues within a US context. Upon graduation, students will receive an NYU-granted MSW degree, recognized by the Chinese Ministry of Education. 

BILINGUAL  PROGRAM All courses will be taught in English. In Shanghai, students will have their field placements at local social service agencies and hospitals. These placements will be in either Chinese or English, depending on a student’s language capability. In New York, students will have their field placements in the greater New York metropolitan area, where a wide variety of agency settings are available. This field placement will be at a site where English is the primary language.

FULL-TIME AND PART-TIME PATHWAYS Two pathways are available to accommodate students' varying schedules. The Two-Year program at Shanghai and New York is similar to the Two-Year program in New York, but students attend the first year at NYU Shanghai and the second year in New York City, at NYU's Washington Square campus. The Extended program at Shanghai and New York is similar to the Extended Program in New York, but students attend the first two years at NYU Shanghai and the third year at NYU's Washington Square campus. In the Extended Program, the first two years at NYU Shanghai are pursued on a part-time basis.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MSW STUDENTS AND ALUMNI

A Non-Traditional Path to Social Work -  Interview with ‘19 MSW Graduate Carly Siuta

Looking Back on Shanghai and New York Experience - Interview with ‘19 MSW Graduate Michelle Wong

Experience the Harmony in Diversity - Interview with ‘20 MSW Student Kaichen Tan

MSW Student Feature Series - Interview with '20 MSW Student Justin Pataray

APPLICATION DEADLINES:

First Round: Jan 6, 2023

Second Round: Feb 10, 2023

Third Round: Mar 10, 2023  

Please note: the application for all MSW degree programs consists of:

• The completed online application
• A statement of purpose
• Transcripts from all college and universities attended
• TOEFL or IELTS
• Three letters of reference

CONTACT US Email: [email protected]

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