3-2 MSW Program

Designed exclusively for Washington University undergraduate students, the 3-2 program allows you to earn both your undergraduate degree and a Master of Social Work in five years.

Eligibility

To be eligible to enter the 3-2 MPH program, you must complete all of your distribution and major requirements by the end of your junior year and have elective credits available to be applied toward MSW course credit during your senior year (first year of the MSW program).

Approval from your undergraduate advisor(s) and Associate Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences to confirm your eligibility for the 3-2 program is required. The Brown School 3-2 Program Eligibility Form will be completed through DocuSign during the application process.

The 3-2 MSW program is available to students pursuing any major within 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 and African-American Studies
  • American Cultural Studies
  • Anthropology
  • Children’s Studies
  • Cultural Studies
  • Economics
  • Education
  • International and Area Studies
  • Legal Studies
  • Political Science
  • Psychological & Brain Sciences
  • Sociology
  • Urban Studies
  • Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies

All admission requirements for the Master of Social Work program apply to 3-2 applicants. Special consideration will be given in relation to field experience, given the undergraduate status of the applicant. We strongly encourage applicants to highlight all leadership and service experiences such as internships, volunteer work, work with health or social service organizations, study-abroad, service-learning courses, etc., to demonstrate a commitment to social work and the mission of the Brown School.

Application Information

Applicants to the 3-2 MSW program must apply through the Washington University Graduate Admissions portal.

Applicants should apply early in the spring of their junior year so that fall coursework can be considered. Applications should be submitted by March 1 of junior year.

Learn more about the MSW application process and review special instructions for 3-2 MSW applicants.

3-2 Program Enrollment and Financial Aid

Students accepted into the 3-2 MSW program will remain coded prime to their undergraduate division in university systems (i.e., WebSTAC) for their fourth year of study, even though the student will be completing graduate-level coursework at the Brown School. The student will be coded prime to the Brown School MSW program in their fifth year of study.

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 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.