Combined Program: BA Psychological Science and Master's of Social Work
Advantages of the Combined Program:
- Early admission to graduate school.
- Graduate with a Master’s of Social Work (MSW) degree at Miami with one additional year of study (3 semesters: Summer, Fall, and Spring) after graduating with BA in Psychological Science.
- Instead of taking two research methods classes (FSW 616 and FSW 716; 3 credits each), students take FSW 619 (4 credits)
- Students can “double count” up to 9 credit hours of graduate level courses toward the 124 credits required for undergraduate degrees. Six of these credit hours may replace two 300/400 Psychological Science/Psychology classes (see below); 3 credit hours would count as elective credits.
- After completing a minimum of 124 credits and meeting all the Psychological Science degree requirements (including Miami Plan), students can choose when/if to apply for graduation and transition to graduate student status.
- No in-state vs. out-of-state tuition differences for graduate students.
- Graduates of the Combined Program are eligible for social work licensure.
- Provides students with experience and entrance into a career in mental health: 60% of mental health services in the U.S. are provided by clinically trained social workers.
- Great job outlook: the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that there will be 14% growth of jobs in healthcare social work, and 17% growth of jobs in mental health and substance abuse from 2019 to 2029.
| Class Number | Course Name | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PSY 111 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 112 | Foundational Experiences in Psychology | 1 |
| STA 261 | Statistics | 4 |
| PSS 302 | Introduction to Research Design and Analysis | 4 |
| PSS 211 | Career and College Development in Psychological Science | 4 |
| PSY Breadth courses | Select one course from each breadth area: Biopsychology, Cognitive, Developmental, Individual and Social | 15 |
| PSS 350 | Introduction to Counseling Methods | 3 |
| PSS 401.C OR PSS 402 | Capstone in Clinical Psychological Science or Advanced Research Design and Analysis Capstone | 3 |
| Additional 300-and 400-level class requirement | Use any two FSW 500+ courses here | 6 |
| Related Courses for the PSS major |
One foreign language at the 102 level or above One global or intercultural course beyond the Miami Plan requirement |
|
| 42 Semester Hours |
Note. Students can “double count” up to 9 credit hours of graduate level courses toward the 124 credits required for undergraduate degrees. Six of these credit hours may replace two 300/400- level PSS/PSY classes (see table); 3 credits would count as general elective credits.
| Class Number | Course Name | Credit Hours | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| FSW 515 | Culturally-Informed Practice | 3 | Junior Fall |
| FSW 613 | Ethics, Professionalism, and Self-Care | 3 | Senior Fall |
| FSW 621 | SW Practice I | 3 | Senior Fall |
| FSW 611 | Social Welfare Policy I | 3 | Junior Spring |
| FSW 622 | Social Work Practice II | 3 | Senior Spring |
| FSW 641 | Adv SW Practice focus (lifespan) | 3 | Senior Spring |
| FSW 619 | Evaluating Clients and Programs | 4 | Grad Summer |
| FSW 664 | Field I | 3 | Grad Summer |
| FSW 723 | Assessment and the DSM | 3 | Grad Summer |
| FSW 602 | Diverse Families in Context | 3 | Grad Fall |
| FSW 617 | Human Behavior in the Social Environment | 3 | Grad Fall |
| FSW 688 | Practice with Substance Use Disorders | 3 | Grad Fall |
| FSW 668 | Clinical Interventions in SW | 3 | Grad Fall |
| FSW 765 | Field Seminar 2 | 3 | Grad Fall |
| FSW 642 | Adv SW Policy Analysis focus (lifespan) | 3 | Grad Spring |
| FSW 717 | Social Work Capstone | 3 | Grad Spring |
| FSW 724 | Agency Administration | 3 | Grad Spring |
| FSW 766 | Field Seminar 3 | 3 | Grad Spring |
Application Process and Eligibility
- Miami students can declare their interest in the Combined Program anytime during their academic career.
- Upon earning a minimum of 64 credit hours and a 3.00 cumulative GPA, students may apply to a Combined Program by completing the Graduate School application and submitting required materials.
- Standard Miami University Graduate School application and admission procedures apply.
- Students remain classified as undergraduates until they have officially graduated from their undergraduate psychological science program.
- Students have a maximum of 5 calendar years to complete their master’s degree from the time they are admitted to the program.
- Social Work graduate classes are typically offered in a hybrid format, generally meeting face-to-face once every two weeks. Classes are scheduled from 4-6:40PM and from 7-9:40PM Monday to Thursdays.
- This is an Oxford program, and we are working toward offering all of our Master’s classes in Oxford, but some classes may be held on the Middletown campus.
- For graduate students, tuition and fees are based on the number of credits taken per semester (not a flat rate for full-time students), and there is no difference in tuition rates for in-state vs. out-of-state/international students.
- All students complete a total of 900 field practicum hours (Summer, Fall, and Spring semesters of the graduate program) where they develop knowledge and skills in a local agency. We have partnerships with over 100 non-profit agencies, schools, hospitals, and local Veterans Affairs. Internship settings are typically located within 50 miles of Oxford, Ohio.
If interested in the program, contact
Social Work
Dr. Angela Curl
curla@miamioh.edu
Psychological Science
Dr. Beth Dietz
dietzbl@miamioh.edu
Dr. Barbara Oswald (Psychological Science)
oswaldbb@miamioh.edu