MPA & MSW Public Administration and Social Work at University of South Carolina

Programme overview

Choose a dual degree in social work and public administration to make a positive impact on communities through the effective performance of government agencies and other public affairs organizations. Offered through the College of Social Work and the Department of Political Science in the College of Arts and Sciences, this dual degree prepares you to promote the health and well-being of diverse and vulnerable populations by improving organization performance through teaching, research, advocacy, community development and policy analysis.

Faculty: College of Social Work / McCausland College of Arts and Sciences | Duration: 87 credit hours | Study mode: full-time | Location: Columbia, SC, United States

What you will study

Understand how public policy affects social issues and how social work shapes public policy. Learn to communicate and interact productively with diverse and changing populations to lead and manage in public administration. Develop skills to analyze, synthesize, think critically, solve problems and make decisions that can improve the lives of others.

Career pathways

Potential careers include Advocate, Community Developer, Policy Analyst, Program Manager, Researcher, Grant Writer.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Admissions (University of South Carolina Academic Bulletin): The College of Social Work and the Master of Public Administration program in the Department of Political Science , participate in a dual degree program that allows individuals to complete both the Master of Social Work and Master of Public Administration degrees in less time than if the degrees are completed separately. Students apply to the dual degree program option through the USC Graduate School . Application reviews, including required supplemental application materials required by the programs, and admission recommendations are made independently by the College of Social Work and by the Department of Political Science. Official notification of the admission decisions comes from the Graduate School. Students enrolled in both Master of Social Work and Master of Public Administration courses in any term may be subject to fees for both programs. Students enrolled in either the social...

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the modules you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

Graduate applications are accepted for Fall, Spring and Summer terms; Fall applications open the prior September, Spring applications open in January and Summer applications open in May.

The graduate application fee is $50 per primary application, reinstated effective August 1, 2026. Deadlines are programme-specific. The Moore School of Business, the Arnold School of Public Health and the College of Nursing use their own applications; the Moore School charges an additional $50 application fee for graduate programmes.

Apply through the official page: https://www.sc.edu/admissions-at-sc/applications/index.php

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