MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK
Master of Fine Arts
The Master of Social Work/Master of Fine Arts (MSW/MFA) dual degree program trains students as professional studio artists and social work practitioners, with a focus on the integration of art and social justice. It is open to students who have been admitted to both the Stuart Weitzman School of Design’s MFA program and the School of Social Policy & Practice (SP2)’s MSW program. The MSW/MFA curriculum addresses the needs of two sets of students: 1) those in social work who are seeking to integrate the arts into their practice as MSW-credentialed service providers, and 2) those in the arts who are looking for professional credentialing and a career in social justice that utilizes their MFA training.
Course of Study
This dual degree program allows students to complete both the MSW and MFA degrees in three years. On its own, the MSW is a 16 CU degree, consisting of 11 required courses and five electives. The MFA is a 19 CU program, consisting of 8 credit units of Graduate Studio and eleven credit units of required and elective coursework. When students complete the MSW/MFA dual-degree, up to 5 courses are cross-counted between the two degrees.
Students work with their academic advisors in the MSW and MFA programs to individualize their course of study, but the following three courses have been pre-approved for cross-counting and represent the standard course of study:
- SWRK 6030: American Racism and Social Work Practice (fulfills an MFA elective)
- SWRK 7130: Understanding Social Change: Issues of Race and Gender (fulfills an MFA general elective)
- SWRK 7170: Art and Social Work: Art and the Ecology of Justice (fulfills an MSW elective and an MFA elective)
- Two semesters of MSW Practicum Placement at an approved art-focused agency may be used to waive two credits of FNAR studio. Students who have been approved to have their practicum placement count towards the MFA studio requirements will be provided additional supervision by an MFA faculty advisor.
MSW students are permitted to take a maximum of three courses outside the MSW program towards their degree. If students count more than two Design courses towards their MSW degree, the remaining 13 CUs for their MSW degree must be courses at SP2.
Students complete the following 26 courses (28 CUs): (1) SWRK 6010, (2) SWRK 6020, (3) SWRK 6030, (4) SWRK 6040, (5) SWRK 6140, (6) SWRK 6150, (7) SWRK 7xxx: Policy Option, (8) SWRK 760 (clinical students) or SWRK 7xxx: Macro Practice elective (macro students); (9) SWRK 7xxx: Research Option, (10) SWRK 7040 or 7080; (11) SWRK 7140 or 7180; (12) SWRK 7130; (13) SWRK 7xxx: Elective at SP2; (14) FNAR 6160; (15) FNAR 5010 (2 CUs); (16) FNAR 5020 (2 CUs); (17) FNAR 6010 (1 CU; 2nd CU waived for art-based practicum placement); (18) FNAR 6020 (1 CU; 2nd CU waived for art-based practicum placement); (19) FNAR 7010; (20) FNAR 7020; (21) FNAR 8010; (22) FNAR 8020; (23) FNAR 8040; (24 – 26) three FNAR or ARTH electives.
Practicum Placement and Fine Arts Studio Requirements
Two semesters of MSW Practicum Placement may be used to waive one credit of Fine Arts Studio in each the Fall and Spring semesters of the advanced year. Students who have been approved to have their practicum placement fulfill the MFA studio requirements will be provided additional supervision for their placement by an MFA faculty advisor. Students are encouraged to discuss this with the MSW Practicum Education Office. In their advanced practice year, students will enroll in FNAR 6010 in the Fall and FNAR 6020 in the Spring, but each of these studios will be weighted at 1 CU (instead of 2 CUs).
Dual-degree students who are not completing SWRK 6040/6140 in the academic year immediately preceding the year in which they will take advanced practice class (SWRK 7040/7080 and SWRK 7140/7180) are responsible for reaching out to the MSW Practicum Education Office in December to begin planning for the upcoming year’s advanced practicum placement.
The program is structured so that students begin their coursework in the Fall semester by taking the foundation social work courses. However, students who begin work in the MFA may be able to take the MSW foundation courses in the second year. The general structure of the program is as follows:
Course of Study
| Year | Fall | Spring |
| One | SWRK 6010 | SWRK 6140 + Field Placement |
| SWRK 6020 | SWRK 6150 | |
| SWRK 6030 (fulfills MFA Elective #1) | SWRK 7xxx (Policy Option) | |
| SWRK 6040 + Field Placement | SWRK 7600 (clinical concentration) or SWRK 7xxx: macro elective (macro concentration) [MSW Elective #1) | |
| Two | FNAR 5010 | FNAR 5020 |
| FNAR 7010 | FNAR 7020 | |
| FNAR Elective or ARTH Elective (MSW Elective #2/MFA Elective #2) | FNAR Elective or ARTH Elective (MSW Elective #3/MFA Elective #2) | |
| FNAR 8010 | FNAR 8020 | |
| Three | SWRK 7040/7080 + Art based Field Placement | SWRK 7140/7180 + Art based Field Placement |
| FNAR 6010 (1 CU) | FNAR 6020 (1 CU) | |
| SWRK 7xxx: Research Option | SWRK 7xxx (MSW Elective #4) | |
| FNAR Elective #4 | SWRK 7130 (Fulfills MFA Elective #5) | |
| FNAR Elective (or FNAR 8030) | FNAR 6160 (fulfills MSW Elective #5) |
Application Information
Applicants for this program must apply to both SP2 and the Stuart Weitzman School of Design. A separate application (and all related components) is required for each School. Application inquiries for the Stuart Weitzman School of Design should be directed to admissions@design.upenn.edu or at 215-898-6520.
Contact Us
For currently enrolled students: Emily McCully
Director of Student Services
215 746 2263