The Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College (SSSW) and the Bank Street College of Education (Bank Street) are internationally recognized leaders in social work and progressive education studies, respectively. Complementing Silberman’s mission and historical commitment to social justice, Bank Street is distinguished by its 102-year legacy as “an innovator in improving the quality of classroom practice and a national advocate for children, families, and the system and policy changes that bring effective and equitable teaching to all.” Both located in Upper Manhattan neighborhoods with diverse populations and a wide range of social and educational needs, these two schools are poised to mutually engage and serve the lives of New York City communities. Together, SSSW and Bank Street offer the MSW-MSEd Dual Degree Program in Social Work and Education – Infant and Family Development and Early Intervention. This dual master’s degree program streamlines the pathway to earning both the MSW and MSEd, maximizing educational experiences and professional opportunities for students interested in careers that bridge early childhood education with clinical social work.
The MSW-MSEd Dual Degree Program builds upon core values shared by these two vocations across their entwined histories of social justice, family and community development, and public service. Students in the MSW-MSEd Dual Degree Program are able to earn both degrees concurrently in three years through a streamlined, 85-credit curriculum – compared to 94 credits over five years, which would be required in order to complete them separately. This curriculum removes overlapping course requirements; cross-honors electives; and ensures that students achieve competencies required among both MSW and MSEd graduates. For more details about the curriculum, please see Program Description below.
What Can I Do with my MSW-MSEd Dual Degree?
Students who graduate from the MSW-MSEd Dual Degree Program will be highly prepared for professional practice that integrates clinical social work and social welfare with education, child and family development, and early intervention. Recent literature points to the growing value of this dual-expertise. Graduates of the MSW-MSEd Dual Degree Program will enter a professional landscape with a strong demand for their unique combination of competencies, skills, and practice knowledge.
MSW-MSEd graduates will be well-prepared for professional roles including:
- Clinical social worker:
- Individual
- Family
- Small Groups
- School-based social worker
- Child/parent psychotherapists
- Family specialists in Early Intervention
- Parent/child group facilitators
- Early Head Start family workers
- Play therapists
- Foster care case workers
- Home visitors and home visiting supervisors
Admissions Requirements & Registration
Prospective MSW-MSEd Dual Degree Program students typically must apply to each school separately and simultaneously, and must gain admission to each school according to its standard criteria.
Applicants may indicate that they are applying for the Dual Degree Program by selecting a designated option on CUNY’s “Apply Yourself” application portal. Bank Street students who decide to pursue the Dual Degree Program after they have begun MSEd studies must apply and gain admission to SSSW prior to the end of their first semester at Bank Street. Likewise, Silberman students who decide to pursue the Program after they have begun MSW studies must apply and gain admission to Bank Street prior to the end of their first semester at SSSW. In both of these cases, individual modifications to the program pathway may be necessary and the student’s time to completion may be more than three years. Once matriculated in the MSW-MSEd Dual Degree Program, students must register at both the Silberman School of Social Work and Bank Street College of Education, Graduate School of Education. For the first year and a half of the program, Bank Street serves as the student’s primary institution of record and handles the bulk of student registration; the Silberman School of Social Work then takes on this role during the student’s final year and a half in the program.
Advisement
Each school maintains a dedicated advisor for students in the MSW-MSEd Dual Degree Program, who is able to answer questions and assist matriculated students with course registration, degree planning, and accessing resources for success:
Pamela DeCuir
Dual Degree Academic Advisor
Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College
pdecuir@hunter.cuny.edu
Marjorie Brickley
Program Director, Infant and Family Development and Early Intervention
Bank Street College of Education
mbrickley@bankstreet.edu
Program Description
The 85-credit MSW-MSEd curriculum includes 34 credits earned from the Bank Street College of Education and 51 credits earned from the Silberman School of Social Work. It is designed to provide students with competencies in clinical social work, educational practice, child and family development, and early intervention. The curriculum connects social work and early childhood/family education with a concerted emphasis on evidence-based research and practice; developing sophisticated, advanced methods of practice; and developing interdisciplinary competencies in understanding urban social challenges and advocating for social justice.
During the summer, fall, and spring of Year 1, students complete coursework and field placements primarily through Bank Street, focusing on the foundations of early childhood education, child and family development, and educational practice experience. To facilitate the transition to social work learning, students typically take the Social Work Practice Lab course at Silberman during the spring of Year 1. The bulk of Year 2, from the summer immediately following Year 1 until the next summer, comprises coursework and field practica based at the Silberman School of Social Work. Building upon their first-year foundations, students in Year 2 develop advanced competencies, knowledge, skills, and ethics for clinical practice with a diverse range of populations, emphasizing work in educational settings with children and families. During Year 3, students’ learning explicitly enhances their dual-training in social work and education. Courses in social work research, policy, and professionalization complement education courses that focus on key trans-disciplinary issues like working with parents and assessment. For greater detail, please see the curriculum plan printed below.
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