A University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa partnership between the William S. Richardson School of Law and Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work will give UH students the opportunity to earn two advanced degrees in four years.

Inter-professional education is a growing trend, particularly with dual-degree programs. This new opportunity creates a pathway to obtain a juris doctorate ( JD ) and a master’s degree in social work ( MSW ) concurrently. The program is open to students currently enrolled in the School of Social Work, currently in the UH law school or applying for admission in fall 2019.

To be eligible for the dual degree program, law students must successfully complete their first year of studies at the UH law school. Coursework for the MSW would then begin in tandem with their second year. Current social work students interested in the program should contact the school’s student services office for more information.

The dual degree designation allows students to enroll in both programs for the cost of full-time JD tuition. After graduation with a degree in law, students will pay graduate level tuition for any additional credits needed to complete their MSW coursework.

“Some of our students recently advocated for just such a program, and we are very pleased that, with the close cooperation of School of Social Work Dean Noreen Mokuau and her excellent staff, we were able to work out all the details with the efforts our terrific registrar, Piyada Nonzee,” said Avi Soifer, law school dean. “We are confident that, because of the many areas in which law and social work overlap, students with both degrees will be in great demand and will be able to better serve those who most need their help.”

Mokuau similarly reflected on the importance of the dual degree program. “Social work is committed to social justice with a fundamental core established in human rights, and respect for and inclusion of diverse peoples and environmental stewardship,” she said. “The dual JD / MSW degree will create additional pathways, community partnerships and job prospects for uplifting the most vulnerable among us.”

For more information, visit the law school website.

—By Beverly Creamer