What is public health social work?
Public Health Social Work is a rapidly expanding field of practice. These professionals work directly with individuals to improve their lives and conduct rigorous data analysis to promote the well-being of local and global communities.
Public health social workers are comprehensively trained to understand and address social issues affecting the health of individuals, families, communities, and populations, such as homelessness, substance use, violence, and environmental contamination.
Employment: The right degree at the right time
Public health social work is projected to be a field of dramatic growth in the next decade. Right now, 50% of all social workers are employed in the health sector. By 2028, this percentage is estimated to be 70%.
What can I do with this degree?
MSW/MPH graduates are involved in numerous types of inter-professional leadership and collaborations in hospitals, accountable care organizations, integrated behavioral health, and community settings. Graduates are well prepared for a variety of engaging jobs including:
- Program Planner designs health prevention and intervention programs for groups, agencies, and/or communities (e.g., educational programs to prevent vaping or policy initiatives to curb obesity).
- Disaster Response Leader manages the long-term impact of diseases, such as AIDS/HIV, Ebola, Zika and other problems that need a long-term strategy.
- Hospital Administrator plans and oversees the services provided at a hospital, nursing home, outpatient clinic, or drug treatment center.
- Patient Service Manager works as a link between patients and staff to optimize patient care and satisfaction.
- Program Director of a Community-Based Agency is responsible for overseeing the successful implementation of health programming.
- Policy Analyst evaluates the impact of legislative efforts to improve community, state, and/or national health outcomes.
- Health Communications Director strategically manages the internal and external communications for a hospital or other health entity.
- Public and Social Health Researcher gathers information to define the scope and depth of community, national, and international health problems.
- Adjunct and part-time faculty in MSW, BSW, and MPH programs teach and mentor the next generation of social workers and public health professionals.
Benefits of the MSW-MPH dual degree at Stony Brook University:
Career flexibility: Become eligible for social work licensure (LMSW and/or LCSW) in New York State and national certification as a Health Education Specialist (CHES).
Cost-efficient: Earn two highly desirable Masters degrees in a shorter period of time.
Inter-professional training in a health setting: Participate in an active learning community alongside students and faculty from a variety of health professions in Stony Brook University’s Health Sciences Center, including Medicine, Nursing, Physical Therapy, and Nutrition.
Skills gained:
Leadership skills
Ability to work in interprofessional teams
Clinical and community engagement, assessment and intervention
Care coordination
Data management and analysis using various software platforms: R, SAS, Stata, and ATLAS.ti
Biostatistics and epidemiology
Qualitative methods (e.g., running focus groups and conducting in-depth interviews)
Community-based participatory research
Environmental justice
Admissions:
Students who wish to be considered for admission into the combined MSW/MPH program must comply with all admission requirements for each degree, (MPH and SSW) including completion of 2 separate applications. Please note: When completing the MPH application, select the MSW/MPH option to be considered for the dual degree.
Special Note:
Students in the combined MSW/MPH program pay the graduate MSW tuition rate. For more information, please click here.
If you have questions about admissions or would like more information about the program, you are encouraged to contact Dr. Amy Hammock by phone: 631-444-3108 or e-mail: Amy.Hammock@stonybrook.edu.
