BA/MSW and BS/MSW Joint Degrees
Brendan Quigley, BA/MSW ’26, completed a social work internship with the Alzheimer’s Association’s Western New York Chapter.
Earn your bachelor’s degree and your Master of Social Work (MSW) at UB in only five years.
Our BA/MSW and BS/MSW programs allow UB students in the health and human services and psychology majors to complete a bachelor’s degree and an MSW in less time and fewer credits than if the two degrees were completed separately.
This option is intended for students coming out of high school or those who do not already have a bachelor’s degree. If you have or will have a bachelor’s degree (in any subject), you can apply directly to one of our MSW programs.
Video note: As of fall 2026, psychology students are now eligible for the joint program.
Total program length: 5 years full time (3 years undergraduate + 2 years graduate)
If you are an undergraduate transfer student, the five-year timeline may not be possible based on your transfer credits. To explore which credits will transfer to UB, visit the TAURUS website.
First, you’ll complete three years of undergraduate coursework towards your BA in health and human services or your BA or BS in psychology at University at Buffalo.
If you are not already a UB student, you’ll need to apply for admission to one of these majors through the Undergraduate Admissions Office.
Joint degree graduate application process
You will apply for the MSW program in your junior (third) year once you have met with staff in your department to confirm that you will have met all undergraduate requirements.
- If you are in the health and human services major, contact the Social Sciences Interdisciplinary Program at sscidp@buffalo.edu or 716-645-2247 to set up a meeting.
- If you are in the psychology major, contact Christa Greenberg at cmgreen@buffalo.edu to set up a meeting.
Graduate curriculum
If admitted to the MSW program, you’ll spend the last two years on the graduate portion in the School of Social Work.
As a joint degree student in the graduate portion, you’ll follow the same curriculum as our Traditional Full-Time MSW students.
BA/MSW and BS/MSW students will be billed the MSW tuition rate once you begin graduate social work courses. This will also impact your financial aid package.
