Innovative Collaboration Between the Master's of Social Work and the Master's in Public Administration at Seton Hall

Effective July 1, 2024, the Seton Hall University Master of Public Administration (M.P.A) program will have a new home in the Department of Social Work. Formerly, the M.P.A. program was housed within the Department of Political Science and Public Affairs. Under the new leadership of Program Director La’Tesha Sampson, Ph.D., and Department Chair Matthew Corrigan, Ph.D., this move will combine the M.P.A. and Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) programs under one roof to facilitate collaboration and foster distinctive synergies. When discussing the benefits of joining the two programs in one department, Corrigan says, "This collaboration now presents the opportunity to create more efficient and innovative programs that share the University’s mission and provide students with more unique options in their learning. Students in both Social Work and Public Administration dedicate themselves to making the world a better place. Now, they will be able to pursue that goal together."

The M.S.W. and M.P.A are logical partners for this collaborative move, as they are both professional degrees that teach graduates how to apply their servant-leadership values to promote positive change in the community. As the new Director of the M.P.A. program, Sampson is uniquely qualified to help guide these programs into a new era. In addition to holding a doctorate in social work and a licensed social worker, Sampson has earned both the M.P.A and M.S.W. She has also served as the director of Practicum Education in the M.S.W. program. Sampson is "thrilled about the Master of Public Administration program joining the Social Work Department. This move promises an exciting synergy, where diverse expertise can come together to tackle societal challenges." Among other potential changes, the partnership of the programs aims to allow students in both programs a wider array of course offerings, affording M.S.W. students the expertise to better manage clinics, budgets and grant submissions, for example, or providing M.P.A. students better understanding of social behavior and environments, problems, programs and policy, for another. This cross-training will help graduates effect even more impactful and meaningful improvements to their communities.

The department change will build upon the growing academic momentum of both programs. The latest edition of U.S. News and World Report ranked Seton Hall’s M.P.A. program as the 24th best program in the country for Non-Profit Management, ahead of other prestigious institutions such as Duke University, the University of Michigan, and the University of Texas. Additionally, the M.S.W. program broke into the top 100 programs in the country, ranking 95th out of 318 M.S.W. programs. The program ascended an astonishing 21 spots in the ranking after being ranked 116th last year. Working together, these two programs anticipate even greater success and further external recognition.

To learn more about the M.S.W. and M.P.A. programs, please contact Sampson or Corrigan. Generous scholarship funding is available for both programs. Apply now. 

Categories: Education