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Your MSW degree requirements include 1,080 hours of fieldwork and related field practicum courses. Many libraries are seeking social work interns, and the network of connections established by our MLIS faculty and alumni means you’ll have an expansive range of options for completing your field placement at top libraries and information centers.

Our professors have a broad range of experience, and our small class sizes allow them to get to know you—and become the foundation of your professional network. 

Areas of MLIS faculty expertise include:

• Digital libraries and digital curation
• Information policy
• Media and services for you
• Archives and cultural heritage
• Informatics
• Cataloging and classification
• School library media
• Management
• Leadership and advocacy

Areas of MSW Faculty Expertise 

• Child welfare services
• Schools
• Developmental disabilities programs
• Domestic violence-prevention services
• Health/mental health services
• Human trafficking prevention Substance abuse facilities
• Private practice International community development

As a requirement of the MSW degree (either on campus or online) you’ll meet with your cohort in person at Dominican during your first weekend in the program. This sets the stage for a close-knit graduate experience that helps build critical career connections with your peers. They, and our 850 alums, all will become key members of your professional network—helping you lead social change with organizations in Chicago and beyond.

Combining a master’s in social work with a degree in library and information science gives you a unique set of skills and insights for leadership roles in the critical areas of need where these two fields overlap. Libraries today are at the center of strong communities, preserving access to books and knowledge, but also providing a staggering range of services and programming that would look familiar to any professional social worker. Those range from workshops on subjects like finding careers and understanding technology to connecting patrons with resources on issues like mental health and homelessness, and hosting large-scale community events and forums. 

Many libraries are now hiring full-time staff social workers to better serve the diverse needs of patrons and the broader community. A dual MLIS/MSW degree from Dominican’s respected iSchool and School of Social Work will position you perfectly for such roles all allow you to benefit from a great degree of career mobility in both fields. By earning both degrees concurrently in Dominican’s one-of-a-kind MLIS/MSW program you’ll gain valuable perspectives that are unique to this integrated dual-degree approach. You’ll also save time and money over pursuing these two degrees separately.

Along with opportunities for financial aid through loans and grants, the School of Information Studies offers a variety of departmental scholarships, including the Mary Majer Scholarship for MLIS students (pdf opens in a new window), depending upon your area of study. You can also explore our social work scholarships. Contact our Office of Financial Aid to learn more. 

We can be reached at (708) 524-6809 or finaid@dom.edu. Additionally, a 20% tuition discount available to Dominican University alumnae/i gives you more reasons to come home.

Students can apply to our MLIS/MSW program with a single online application, but must meet the admission requirements for both schools. Students must also submit a personal statement and official undergraduate transcripts. GRE or MAT scores (taken within the last five years) may also be required for applicants with a GPA below a 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale). Before you apply, make sure you review our full application and admission requirements. 

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