2022-2023 Master of Social Work (MSW) Cooperative Program with University of Denver

*Note: This program is only available for students who are able to take their courses "on-campus".

These are the degree requirements for students who matriculated in the 2022-23 school year. Requirements for other years can be found in their appropriate sections. Iliff offers several professional degree programs which provide foundational knowledge and expertise in pastoral care and counseling for parish ministry as well as for community work in both non-profit and for-profit settings. Students who wish to obtain a counseling license, or those interested in more extensive training in community organizing and leadership, should consider combining the Iliff degree with further training in clinical and community work. A cooperative arrangement between Iliff School of Theology and The Graduate School of Social Work at the University of Denver allows qualified students to pursue concurrently the Master of Divinity, the Master of Arts in Pastoral and Spiritual Care, the Master of Arts in Social Justice and Ethics, or the Master of Theological Studies degree with the Master of Social Work degree. The cooperative degree program offers students the opportunity to apply theological learning to social service settings.

Admission Requirements

Students may apply for participation in the cooperative program before beginning study on either degree or after having begun work on one of the two degrees. Admission to the cooperative program is not possible after requirements for either degree have been completed.

Admission requirements of both schools must be met. Admission to one degree program is not contingent on admission to the other. Provisions of the cooperative arrangement apply only to students who are admitted to both programs. Students pursuing both degree programs must notify in writing the Registrars at both Iliff and the Graduate School of Social Work of their cooperative status.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Students will seek financial aid and pay tuition and fees to each school. Federal financial aid, however, cannot be drawn from both schools simultaneously. Each year, students in the cooperative program will have a school of primary registration. Students who require financial assistance will apply to the school of primary registration for that assistance on a yearly basis. In rare instances, students will be allowed to adjust their primary school of registration on a quarterly basis.

Length of Study

Each school allows students to transfer a predetermined number of credits from one degree program into the other. This allows students to complete both degrees in a shorter amount of time. For example, in the Master of Divinity cooperative degree, students transfer 20 quarter credit hours from the School of Social Work to Iliff and transfer 15 credits from Iliff to GSSW. Thus, students who attend full-time can finish at least one quarter early from each degree program. Students may elect to take courses over a longer period of time or shorten the period by enrolling for courses in the summer.

Advising

On matriculation in the cooperative degree program, students will be assigned advisors by both schools. Students must meet with both advisors each quarter.

Program Requirements

Iliff Requirements: Students must meet all Iliff prescribed master’s degree requirements. Requirements for Personal, Professional, and Spiritual Formation Internship(s) are met through the required core curriculum and field placement in the Graduate School of Social Work. Certain required courses and electives may be taken in either school and substituted for courses within the other school. A declaration form must be completed in the Office of the Registrar at the Iliff School of Theology. When students’ primary registration is at GSSW, they must register for IST4999 MSWY Course (0 credits) at Iliff.

Prior to registration at University of Denver, students must consult their Iliff advisor if they plan on transferring credits between institutions. Upon completion of the social work courses to be applied toward the MDIV, MAPSC, MASJE, or MTS degree, students must supply the Iliff Registrar with University of Denver transcripts of such courses. Only work done at the C level (2.0) or better is acceptable.

Graduate School of Social Work Requirements: Students must meet all Master of Social Work requirements, including the school’s core curriculum of required courses or equivalents. In consultation with advisors at both schools, students plan programs to meet requirements. Such plans should be submitted to the school’s educational planning committee for approval before the end of the second year in the cooperative program.

Upon completion of the Iliff courses to be applied toward the Master of Social Work degree, students must supply their advisors at DU with Iliff transcripts. Only work done at the B level (3.0) or better is acceptable.

Granting of Degrees

Degrees need not be granted simultaneously. Either faculty can recommend graduation from its program as soon as its requirements have been met. However, the University of Denver requires that the separation of graduation dates be no longer than one year.

MDIV degree modifications for cooperative program:

The Master of Divinity and Master of Social Work cooperative program requires a total of 175 quarter credits. A minimum of 75 credits must be taken at Graduate School of Social Work (GSSW). A minimum of 100 credits must be taken at Iliff. Fifteen credits taken at Iliff may be applied to the Master of Social Work degree; 20 credits taken at GSSW may be applied toward the Master of Divinity degree.

Course Work Credit Required

Course	Credits
First Year Interdisciplinary Seminar	4
Comparative Religious Traditions (CR)	8  - two, 4 credit CR courses
Sacred Texts (BI)	12 - Intro to Hebrew Bible & Intro to New Testament
Social/Contextual Analysis (SE)	8 - Ethical Analysis & Advocacy and a SE elective
Historical Development (HI)	8 - Intro to the History of Christianity and a HI elective
Constructive Theology (CT)	8 - Intro to Theology and a CT elective
Theology and Religious Practices (PR)	8 - Practical Theology and a PR elective
Identity, Power, and Vocation in Community (IPVC)	6
Electives	42
Transfer credits from GSSW	20 (maximum)
	120 quarter credits total

Note: Students usually opt for having their GSSW field experiences transferred into the Iliff degree in lieu of the MDIV Internship requirement.

Sample course of study for cooperative MDIV/MSW:

First Year, Iliff 40 credits

Second Year, GSSW 45 credits 

Third Year, Iliff 40 credits

Fourth Year, GSSW 30 credits

Fourth Year, Iliff 20 credits

 100 total quarter credits at Iliff 75 total quarter credits at GSSW

MAPSC degree modifications for cooperative program

The Master of Arts in Pastoral and Spiritual Care and Master of Social Work cooperative program requires a total of 143 quarter credits. A minimum of 75 credits must be taken at GSSW. A minimum of 68 credits must be taken at Iliff. Fifteen credits taken at Iliff may be applied to the Master of Social Work degree; 12 credits taken at GSSW may be applied toward the Master of Arts in Pastoral and Spiritual Care degree.

Course Work Credit Required

Course	Credits
First Year Interdisciplinary Seminar	4
Comparative Religious Traditions (CR)	4: CR
Sacred Texts (BI)	4: Intro to Hebrew Bible or Intro to New Testament
Social/Contextual Analysis (SE)	4: Ethical Analysis & Advocacy
Historical Development (HI)	4: Intro to the History of Christianity
Constructive Theology (CT)	4: Intro to Theology
Theology and Religious Practices (PR)	8: Practical Theology and Pastoral Theology and Care
Identity, Power, and Vocation in Community (IPVC)	6
CPE	8
CPE Integration Praxis	2
Pastoral and Spiritual Care Electives	16
Other Electives	6
Transfer credits for GSSW	12 (maximum)
	80 quarter credits total

 MASJE degree modifications for cooperative program

The Master of Arts in Social Justice and Ethics and Master of Social Work cooperative program requires a total of 143 quarter credits. A minimum of 75 credits must be taken at GSSW. A minimum of 68 credits must be taken at Iliff. Fifteen credits taken at Iliff may be applied to the Master of Social Work degree; 12 credits taken at GSSW may be applied toward the Master of Arts in Social Justice and Ethics degree.

Course Work Credit Required

Course	Credits
First Year Interdisciplinary Seminar	4
Comparative Religious Traditions (CR)	4
Sacred Texts (BI)	4
Social/Contextual Analysis (SE)	8
Historical Development (HI)	4
Constructive Theology (CT)	4
Theology and Religious Practices (PR)	4
Identity, Power, and Vocation in Community (IPVC)	6
Social Justice and Ethics Praxis Courses	8
Social Justice and Ethics Seminars	8
Internship	12
Electives	2
Transfer credits from GSSW	12 (maximum)
	80 quarter credits total

MTS degree modifications for cooperative program

The Master of Theological Studies and Master of Social Work cooperative program requires a total of 135 quarter credits. A minimum of 75 credits must be taken at GSSW. A minimum of 60 credits must be taken at Iliff. Fifteen credits taken at Iliff may be applied to the Master of Social Work degree; 12 credits taken at GSSW may be applied toward the Master of Theological Studies degree.

Course Work Credit Required

Course	Credits
MTS Colloquium	4
First Year Interdisciplinary Seminar	4
Learning Plan (must be completed prior to second quarter at Iliff)	0
MA/MTS Thesis Proposal Class	4
Interdisciplinary Thesis	4
Other courses as outlined in learning plan	42
Transfer credits from GSSW	12 (maximum)
	72 quarter credits total

Note: Because the MTS is an academic and not a professional degree, GSSW field experiences will not be transferred back into Iliff as part of the degree requirements.