Meadville Lombard Theological School offers a unique opportunity for residential students to combine study for the Unitarian Universalist ministry with study in the social services at the University of Chicago's well-known School of Social Services Administration. The dually-enrolled student earns both the Master of Divinity from Meadville Lombard and the Master of Arts in Social Service Administation from the SSA. The social service degree is professionally equivalent to the MSW and widely recognized in the fields of social and community work.

The dual degree program is designed for the residential student. The first year is usually spent at Meadville Lombard and the second year at the School of Social Services Administration on the University of Chicago campus, just four blocks from Meadville Lombard. The student still remains a part of the Meadville Lombard community while engaging and participating in the social services academic community. The cooperation between SSA and Meadville Lombard comes in the courses taken and in field education placements that are approved for credit by the faculties of both degree programs. Meadville Lombards's requirements for coursework and field education (including one unit of Clinical Pastoral Education and the one year of internship) remain; but with careful planning on the part of the student in consultation with both faculties, very creative and satisfying programs can be negotiated. The dual degree program usually adds one full year of study, making five years instead of four, to earn both degrees.

The admission and financial aid applications must be applied for separately and directly to each school, and each application is made independently of the other application. Acceptance at one school does not guarantee acceptance in the other school. Financial aid is granted by each individual school, only for those courses listed in the syllabus of the school to which the student applies for aid. For application materials and further infomation on the Master of Arts in Social Services Administation, contact the Office of the Dean of Students; Attention: Admissions; School of Social Servces Administation; University of Chicago; 969 East 60th Street; Chicago, IL 60637; of call 773-702-1492 or 1250. The SSA home page is at www.ssa.uchicago.edu.