Bachelor of Social Work degree
The UCFV Bachelor of Social Work program prepares social workers for generalist
practice reflecting principles of social justice, equality, and respect for
diversity. The program addresses the structural barriers that prevent people
from reaching their full potential. With a commitment to lifelong learning and a
critical analysis of oppression, graduates will have the knowledge, skills, and
professional social work values necessary to work collaboratively with
individuals, families, groups, and communities in diverse and cross-cultural
environments. The program contributes to the knowledge base of social work
through partnerships with professional and local communities.
Social work education is a critical
process that respects diverse sources and forms of knowledge while encouraging
dissent. We are committed to scholarship including debate on social work and
social welfare, with particular attention to how social problems come to be
defined and addressed.
All individuals, families, groups,
and communities are entitled to be treated with respect, with justice, and
without discrimination. To that end, we seek to provide equitable educational
opportunities and participation of those groups experiencing systemic
oppression. Valuing our community base, we seek to promote social change.
We encourage the use of evidence-based practice and contribution to the
knowledge base of social work.
Graduates will be prepared to work with individuals, families, groups, and
communities in a variety of settings, funded by both government and
non-government sources including: child welfare, programs and services for
women, immigration and cross-cultural services, family and community services,
health care, corrections, addictions, services for the elderly, unemployment and
income security programs, First Nations settings, and services and programs for
people with disabilities and special needs.
Entry into the program is at the
third-year level. The BSW program is a candidate for accreditation with the
Canadian Association of Schools of Social Work. Changes may be made to the
curriculum as a result of the accreditation standards.
Entrance requirements
1. Applicants must have Introduction to Social Work & Human Services (SOWK
110) and Social Welfare (SOWK 210) or an equivalent six credits.
2. Applicants must also have a minimum of 45 general university-transfer
Arts and Science credits that may be applied to the BSW graduation requirements
(see Academic Requirements), with a GPA of 2.75, by April for the year of
application in order to be considered. These 45 credits must include: six
credits of English or written communications; three credits of Human
Development; and three credits of Introductory Statistics. It is recommended
that students have three credits of Sociology of the Family.
Students who have completed a
Social Services certificate or diploma program may be eligible to receive
discretionary credits. Up to six credits may be given for a completed
certificate and up to 12 credits for a diploma, as well as additional credits
for any completed Arts and Science transfer courses (e.g., English, Psychology,
etc.)
Note: for a current list of qualifying Arts & Science courses, visit the
website at www.ufv.ca/swhs or contact the
department.
3. 400 hours of recent, supervised work experience in human services,
either paid or voluntary, which may include completed practicum hours.
4. Willingness to undergo a criminal records check.
5. A satisfactory group interview during which your readiness for and
interest in social work will be assessed.
6. A personal statement (typed, double-spaced, about 800 to 1,000 words
in length) that addresses the following questions:
a) Why do you want to
become a social worker?
b) What kinds of life/work
experiences have you had that contributed to this decision?
c) What experiences
have you had that prepare you for social work in a multicultural environment?
d) What do you see as the
most pressing social problem or issue facing Canadian society? Why?
7. Two recent satisfactory letters of reference from social workers or
related work, practicum, or volunteer supervisors should be submitted with your
application package. These must be on reference forms available from the School
of SWHS or original, signed letters on letterhead addressing the criteria on the
reference forms.
8. All applicants must be willing and able to uphold the Social Work Code
of Ethics. This will be demonstrated through applicants’ letters of reference,
personal statements, and the group interview.
How to apply
1. Submit the application fee along with your UCFV application for
admission form to the Admissions and Records (A&R) office. Application forms are
available from any A&R or Student Services office. You are advised to mail in
your application as it will receive priority over hand-delivered applications,
based on the postmarked date. See the
Admissions Guide
for a complete list of application dates and general information.
Additional documents required for a complete application:
• Official sealed transcripts (or interim transcripts) from all previous
post-secondary institutions showing grade/course achievement as per entrance
requirements.
• available from Admissions and Records or Student Services, detailing your past
experience and education
• Your personal statement.
• At least two recent letters of reference.
2. Applications submitted after March 15 will be considered only if seats
are still available in the program. All admissions to the program are for
September only. Part-time students must apply and be accepted into the program
in order to enroll in social work courses.
3. You will be notified of the date and time for a group interview. Only
those with complete and satisfactory applications will be interviewed.
4. Upon admission to a program you will be provided with registration
information. A deposit is required when you register (see the
Fees and Other Costs
section). This money will be applied to the tuition fees and is not refundable.
Final payment of all course fees is due the end of the second week of classes.
If the program is full, you may
register as a general studies student. It is not necessary to submit a separate
application form. If you meet the entrance requirements and a space becomes
available later, you will be contacted.
5. In cases where interim transcripts are submitted, an admission
decision may be made conditional upon completion of academic requirements. Proof
of completion of entrance requirements is due the end of the first week in
August.
A detailed program plan outlining
the required course work will be generated by UCFV for students admitted to the
BSW program. Additional course work may be required by the department for
graduation.
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Academic regulations
In completing the BSW program, students are required to have:
• a minimum of 60 credits of social work (SOWK) courses and a minimum of 60
credits of qualifying Arts and Science courses. (A minimum of 30 upper-level
social work credits must be completed at UCFV.)
• maintain a minimum GPA of 2.5 for practicum placements and graduation.
Students with a cumulative GPA in upper levels of less than 2.5 will be required
to withdraw.
• obtain a C or better in all SWHS courses. Credits that are over 10 years old
may be stale-dated; students should check with the program head regarding
transferability.
Students with certain kinds of
criminal records should be aware that these records will preclude a practicum
placement (and thus completion of the degree).
Part-time students need to be aware
that if it takes them more than five years to finish Years 3 and 4, they may be
required to complete additional requirements. In planning their programs,
part-time students should make particular note of course prerequisites and
course corequisites. Consulting with the program head before registering into
specific courses is recommended. Admission to field-work courses is particularly
dependent on the student choosing the appropriate course corequisites and
prerequisites.
Students in other degree programs
may be able to obtain permission for some courses. Please look in the course
descriptions under prerequisites to find which courses this applies to. Students
will be allowed to take a maximum of two Social Work core courses without being
in the program.
Practicum regulations
Acceptance into the BSW degree program does not guarantee practicum placement.
The ability to pass a criminal records check is a prerequisite for most
placements. As well, in order to continue in the practicum, a minimum 2.5 GPA is
required.
The field education coordinator
will work collaboratively with each student to identify practicum sites which
respond to individual learning interests and which provide generalist social
work learning opportunities.
Most of the fieldwork agencies will
be in the Fraser Valley region (Surrey to Hope), although other placement sites
may be considered. Students are responsible for transportation to practicum
sites and most practica will require students to have a valid driver’s licence
and access to an insured automobile. Students are responsible for maintaining
suitable personal appearance.
Students must be available for
practicum work three full days per week from January through April in the third
year, and four full days per week from January through April in the fourth year.
There is also a mandatory three-hour weekly class included in each fieldwork
course.
The BSW degree program reserves the
right to approve any agency or institution that provides placements for student
practica, and to change any placement assigned to a student. The student,
however, has the right to be informed in writing of the reasons for any change
in placement. While the program accepts a responsibility to provide a sufficient
number of practicum opportunities to serve the needs of all registered students,
a student may be required to withdraw from a practicum course if none of the
available practicum agencies will accept that particular student. Complete
policy and procedures are outlined in the practicum package which students
receive in the first semester of each year. Practica are mandatory; however,
students with exceptional backgrounds may be able to challenge the third-year
practicum (SOWK 330). The fourth-year practicum (SOWK 430) is not open to
challenge. Further information is available from the field coordinator.
Graduation
It is the student’s responsibility to ensure all program requirements are met.
This should be done by regular program review with the department.
Students must apply for graduation
by completing a request to graduate form available at the Admissions and Records
office. This must be done no later than April 1, with program requirements
completed by
April 30.
Program outline
(Subject to change as the program is undergoing the CASSW Accreditation
process.)
For complete details on courses see
Course descriptions.
Bachelor of Social Work degree
Third Year
Semester V — Degree
Course | Title | Credits |
SOWK 300 | Social Work Practice with Individuals | 3 |
SOWK 311 | Social Work Theory and Ethics | 3 |
SOWK 312 | Legal Knowledge of Social Work Practice | 3 |
SOWK 320 | Anti-Racist and Cross-Cultural Social Work Knowledge and Practice | 3 |
Elective2 | Lower- and upper-level Arts or SOWK Group B* | 3 |
Total | 15 |
Semester VI — Degree
Course | Title | Credits |
Elective1 | SOWK Group A* | 3 |
SOWK 330 | Practicum I (3 day per week,plus one bi-weekly seminar class) | 6 |
SOWK 392 | Aboriginal Social Work | 3 |
Elective2 | Lower- and upper-level Arts or SOWK Group B* | 3 |
Total | 15 |
Fourth Year
Semester VII — Degree
Course | Title | Credits |
SOWK 404 | Research Methods and Evaluation | 3 |
SOWK 410 | Social Welfare Policy and Practice | 3 |
Elective1 | SOWK Group A* | 3 |
Elective2 | SOWK Group B* | 3 |
Elective2 | Lower- or upper-level Arts or SOWK Group B* | 3 |
Total | 15 |
Semester VIII — Degree
Course | Title | Credits |
SOWK 430 | Practicum II (4 days per week,plus online seminar) | 9 |
Elective2 | Lower- and upper-level Arts or SOWK Group B* | 3 |
Elective2 | Lower- and upper-level Arts or SOWK Group B* | 3 |
Total | 15 | |
Program total | 60 |
*BSW students are required to complete a total of six SOWK electives (see
Notes below) and two university-transfer electives. University-transferable Arts
electives which contribute to the breadth of the student's knowledge should be
chosen with the advice of faculty.
Note1: Students must complete a minimum of two of the
following SOWK Group A electives: SOWK 301, 380 and 483.
Note2: Students must complete four electives from the
following SOWK Group B electives: SOWK 394, 450, 490, 491, 493, 496, 497 unless
they choose to complete all three Group A electives (see Note1 above), in which
case they are required to complete three Group B electives.
BSW Child Welfare Specialization program
Third Year
Fall semester
Course | Title | Credits |
SOWK 300 | Social Work Practice with Individuals | 3 |
SOWK 311 | Social Work Theory and Ethics | 3 |
SOWK 312 | Legal Knowledge of Social Work Practice | 3 |
SOWK 320 | Anti-Racist and Cross-Cultural Social Work Knowledge and Practice | 3 |
SOWK 394 | Substance Misuse Issues | 3 |
Elective | Lower- or upper-level Arts | 3 |
Total | 18 |
Winter semester
Course | Title | Credits |
SOWK 330 | Practicum I | 6 |
SOWK 380 | Social Work and Community Development | 3 |
SOWK 392 | Aboriginal Social Work | 3 |
Total | 12 |
Fourth Year
Fall semester
Course | Title | Credits |
SOWK 412 | Legal Skills for Social Work Practice | 3 |
SOWK 404 | Research Methods and Evaluation | 3 |
SOWK 410 | Social Welfare Policy and Practice | 3 |
SOWK 483 | Family-Centered Social Work | 3 |
SOWK 491 | Child Welfare | 3 |
Total | 15 |
Winter semester
Course | Title | Credits |
SOWK 430 | Practicum II | 9 |
SOWK 496 | Disability Issues | 3 |
Elective | Lower- or upper-level Arts | 3 |
Total | 15 | |
Program total | 60 |
School of Social Work and Human Services faculty
Gloria Wolfson, BA (CUNY), MA (Western Reserve), RSW, EdD (Nova Southeastern),
ICADC, Director
Adrienne Chan, BA (UVic), MSW (UBC), PhD (University of Kent)
Doyle Clifton, BA (Carleton), MSW (UBC)
Robert Harding, BA (Hons), BSW (Manitoba), MSW (McGill), RSW, PhD in progress (SFU)
Ian Hunt, BA, MA, EdD (UBC)
Curtis Magnuson, BA (Carleton), BSW (Lakehead), MSW (Carleton), RSW
Georgina Marsom, BSW, MSW (UBC), RSW
Lisa Moy, BA (UBC), BSW (UVic) (Hons), MSW (McGill) (Hons), RSW, PhD in progress
(UBC)
Pieter Steyn, BA (SW), MA (SW) (Pretoria), PhD (South Africa), RSW
Staff
Heather Westwood, Dip. Social Services (UCFV), Department Assistant/Advisor
Carole Harlow, BSW (UCFV), RSW, Program Assistant/Instructor
Carol Oddy, Dip. Social Services (FVC), Program Assistant
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