Social Work and Human Services

Master of Social Work degree

The Master of Social Work degree is a five-semester, two-year program comprised of 30 credits, including a 450-hour practicum.

The program’s core courses and electives are designed to develop a broad professional competency base at the graduate level.

The full program will typically take two years to complete, with a maximum of five years allowed.

Entrance requirements

Option 1: Advanced (BSW) graduates

Note: The program is offered every two years. Please see the Social Work and Human Services website for the next intake date.

1. Bachelor of Social Work degree from a program accredited by the Canadian Association for Social Work Education — Association Canadienne pour la Formation en Travail Social with a minimum GPA of 3.00. GPA will be calculated on the most recently completed 30 credits (or equivalent) of upper-level university courses
2. Two years of volunteer work or paid employment (3,000 hours) in social services, social work, or a closely related field.
3. Applicants must demonstrate an understanding of the purpose and nature of social work and alignment with professional social work codes of ethics.
4. Interview with the MSW committee may be required.
5. Personal statement (for more details, see the Additional documents section of this link).
6. Three professional letters of reference (see How to apply).
7. Applicants must meet the Degree/diploma level English language proficiency requirement. For details on how this requirement may be met, see the English language proficiency requirement section of the calendar.

Option 2: Foundational (Non-BSW) graduates

Note: For inquiries, email mswinfo@ufv.ca.

Upon admission to the MSW program, students will be required to take undergraduate courses as outlined in the Program outline section below to fulfill the qualifying requirements of the program.

1. Completion of a three- or four-year Bachelor’s degree in an allied program (for example, Child and Youth Care, Criminal Justice, Psychology, Sociology, Education) from a recognized institution, with a minimum GPA of 3.00. GPA will be calculated on the most recently completed 30 credits (or equivalent) of upper-level university courses.
2. Two years of volunteer work or paid employment (3,000 hours) in social services or a closely related field.
3. Applicants must demonstrate an understanding of the purpose and nature of social work and their alignment with professional social work codes of ethics.
4. Interview with the MSW committee may be required.
5. Personal statement (for more details, see the Additional documents section of this link).
6. Three professional letters of reference (see How to apply).
7. Applicants must meet the Degree/diploma level English language proficiency requirement. For details on how this requirement may be met, see the English language proficiency requirement section of the calendar.

When to apply

To be considered for Fall semester entrance (September), completed applications must be received by December 1 of the year of application. Applications received later will be considered as space permits.

How to apply

Applications must include the following items, otherwise they will be deemed incomplete, and not considered for admission. Visit ufv.ca/swhs to find the forms needed.

1. UFV application for MSW Graduate Studies (including the application fee).
2. Official transcripts (or interim transcripts) from all post-secondary institutions attended showing grade/course achievement as per entrance requirements, including courses in-progress. To be considered official, transcripts must be sent directly to UFV from the originating institution; see Official Transcript Guidelines for details.
3. Detailed personal résumé organized chronologically, starting with most recent, including position title, name of immediate supervisor, start and end dates, and whether the experience was full- or part-time. Please include research experience, publication lists, related interests, skills, etc.
4. Work hours summary sheet, clearly listing and totaling the number of hours worked in all relevant human/social service related positions (paid and volunteer). This will determine applicant eligibility under the required 3,000 hours of related work experience.
5. Three professional letters of reference including at least one from an academic referee, addressing the applicant's recent academic experience, and at least one from a supervisor, addressing the demonstrated skills and abilities in the applicant's recent related work experience. The third reference can be from an academic or professional referee. These letters must be on the official reference forms for the MSW available at ufv.ca/swhs/how-to-apply.
6. Educational Equity form (optional).
7. A personal statement (for more details, see the Additional documents section of this link), typed and double spaced, no more than 500 words per question.

Applicants will be advised of an admission decision and, if accepted, will be provided with registration information. A deposit is required prior to registration (see the Fees and Other Costs section) and will be applied toward tuition fees.

Basis for admission decision

Admission to the MSW is on a competitive basis. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission (see General Regulations for Graduate Studies).

Fees and additional costs

See the Fees and Other Costs section. There will be additional costs for textbooks, and there may be associated travel and living expenses.

Dates and location

The MSW program is designed to meet the diverse learning needs of students. Using a mixed delivery model that combines online and flexible evening and weekend classes, the program allows greater accessibility to students with work and family commitments. The practicum is two days per week over two semesters.

Program outline

The MSW program consists of two streams, BSW graduates (Advanced stream) and non-BSW graduates (Foundational stream).

Advanced graduates

Upon admission to the Advanced stream of the MSW program, students will take SOWK 700-level courses listed below over two years.

MSW required courses

Note: A research and statistics course must be taken prior to SOWK 704.

Required courses for Foundational students

Upon admission to the Foundational stream of the MSW program, students will be required to take the undergraduate courses listed below, to fulfill the qualifying requirements of the program.

After successfully completing the required undergraduate courses (listed below), students in the Foundational stream may continue on to the 700-level courses (listed above). Foundational students are expected to complete their qualifying courses within one year. The program is designed to be completed in one year (three semesters) of full-time study (five courses per semester), followed by two years of MSW course work.

Note 1: SOWK 431 is not open to challenge or PLAR.

Note 2: Foundational stream students who have not completed a research course equivalent to SOWK 404 in their undergraduate preparation will be required to take an additional three-credit research course, such as SOWK 404 or equivalent.

Note 3: A research and statistics course must be taken prior to SOWK 704.

Practicum regulations

Under the Criminal Records Review Act, a record check completed through the Criminal Records Review Program (CRRP) is required for post-secondary students working with children and vulnerable people as part of a practicum. Students are responsible for completing this process and for providing the payment; the School of Social Work and Human Services will provide details.

Students who are on Academic Warning or Academic Probation or subject to academic or non-academic student conduct proceedings will not ordinarily be permitted to register in the field placement.

The fourth-year field placement, SOWK 431, is not open to challenge or PLAR.

Program requirements and continuance in program

To maintain status as a MSW student and to continue in the program, students must maintain an overall minimum GPA of 3.00. Credit towards the degree will not be available for any course in which the grade is less than a B-. Practica must be completed with satisfactory evaluations. The major paper/project must receive a Pass.

Transfer credit

Any applicant who meets the MSW entrance requirements may have a formal evaluation of courses from other institutions/programs that have not been used in another credential may be considered for transfer credit, subject to residency requirements.

Residency

UFV Graduate Studies residency requirements policy requires that at least 75% of program courses be taken at UFV. The practicum and major paper/project must be completed through UFV, and it is anticipated that most students will take all their courses through UFV. However, a maximum of two courses (25%) may be taken at another university for transfer credit in the UFV MSW program. This would require advance approval of the Director of the School of Social Work and Human Services and the Associate Vice-President of Graduate Studies and Research upon admission.

Graduation requirements

Candidates who qualify to receive a UFV graduate degree must be approved by the Senate. Students must apply for graduation in the first month of their final semester. Visit the Graduation webpage for more information. The final deadline for students who wish to attend the June Convocation ceremony is April 1 of each year, with all program requirements completed by April 30.

Note: Students should also be familiar with the General Regulations for Graduate Studies.

Maximum length of time to complete program

Non-BSW graduates admitted to the program are expected to finish their qualifying courses within two years. All students must complete their entire MSW coursework within five years.

Course listings

For complete details on courses see the course descriptions section.