Bachelor of Social Work degree

The UCFV Bachelor of Social Work program is committed to the preparation of students for generalist social work practice through the provision of adult education which is accessible and reflects the principles of social justice, equality, and the dignity and worth of all people, as well as respect for diversity. Graduates will have the knowledge, skills, and professional values necessary to work collaboratively with individuals, families, groups, and communities in diverse and cross-cultural environments.

Social work education is a critical process based upon dialogue that respects difference and diverse sources and forms of knowledge and skill and encourages dissent. As faculty, we are committed to defending academic freedom, encouraging scholarship and debate on social work and social welfare — with particular attention to how individual and social problems come to be defined and addressed — and to developing effective and empowering methods of education and research relevant to a diverse society.

We are committed to the principle that all people are to be treated with respect, with justice, and without discrimination on any grounds, and to promoting the well-being of personal, family, and community life. We are also committed to providing equitable educational opportunities and participation of all member groups and individuals in educational and scholarly work, with particular attention to those experiencing systemic discrimination.

We stand with people and populations who experience poverty, exploitation, and domination, and seek to engage with them in promoting change and achieving equality and social justice through social work education, scholarship, and individual and collective action.

Graduates will be prepared to work with individuals, groups, families, and communities in a variety of social and community settings provided by both government and non-government sectors including: child welfare and protection, programs and services for women, immigration and cross-cultural services, family and community services and programs, 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 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 54 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 54 credits should include: six credits of English or Written Communications; and three credits of Human Development Psychology; three credits of Introductory Statistics; and 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 chart 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.
• A completed additional application information form, 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.

Academic regulations

During the course of their BSW studies, students are required to:

• Graduates of the BSW program after June 2004 are required to complete a minimum of 60 credits of social work (SOWK) courses and a minimum of 60 credits of qualifying Arts and Sciences. (Students graduating prior to June 2004 are required to complete a minimum of 120 credits with a minimum of 51 upper-level credits. A minimum of 60 credits must be completed at UCFV or another recognized university. A minimum of 30 upper-level 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 the Course descriptions section.

Bachelor of Social Work degree

Third Year

Semester V — Degree

Semester VI — Degree

Fourth Year

Semester VII — Degree

Semester VIII — Degree

* BSW students are required to complete two university transfer electives and two SOWK electives (SOWK 301, 380, 412, 450, 490, 493, 496, 497, 498)

Note¹: Students who have completed SOWK 394 prior to the degree must substitute an appropriate Arts elective.

Note²: University-transferable Arts elective chosen with the advice of faculty which contributes to the breadth of the student’s knowledge.

BSW Child Welfare Specialization program

Third Year

Fall semester

Winter semester

Fourth Year

Fall semester

Winter semester

School of Social Work and Human Services faculty

Gloria Wolfson, BA (CUNY), MA (Western Reserve), RSW, EdD (Nova Southeastern), ICADC, Director
Lise Beauchesne, BSW (Laurentian), MSW, PhD (Wilfrid Laurier), RSW
Doyle Clifton, BA (Carleton), MSW (UBC)
Robert Harding, BA (Hons), BSW (Manitoba), MSW (McGill), RSW
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)
Pieter Steyn, BA (SW), MA (SW) (Pretoria), DPhil (South Africa), RSW

Staff

Debi Block, AD Arts (UCFV), Program Advisor
Carole Harlow, BSW (UCFV), RSW, Program Assistant/Instructor
Carol Oddy, Dip. Social Services (FVC), Program Assistant

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