Social Work (Three-Year Program) (B.S.W.) (90 credits)
Offered by: Social Work (Faculty of Arts)
Degree: Bachelor of Social Work
Program credit weight: 90
Program Description
The School of Social Work offers an undergraduate program leading to a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree. The BSW focuses on generalist social work practice in a range of health and social service settings locally, nationally and internationally. Drawing on principles of diversity and equity consistent with anti-oppressive frameworks, the BSW examines theoretical foundations and practice skills to assess and respond to social problems affecting individuals, families, groups and communities. Core objectives include: exploration of an identity consistent with the values and ethics of the profession; promoting human rights and social justice; addressing historical and contemporary systemic and structural sources of oppression and marginalization; and, engaging in critical thinking in relation to client populations and in response to inequitable policies and their implications for disadvantaged groups. The BSW includes essential training through field practice.
Field Practicum
Students in the three-year B.S.W. program complete a field placement during their second and third years, two days per week, in different settings each year. Students must have completed a minimum of 24 credits to begin the second year (U2) field placement, comprised of all U1 required SWRK courses and any combination of SWRK complementary, non-SWRK complementary and/or elective courses totaling 24 credits. Students must have completed a minimum number of 54 credits to begin the third year (U3) field placement, comprised of all U1 and U2 required SWRK courses, and any combination of SWRK complementary, non-SWRK complementary and/or elective courses totaling 54 credits.
Note: For information about Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 course offerings, please check back on May 8, 2025. Until then, the "Terms offered" field will appear blank for most courses while the class schedule is being finalized.
Required Courses (63 credits)
U1
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SWRK 219 | Anti-Oppression Social Work Practice. | 3 |
Anti-Oppression Social Work Practice. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Social work policy and practice, including an examination of discrimination and oppressions, identity and social location, reflexivity, intersectionality, contemporary anti-oppression movements, access and equity in human services and their implications. | ||
| SWRK 220 | History and Philosophy of Social Work. | 3 |
History and Philosophy of Social Work. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Historical, theoretical and philosophical base of social work which includes the role of social work in the social welfare, modalities of practice, professional codes of ethics, and human rights legislation. | ||
| SWRK 221 | Public Social Services in Canada. | 3 |
Public Social Services in Canada. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Federal and provincial social welfare programs - the intended objectives, program design, issues of eligibility and funding, and comparison with programs in other parts of Europe and North America. Particular emphasis on concepts of social justice and poverty. Programs such as income security, labour market, health, immigration, and social services. | ||
| SWRK 222 | Introduction to Practicum. | 3 |
Introduction to Practicum. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Basic social work skills. | ||
| SWRK 224 | Human Development Across the Lifespan. | 3 |
Human Development Across the Lifespan. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Physical, cognitive, emotional, behavioural and social development in different stages of the life course with a focus on childhood and adolescence. Human development in different social contexts. Theory and research as it relates to social work practice. | ||
U2
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SWRK 319 | Critical Thought and Ethics in Social Work. | 3 |
Critical Thought and Ethics in Social Work. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Use of theory and reflexivity to challenge the various ways knowing and practicing within social work. Critically engage and assess the theoretical basis of social work theories and knowledge acquired over the course of the program. Application of this knowledge to ethical dilemmas that arise in practice. | ||
| SWRK 320 | Practice with Individuals and Families 1. | 3 |
Practice with Individuals and Families 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to theories and techniques informing clinical social work practice with individual and family systems in a social context. Sexual orientation, race, class, gender, culture, ability and diverse family forms are integrated. Knowledge and skills required for assessment and treatment across a range of practice settings. | ||
| SWRK 321 | Introduction to Practice with Groups. | 3 |
Introduction to Practice with Groups. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to theories and techniques informing social work practice with groups. Emphasis on understanding group formation, assessment, and models of group intervention across a range of practice settings and with different populations. | ||
| SWRK 322 | Field Practice 1. | 3 |
Field Practice 1. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Supervised educational experiences in social work practice designed to integrate practice and theory. | ||
| SWRK 323 | Field Practice 2. | 3 |
Field Practice 2. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Supervised educational experiences in social work practice designed to integrate practice with theoretical knowledge. | ||
| SWRK 326 | Practice with Individuals and Families 2. | 3 |
Practice with Individuals and Families 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Advanced integration of theories and techniques informing clinical social work practice with individual and family systems in a social context. Sexual orientation, race, class, gender, culture, ability and diverse family forms are integrated. Knowledge and skills required for assessment and treatment across a range of practice settings. | ||
| SWRK 327 | Approaches to Community Practice. | 3 |
Approaches to Community Practice. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A comparison of approaches to community practice, with a focus on social change. An analysis of community practice assumptions and methods, including views, theories, and ideologies on social justice. Methods to bring change will also be discussed including strategies, tactics, and actions. | ||
| SWRK 344 | Integrative Seminar 1. | 3 |
Integrative Seminar 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Building on SWRK 222 Introduction to Practicum, the purpose of this integrative seminar is to facilitate links between theories, concepts and empirical findings introduced in coursework to observations and knowledge students garner from the field. This process will help students integrate their knowledge from the classroom and their experiences from the field into a useful and meaningful whole. In order to support the integration of theory, research and practice this seminar will also introduce students to principles and practices in field education that support student learning. In this way, students learn how they can maximize their field learning experiences. | ||
| SWRK 353 | Introduction to Mental Health Practice. | 3 |
Introduction to Mental Health Practice. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduces specialized knowledge and assessment skills in mental health first aid and crisis intervention through the lens of social, cultural, and historical developments. Particular emphasis is placed on the dynamics of institutional responses to mental illness and current conditions and programs, the differential effects of mental illness with regard to age, race, culture, gender identity, and socioeconomic status, the changing conceptions of cause, diagnosis, and treatment across time and socio-cultural boundaries, recovery interventions and comprehensive assessments | ||
U3
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SWRK 420 | Advanced Field Practice 1. | 3 |
Advanced Field Practice 1. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Supervised educational experience in social work practice at an advanced level. | ||
| SWRK 421 | Advanced Field Practice 2. | 3 |
Advanced Field Practice 2. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Supervised educational experience in social work practice at an advanced level. | ||
| SWRK 422 | Integrative Seminar 2. | 3 |
Integrative Seminar 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Analyzing field experiences operationalizing the link between scholarship and practice. Dimensions of equity will be integrated. | ||
| SWRK 423 | Social Work Research. | 3 |
Social Work Research. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Appraising and analyzing social work practice research, including the perspectives of the authors, the literature reviewed, the practice questions, the research methodology and analysis and the implications of the findings for practice. | ||
| SWRK 428 | Social Policy and Administration. | 3 |
Social Policy and Administration. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An analysis of the administrative structures and dynamics of social service organizations, with special attention to Québec policies and to the role of social workers. Examples are drawn from current field experiences of students. | ||
| SWRK 445 | First Peoples and Social Work. | 3 |
First Peoples and Social Work. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An analysis of Canadian policies and legislation, their impact on First Peoples and on social work practice. Historical and contextual overviews of European-Canadian and First Nations, Métis and Inuit relations. | ||
| SWRK 527 | Advanced Social Work Practice in Quebec. | 3 |
Advanced Social Work Practice in Quebec. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The Reserved Acts (designated by L’Ordre des Travailleurs Sociaux et des Thérapeutes Conjugaux et Familiaux du Québec - OTSTCFQ). Exploration of micro, mezzo, macro levels of social work practice. | ||
Complementary Courses (21 credits)
9 credits of Social Work (SWRK) courses.
12 credits of non-Social Work courses.
Elective Courses (6 credits)
6 credits of non-Social Work courses.