UofC

Bachelor of Social Work (BSW)

The Faculty of Social Work provides post-secondary education throughout Alberta. The BSW degree, accredited by the Canadian Association for Social Work Education, prepares students for generalist practice. Students may pursue the BSW degree on a full-time or part-time basis. Students have up to five years to complete the 3rd and 4th year of the BSW program.

The BSW program is administered from three locations:

Calgary: BSW Calgary and BSW Online (Virtual Learning Circle).
Edmonton (for Central and Northern Alberta Region): BSW Edmonton and Community-Based Learning Circles in Grande Prairie and Red Deer.
Lethbridge (for Southern Alberta Region): BSW Lethbridge and Community-Based Learning Circles in Medicine Hat.

The Learning Circles program prepares students for practice that is geographically relevant and particularly sensitive to the needs of Indigenous peoples. Students in the Community-Based Learning Circles program must be available to attend course offerings in Alberta communities where the Community-Based Learning Circles are being offered. The Virtual Learning Circle program delivers the curriculum through a blended learning approach, integrating online learning with some in-person classes in Calgary.

The Faculty of Social Work's admission routes into its different programs are described in the section 3.1 Admissions.

Master of Social Work (MSW)

The Faculty offers a Master's program accredited by the Canadian Association for Social Work Education leading to the MSW degree. The objective of the MSW program is to prepare students for advanced professional practice in social work. The Faculty of Social Work offers MSW programs in Calgary, Edmonton, and Lethbridge. In all locations, students choose between the course-based or the thesis route to the degree, except for the MSW in Leadership in the Human Services Specialization, which is only course-based.

In Calgary, MSW students are admitted annually and choose from one of the three Specializations: Clinical Social Work Practice, Leadership in the Human Services, or International and Community Development. Students without an undergraduate degree in social work must complete nine Foundation courses prior to taking any Specialization courses. BSW graduates are admitted directly into the Specialization.

In Edmonton, the Faculty of Social Work offers only the Clinical Social Work Practice Specialization. Students without an undergraduate degree in social work must complete nine Foundation courses prior to taking any Specialization courses. BSW graduates are admitted directly into the Specialization.

In Lethbridge, the Faculty of Social Work offers only the Clinical Social Work Practice Specialization and only to students with a BSW. Lethbridge does not offer the Foundation component.

The course-based MSW in Leadership in the Human Services Specialization is administered through Calgary as a blended program and is accessible to students regardless of home location.

More details about the MSW program may be found in the Faculty of Graduate Studies Calendar at grad.ucalgary.ca.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Social Work

The PhD program offers a research-based degree and is intended to produce highly qualified social work researchers and teachers. The Faculty of Social Work operates from campuses in Calgary, Edmonton, and Lethbridge. Please check the faculty’s website to determine the program location for the year that you apply.

For further information please consult the Faculty of Graduate Studies Calendar at grad.ucalgary.ca.

MSW/MBA

Applications to this program are suspended until 2023.

Graduate Certificate and Diploma

A Graduate Certificate and Diploma in Mental Health and Addictions is offered in Calgary. Information about this program can be obtained from the Student Services Office in the Faculty of Social Work or from the Faculty’s website at fsw.ucalgary.ca/. Applications to the Graduate Certificate and Diploma are not being accepted for Fall 2019.