UofC

Master of Social Work (MSW) - thesis-based

The Master of Social Work program is accredited by the Canadian Association of Social Work Education.

The objective of the Master of Social Work (MSW) program is to prepare students for advanced professional practice in social work. The thesis-based route may be appropriate for students who intend to proceed to doctoral studies and/or anticipate a career requiring advanced program evaluation or research skills. The program is available for both BSW graduates and graduates from other disciplines.

Specializations:

• Clinical Social Work Practice (CSWP)
• International and Community Development (ICD)
• Leadership in the Human Services (LHS)

Program Delivery

With the exception of the Calgary-based CSWP program, which is delivered face-to-face in Calgary, the MSW thesis-based courses are offered through a blended delivery model, which includes both face-to-face residencies and online learning. The required residencies are offered in block format, evenings and/or weekends in Calgary, Edmonton or Lethbridge.

Students not attending residencies may be required to withdraw from the course or the program.

In addition to Faculty of Graduate Studies requirements for Admission, the Faculty of Social Work requires:

a) A Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree* or a four-year bachelor’s degree from another discipline. The undergraduate degree must be conferred prior to the start of the MSW program and must be from a recognized/accredited post-secondary institution.

*The Faculty of Social Work recognizes BSW and BISW degrees accredited by the Canadian Association for Social Work Education (CASWE), the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), the National Indigenous Accreditation Board (NIAB), and international credentials deemed equivalent to a Canadian BSW degree by the Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW).

b) A minimum GPA of 3.00 (on the University of Calgary four-point system). This is based on the last two-years of the undergraduate degree consisting of a minimum of 60 units.

c) The equivalent of two years of full-time paid work or a minimum of 3000 hours of paid and/or volunteer work in the human services field.

d) A program proposal outlining the applicant's educational goals and career expectations.

e) A thesis proposal providing a rationale for selecting the thesis route and a preliminary research proposal describing the research problem to be investigated and the proposed research methodologies (e.g., quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, participatory action research, arts-based, etc.). Students applying to the thesis route are strongly encouraged to discuss this option with the Thesis Program Coordinator.

f) For applicants required to provide proof of proficiency in English, a minimum TOEFL score of  97 (Internet-based test); or IELTS score of 7.0.

g) Two references, one academic and one professional. Applicants unable to provide an academic reference are advised to submit a second professional reference and provide a rationale in the application.

Note: MSW applicants are allowed to apply to only one program location and one specialization. Once admitted, students are not permitted to switch specializations and/or topics within their chosen specialization.

For application deadlines, see the Future Students webpage: ucalgary.ca/future-students/graduate/explore-programs/social-work-master-social-work-thesis-based.

Advanced credit is not normally granted for the Master of Social Work degree.

For students with a bachelor's degree in a discipline other than social work:

Nine foundation courses (27 units), as follows:

• Social Work 621
• Social Work 625
• Social Work 627
• Social Work 629
• Social Work 632
• Social Work 637
• Social Work 641
• Social Work 645
• Social Work 633 (426 hours)

Foundation courses must be completed before students advance to specialization-specific courses and, if applicable, to Advanced Practicum (Social Work 660).

For Students with a BSW or completed foundation courses:

A total of 30 units of coursework. The coursework consists of:

a) 12 units of Advanced Social Work Practice courses;
b) 12 units of specialization courses (topics may vary from year to year and by location);
c) 6 units of research courses.

a) Advanced Social Work Practice Courses:

• Social Work 600
• Social Work 602
• Social Work 604
• Social Work 606

b) Specialization Course Requirements:

Clinical Social Work Practice (CSWP) Specialization

• Social Work 610
• Social Work 612
• Social Work 614
• Social Work 616

The four courses in each CSWP specialization topic area address a particular subject within the broader field of Clinical Social Work Practice. Students must complete all four courses in the selected topic area.

International and Community Development (ICD) Specialization

• Social Work 620
• Social Work 622
• Social Work 624
• Social Work 626

The four courses in each ICD Specialization topic area address a particular subject within the broader field of International and Community Development. Students must complete all four courses in the selected topic area.

Leadership in the Human Services (LHS) Specialization

• Social Work 640
• Social Work 642
• Social Work 644
• Social Work 646

The four courses in each LHS Specialization topic area address a particular subject within the broader field of Leadership in Human Services. Students must complete all four courses in the selected topic area.

Note: The four courses in ASWP and in each specialization are offered in a prescribed sequence and deviation from the curriculum plan is not normally allowed. Please note that not all specialization topic areas are offered every year. Students should consult the timetables and program curriculum plans located on the web for sequence and availability of Specialization topics: fsw.ucalgary.ca.

c) Research Courses:

• Social Work 670
• Social Work 672

All four specialization courses are prerequisites or co-requisites to Social Work 670 and 672.

Students may elect to complete Social Work 660 Advanced Practicum, but it is not a mandatory component of the thesis-based degree. Student with a non-BSW degree may need additional Foundational Field Practicum hours to meet accreditation requirements. Students who wish to complete Social Work 660 must have completed all the ASWP, specialization and research courses. At least 6-8 months prior to the expected start of the practicum, thesis-based students must declare their intention to the Field Education Office.

Students who begin the MSW thesis program and then want to switch to the course-based MSW or vice versa, may be able to do so prior to beginning the thesis research courses and/or Advanced Practicum. Students who switch must comply with the program requirements of the respective program. Program transfer must be requested and approved by both the Faculty of Social Work and Faculty of Graduate Studies.

Participation in student orientation sessions held prior to the start of the program is mandatory for incoming students.

Credit for undergraduate courses will not be awarded.

Expected completion time varies based on the program location, specialization and delivery model selected by the student at the time of application.

As established by the Faculty of Graduate Studies (see Time Limits), maximum completion time is four years for a thesis-based MSW (for both BSW degree holders and non-BSW degree holders).

MSW thesis students are initially assigned an interim supervisor. Before the end of April of the first year, each student must designate a faculty member as permanent supervisor.

Within the first two months of working together, MSW thesis students and their interim and/or permanent supervisors are required to complete and submit to Student Services in the Faculty of Social Work the signed Student-Supervisor Checklist. The Student-Supervisor Checklist becomes part of the student’s permanent record. If a change occurs in supervision, a new checklist must be completed, signed and submitted to Student Services within two months of the change.

MSW Thesis Examination

The final examination for the thesis-based MSW involves an oral defence of the thesis. The thesis examination is conducted by the student’s examining committee, which must be declared at least one month before the oral examination.

In addition to the Faculty of Graduate Studies regulations for Thesis Examinations, the program requires the following MSW examining committee composition:

The committee includes the thesis supervisor, a faculty member from the Faculty of Social Work, an Internal Examiner, and a neutral chair. The Internal Examiner must be external to the Faculty of Social Work.

Students must have proposal approved by their supervisor. A copy of the proposal becomes part of the student’s record with the Faculty of Social Work. Once the proposal has been approved, students can proceed with applying for ethics certification.

Financial assistance may be available to qualified students. For information on awards, see Awards and Financial Assistance for Graduate Students, the Graduate Awards Database grad.ucalgary.ca/awards, and consult with the Student Services Office in the Faculty of Social Work.

All students in the Faculty of Social Work are expected to have a computer and be proficient in and have access to email, internet searching, and word processing programs. Video-conferencing, web-based tools, discussion boards, and chat rooms will be used in addition to or in lieu of class time.