University of Calgary : Graduate Certificates in Social Work

Graduate Certificates in Social Work

1. Certificates Offered

Graduate Certificate in Advanced Social Work Practice
Graduate Certificate in Clinical Social Work Practice
Graduate Certificate in Leadership in the Human Services
Graduate Certificate in International and Community Development

Graduate Certificate and Diploma in Mental Health and Addictions*
*Applications are not currently being accepted.

Graduate Certificates in Social Work serve as stand-alone credentials for practicing social workers who seek formal professional development opportunities in their field, or provide practicing social workers a flexible option to pursue the MSW degree. This is a part-time program.

Laddering from Graduate Certificates to MSW

Students who complete the Graduate Certificate in Advanced Social Work Practice and one of the Certificates in a specialization area (Clinical Social Work Practice, International and Community Development, or Leadership in the Human Services) may apply to the Master of Social Work (course-based) program. See Master of Social Work (course-based) Laddering Pathway.

Program Delivery

The certificate courses are offered by distance (online) learning with in-person residencies. The residencies are offered in block format, evenings and/or weekends in Calgary, Edmonton or Lethbridge. Please consult the website socialwork.ucalgary.ca for specific program delivery information.

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

2. Admission Requirements

In addition to the Faculty of Graduate Studies’ admission requirements, the Faculty of Social Work requires:

a) A Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree from an accredited/recognized* institution. The degree must be conferred prior to the start of the Graduate Certificate.

*The Faculty of Social Work recognizes BSW and BISW degrees accredited by the Canadian Association for Social Work Education (CASWE), the Council of 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) For applicants required to present proof of proficiency in English: a minimum TOEFL score of 97 (Internet-based test); IELTS score of 7.0; a CAEL score of 70 (70 in writing and speaking; 60 in reading and listening); or a PTE with a minimum score of 68 (Academic version). This requirement can also be met by completing the Academic Communication Certificate with a minimum grade of “A-“ in academic writing and oral communication courses and “B+” in other courses.

Note: Once admitted, students are not permitted to switch topics within the chosen certificate.

3. Application Deadlines

Deadlines are available on the Future Students webpage at grad.ucalgary.ca/future-students/explore-programs/social-work-cert.

Students who wish to use the certificates as a pathway to "ladder" into the MSW (course-based) degree must apply to each certificate and the MSW (a total of three applications) and receive a credential upon successful completion of each program.

4. Advanced Credit

Advanced credit is not awarded toward a graduate certificate.

5. Course Requirements

Graduate Certificate in Advanced Social Work Practice (ASWP)

The Certificate requires 12 units of coursework:

Graduate Certificate in Clinical Social Work Practice (CSWP)

The Certificate requires 12 units of coursework:

The four courses in each CSWP 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.

Graduate Certificate in International and Community Development (ICD)

The Certificate requires 12 units of coursework:

The four courses in each ICD 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.

Graduate Certificate in Leadership in the Human Services (LHS)

The Certificate requires 12 units of coursework:

The four courses in each LHS 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.

There may be multiple topics offered within three certificates (Clinical Social Work Practice, International and Community Development and Leadership in the Human Services). In such cases, students may complete the certificate only once. Repeating the same certificate is not permitted.

Not all Graduate Certificates are offered every year. For availability, consult the Faculty of Social Work website: socialwork.ucalgary.ca.

6. Time Limit

The expected completion time is eight months for any of the graduate certificates. Maximum completion time is two years.

Students taking graduate certificates as part of the laddering pathway to the MSW (course-based) degree program must apply to ladder into the MSW within five years from the start of their first graduate certificate in the laddering sequence.

7. Financial Assistance

Financial assistance may be available to qualified students. For information on awards, see the Awards and Financial Assistance section of this Calendar.

8. Other Information

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.

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