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Graduate Studies Calendar 2023-2024 Program Descriptions Social Work SOWK Graduate Certificates in Social Work
Graduate Certificates in Social Work

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.
1. Certificates Offered

Graduate Certificate in Advanced Social Work Practice (ASWP)

Graduate Certificate in Clinical Social Work Practice (CSWP)

Specializations:

  • Adult Mental Health and Addictions
  • Individuals, Families and Group
  • Infant, Child and Adolescent Mental Health
  • Trauma-Informed Practice
  • Clinical Gerontology Practice
  • Community-Informed Practice for Health and Wellbeing

Graduate Certificate in Leadership in the Human Services (LHS)

Specialization:

  • The Practical and Transformational Leader

Graduate Certificate in International and Community Development (ICD)

Specializations:

  • International Social Development
  • Community Development

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

Students may complete a given certificate only once. Repeating the same certificate is not permitted. Not all Graduate Certificates and specializations are offered every year. For availability, consult the Faculty of Social Work website: socialwork.ucalgary.ca.

Laddered Pathway from Graduate Certificates to MSW

Students who complete the Graduate Certificate in Advanced Social Work Practice and one of the Certificates in 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) Laddered Pathway.

Program Delivery

The certificate courses are offered by distance (online) learning with in-person residencies. Please consult the website socialwork.ucalgary.ca for specific program delivery information.

Students are required to attend residencies in Calgary or Edmonton and failure to attend may result in a student being withdrawn from the course or program.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), 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 with no section less than 20); IELTS score of 7.0 (Academic version with no section less than 6.0); 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 specializations within the chosen certificate. Requests to defer an offer of admission are not normally considered.

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 complete two successive certificates through a laddered pathway into the MSW (course-based) degree must apply to each certificate and the MSW (a total of three applications) and will receive each credential upon its successful completion.

4. Advanced Credit

Advanced credit is not awarded toward a graduate certificate.

5. Course Requirements

Each of the graduate certificates consist of 12 units of coursework. Course requirements are determined by the specialization.

Graduate Certificate in Advanced Social Work Practice (ASWP)

Graduate Certificate in Clinical Social Work Practice (CSWP)

Adult Mental Health and Addictions
Clinical Practice with Individuals, Families and Groups
Infant, Child and Adolescent Mental Health
Trauma-Informed Practice
Clinical Gerontology Practice
Community-Informed Practice for Health and Wellbeing

Graduate Certificate in Leadership in the Human Services (LHS)

The Practical and Transformational Leader

Graduate Certificate in International and Community Development (ICD)

International Social Development
Community Development
6. Flexible Grade Option (CG Grade)

The Faculty of Social Work will allow students in the Graduate Certificates in Social Work to pursue the Flexible Grade Option (CG Grade) for graduate courses offered by the Faculty. Students may receive a grade of CG only once, for a total of 3 units, regardless of the number of graduate certificates they complete. In addition, students may receive a grade of CG only once throughout the entire laddered pathway.

Students may choose the CG grade for a course taken extra to load.

The use of the CG grade will not affect students’ eligibility for internal awards.
7. 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 laddered 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.

8. Financial Assistance

Students enrolled in a Graduate Certificate in Social Work are not eligible for University of Calgary awards administered through the Graduate Awards Competition but may be eligible for program recommended awards. For information on awards, see the Awards and Financial Assistance section of this Calendar.

9. Other Information

A computer is required for all programs in the Faculty of Social Work.  Further information will be sent out to newly-admitted students in the summer term prior to the commencement of their studies.