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. This full-time 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

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) 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 social work perspectives and educational goals.

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.), and the study’s potential contribution to social work research and practice. Students applying to the thesis route are strongly encouraged to discuss this option with the PhD/MSW Thesis Program Coordinator.

f) 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.

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. Requests to defer an offer of admission are not normally considered.

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 (450 hours)*

Foundation courses must be completed before students advance to specialization-specific courses and the two research courses (Social Work 670 and 672).

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 (ASWP) 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 630
• Social Work 631
• Social Work 634
• Social Work 635

• Social Work 601
• Social Work 603
• Social Work 605
• Social Work 607

• Social Work 650
• Social Work 652
• Social Work 654
• Social Work 656

• Social Work 611
• Social Work 613
• Social Work 615
• Social Work 617

• Social Work 685
• Social Work 686
• Social Work 687
• Social Work 688

• Social Work 661
• Social Work 663
• Social Work 664
• Social Work 668

International and Community Development (ICD) Specialization

Leadership in the Human Services (LHS) Specialization

• Social Work 643
• Social Work 647
• Social Work 648
• Social Work 649

Note: The four courses in ASWP and in each specialization topic are offered in a prescribed sequence and deviation from the curriculum plan is not normally allowed. Please note that not all specialization topics are offered every year. Students should consult the timetables and program curriculum plans located on the web for sequence and availability of specialization topics: socialwork.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. Students who wish to complete Social Work 660 must have completed all the ASWP, specialization and research courses and must declare their intention to pursue a Practicum in writing to the Director of Field Education by March 1st of their final year of coursework (6-8 months prior to the expected start of the Practicum).

Note: Students who begin the MSW thesis program and then want to switch to the course-based MSW may be able to do so prior to beginning the thesis research courses and at least 8 months prior to the start of 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.

Flexible Grade Option (CG Grade)

The Faculty of Social Work Master of Social Work thesis-based program will allow students to pursue the Flexible Grade Option (CG Grade) in graduate courses offered by the faculty, with the exception of:

• Social Work 633
• Social Work 660
• Social Work 670
• Social Work 672
  

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.

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).

For incoming MSW thesis students, the PhD/MSW Thesis Coordinator will act as the interim supervisor. Before the end of April of the first year, each student must designate a faculty member as permanent supervisor. MSW thesis students will work with their supervisors to determine if a co-supervisor and/or supervisory thesis committee is preferred. This decision should be made prior to start of Social Work 670. The arrangement must be approved by the Graduate Program Director.

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 and the Intellectual Property checklist. These become part of the student's permanent record. If a change occurs in supervision, a new Student-Supervisor 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:

• thesis supervisor,and, if applicable, co-supervisor/supervisory thesis committee,
  
• a faculty member from the Faculty of Social Work, and
• an Internal Examiner (external to the Faculty of Social Work).
  

Students must have proposal approved by their supervisor and/or committee (if appropriate). 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.

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