4.1 General Information

The Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) is a full-time program that is offered as a First or a Second Degree program and is comprised of course work and two field practica. The BSW degree qualifies graduates for beginning professional practice in social work settings.

The BSW curriculum reflects a balance of professional education and general education. The professional education courses are provided for students once they are admitted to the First Degree or Second Degree Bachelor of Social Work programs. The general education is intended to equip students with knowledge in the humanities and relevant social sciences, including knowledge related to human development and behaviour in the social environment. The general education is addressed through complementary courses from disciplines outside the School of Social Work as outlined in Complementary Studies below.

The objectives of the undergraduate program are to prepare students to:

  • promote social justice and social well-being and creatively challenge oppression;

  • acquire and apply knowledge, skills, values, professional ethics and critical thinking abilities;

  • recognize limitations and strengths as a beginning social work practitioner;

  • integrate reflexively critical self-awareness;

  • assume leadership in collaboration and interdisciplinary practice;

  • utilize and participate in innovative and traditional inquiry and research models;

  • creatively practice with diverse individuals and collectives;

  • promote and critique the social work profession on regional, provincial, national and global levels;

  • commit to the process of lifelong learning;

  • participate collaboratively and respectfully in innovative teaching and learning processes; and

  • address issues of transition and crisis in diverse contexts (individuals, families, groups, communities, formal organizations and society).

The aim of the BSW program is to develop social workers with generically based skills for working with individuals, families, communities, and groups. Students receive an education which prepares them to work in urban centres and rural settings. A special emphasis is placed on the importance of identifying local needs and developing the means of meeting these needs in the context of available resources.

There is a Program Residency Requirement for both the First and Second Degree programs requiring students to take specific courses on the St. John's campus. Although the majority of courses are taught on-campus, selected courses are occasionally taught online.