Social Work (Bachelor)
Curriculum Guideline
To be eligible for admission to the Bachelor of Social Work program, students must complete the following 30.00 credits:
- PSYC 1130 - Lifespan Human Development (or equivalent)*
- Any 3.00 credit ENGL university-transferable course
- 24.00 credits of university-transferable courses (non-social work courses)
*CFCS 1130 (Change and Development Lifespan) can be used in place of PSYC 1130, however, it only received University Transfer (UT) status in September 2018. If you completed CFCS 1130 from this date onward, you may use it towards your 30 UT credits to enter the BSW degree program. If you completed this course prior to September 2018, it does not count as a UT credit but you may use it as a course to fulfill the Lifespan requirement for the program.
Students must also complete the following:
- 100 hours of voluntary or paid work in the field of Human Services
- Two (2) letters of reference, one of which must be from a former supervisor in the Human Services field.
- A current resume.
- A letter of intent describing why the student wishes to enter the program and field of Social Work.
- A successful Criminal Record Check (information will be provided by the Registrar’s Office).
Admission to the Bachelor of Social Work program is contingent upon:
- Availability of seats
- Applicant ranking
- Interview – required to ensure that students are suitable for Social Work practice and working within practicum placements where they will be working with vulnerable people.
Students who have completed a Community Social Service Work diploma or other credential, may be eligible to transfer into the Bachelor of Social Work program. Please see the FAQ section of this page for additional details.
Graduation Requirements:
- Successful completion of 120 credits (Year I consists of the 30 UT credits used for Admission - see above)
- 25% (30 credits) of all coursework must be completed at Douglas College
- A GPA of 2.00 is required
- Completed a 3 credit course in Lifespan Human Development
** A university transferable course is a course that transfers to one of the Research Universities - SFU, UBC, (UBCV and UBCO), UNBC or UVIC in the BC Transfer Guide.
Course Requirements:
| Year II | ||
| Course Number | Course Title | Credits |
| SOWK 2100 | Introduction to Social Work Practice | 3.00 |
| SOWK 2200 | Introduction to Social Welfare | 3.00 |
| SOWK 2122 | Counselling: Theory and Practice I | 3.00 |
| SOWK 2333 | Family Systems Social Work | 3.00 |
| SOWK 2360 | Substance Misuse |
3.00 |
| SOWK 2362 | Social Work with Seniors | 3.00 |
| SOWK 2363 | Mental Health | 3.00 |
| SOWK 2400 | Metropolitan Social Work | 3.00 |
| SOWK 2422 | Social Work Practice with Groups and Communities | 3.00 |
| ENGL elective | ENGL 1130 or any UT ENGL course not previously taken | 3.00 |
| 30.00 | ||
| Year III | ||
| Course Number | Course Title | Credits |
| SOWK 3100 | Social Work Theories and Perspectives | 3.00 |
| SOWK 3122 | Counselling: Theory and Practice II | 3.00 |
| SOWK 3140 | Practicum I | 4.50 |
| SOWK 3233 | Child Welfare |
3.00 |
| SOWK 3250 | Social Work with Indigenous People | 3.00 |
| SOWK 3240 | Practicum II | 4.50 |
| UT Elective | 3000 or 4000 level UT elective from outside of Social Work | 3.00 |
| UT Elective | 3000 or 4000 level UT elective from outside of Social Work | 3.00 |
| UT Elective | 3000 or 4000 level UT elective from outside of Social Work | 3.00 |
| 30.00 | ||
| Year IV | ||
| Course Number | Course Title | Credits |
| SOWK 4100 | Social Work Practice Between Systems | 3.00 |
| SOWK 4160 | Research Methods in Social Work | 3.00 |
| SOWK 4140 | Practicum III | 4.50 |
| SOWK 4260 | Global Perspectives in Social Work | 3.00 |
| SOWK 4133 | Risk Assessment, Mitigation and Prevention |
3.00 |
| SOWK 4233 | Promoting Family and System Capacity | 3.00 |
| SOWK 4240 | Practicum IV | 4.50 |
| UT Elective | 3000 or 4000 level UT elective from outside of Social Work | 3.00 |
| UT Elective | 3000 or 4000 level UT elective from outside of Social Work | 3.00 |
| 30.00 | ||
LEARNING OUTCOMES FOR THE BSW
The Learning Outcomes for the BSW are designed in response to the needs of the Social Work profession to work as a generalist practitioner in the Metropolitan environment. These include a focus on developing the ability to apply knowledge and skills to work with families and children, those who are marginalized by poverty, mental health or substance misuse; with immigrants, Aboriginals, and seniors. Curriculum will guide the development of practice skills, knowledge, critical and creative thinking and ethics.
Students will be prepared for work in the filed with clients as well as members of inter-professional service team. Students will develop further their academic skills and be competitive applicants for graduate studies. As in all Canadian Social Work education programs, students will complete 700 hours of practicum in approved placements, under the supervision of a designated field instructor.