Admission Requirements
The M.S.W. program is governed by the policies of the College of Graduate Studies and the School of Social Work. Students applying to the Foundational Two-Year Track will hold an undergraduate degree and have:
- In 300-level courses and above, a minimum overall grade average equivalent to a UBC B+ (76-79%) or higher;
- completed an approved course in statistics (see list of approved courses on the School of Social Work website);
- completed an approved course in research methods (see list of approved courses on the School of Social Work website);
- completed a Statement of Purpose;
- submitted a resumé or curriculum vitae;
- provided three letters of reference; and
- immediately upon acceptance of an admission offer, submitted an acceptable criminal record check for relevant and specified offenses as defined under the Criminal Records Review Act of British Columbia (see the School of Social Work website regarding the criminal record check submission process).
Preference will be given to applicants who meet the above criteria and have employment or volunteer social work- related experience.
If applicable, applicants from a university at which English is not the primary language of instruction must present evidence of competency to pursue studies in the English language prior to being extended an offer of admission. The Master of Social Work program is a professional program which requires language proficiency test scores that are beyond the College of Graduate Studies’ required minimum overall scores. Acceptable English language proficiency tests, and minimum test scores, for applicants to the Master of Social Work program are:
- a minimum overall score of 100 on the Internet-based TOEFL (iBT) with no individual section score lower than 22, beyond the College of Graduate Studies required minimum overall score of 90;
or - a minimum overall score of 7 on the ACADEMIC IELTS with no individual section score lower than 6.5, beyond the College of Graduate Studies required minimum overall score of 6.5;
or - a minimum final score of 90 with a minimum of 3+ in the speaking test on MELAB, beyond the College of Graduate Studies required minimum overall score of 85.
Admissions from Okanagan College ABA-CRE Degree Program
Each academic year, students graduating the Applied Bachelor of Arts - Community Research and Evaluation (ABA-CRE) program at Okanagan College in the top 10 of their class who meet all UBCO School of Social Work admissions requirements are eligible for direct admission into the Master of Social Work (MSW) Foundation Two-Year Track program in their graduating year.
Up to 5 additional ABA-CRE graduates who self-identify as Indigenous are also eligible for direct admission into the MSW Foundational Two Year Track program in their graduating year.
The College of Graduate Studies administers the entire application process and applications are forwarded to the School of Social Work once they are complete. Admission procedures can be found at College of Graduate Studies.
Applicants are encouraged to review the College of Graduate Studies and the Frequently-Asked-Questions (FAQs) on the School of Social Work and the College of Graduate Studies websites.
Degree Requirements
The M.S.W. Foundational Two-Year Track requires the completion of 60 credits including two 6-credit field education placements. Completion of the full-time program normally requires up to 24 months of study. Students are expected to be continuously enrolled in a maximum of 12 credits (and a minimum of 3 credits), unless otherwise permitted by the Program Coordinator of the School of Social Work.
First Year
All Foundational Track first-year students are required to complete the following 30 credits:
| Year 1 (30 credits) | |
|---|---|
| SOCW_O 511 | Introduction to Social Work (3 credits); |
| SOCW_O 512 | Theories and Interventions for Clinical Social Work (3 credits); |
| SOCW_O 513 | Assessment Skills for Clinical Social Work (3 credits); |
| SOCW_O 514 | Diversity and Critical Reflexive Practice (3 credits); |
| SOCW_O 515 | Social Welfare Policy in Canada (3 credits) |
| SOCW_O 517 | Social Work and Indigenous Peoples in Canada (3 credits) |
| SOCW_O 518 | Integrative Seminar for Field Education (3 credits); |
| SOCW_O 519 | Social Work Field Education I (6 credits); and |
| SOCW_O 525 | Human Development for Clinical Social Work (3 credits); |
Second Year
Year 2 students are required to complete the following 30 credits:
| Year 2 Course-based option (30 credits) | |
|---|---|
| SOCW_O 551 | Advanced Clinical Social Work Theory and Practice (3 credits); |
| SOCW_O 553 | Research Knowledge and Evidence in Clinical Social Work (3 credits); |
| SOCW_O 554 | Mental Health and Mental Illness (3 credits); |
| SOCW_O 555 | Organizations and Leadership (3 credits) |
| SOCW_O 558 | Advanced Integrative Seminar for Field Education (3 credits) |
| SOCW_O 559 | Social Work Field Education II (6 credits); |
| and | |
| One of: | |
| (1) SOCW_O 598 Graduating Paper (3 credits) and 2 approved electives (6 credits); or | |
| (2) 3 approved electives (9 credits) | |
| Year 2 Thesis option (30 credits) | |
|---|---|
| SOCW_O 553 | Research Knowledge and Evidence in Clinical Social Work (3 credits) |
| One of SOCW_O 551, SOCW_O 554, or SOCW_O 555 (3 credits) | |
| One approved elective (3 credits) | |
| One additional graduate-level research methods course approved by the Program Coordinator of the School of Social Work (3 credits) | |
| SOCW_O 558 | Advanced Integrative Seminar for Field Education (3 credits) |
| SOCW_O 559 | Social Work Field Education II (6 credits) |
| SOCW_O 599 | Thesis (9 credits) |
Approved Electives
Approved electives consist of offerings from the School of Social Work, Okanagan Campus (SOCW) and Health-Interprofessional (HINT) 500-level courses, offered by the Faculty of Health and Social Development. These HINT courses encourage effective interprofessional collaboration and understanding among students of health and human service programs, and between the external community and the University.
Note: Additional electives may be possible with the approval of the Program Coordinator of the School of Social Work.