Available in English

Social Work

Faculty of Education and Health

Engage in personal and community change

Discover the program Program Details

Program Overview

Pursue a career and your calling in making society a better place for everyone.

Working holistically while recognizing and advancing human rights, you will have the opportunity to respond to those in need in order to promote social change and justice.

Help individuals, as well as society, thrive by promoting positive change and work to give all people an equal opportunity to be healthy. Work with community organizations and government policies to level the playing field and give people opportunities to grow and develop into their best selves.

Small class sizes and opportunities to work closely with peers and professors are the keys to student success.

Take part in Social Work Week, celebrated annually across Canada during the month of March.

Our Mission
The Laurentian University School of Social Work aims to educate social workers who can apply critical analyses to respond to those in need in order to promote social change, problem-solving in the context of social justice and respect for human rights, and to improve the general well-being of individuals, groups, communities, and society.

Program is recognized and accredited by the Canadian Association for Social Work Education (CASWE), and leads to a provincial social work registration and license from the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW).

The Bachelor of Social Work program is a four year generalist degree with the opportunity for specialization through the Master's of Social Work program.

Unique opportunity to complete a B.S.W./B.Ed. in 5 years. Graduates are eligible to apply to be a Registered Social Worker and a Member of the Ontario College of Teachers.

Career Outlook

What do Social Workers do?

Work in schools, hospitals, mental health agencies, with children and youth, in addiction treatment, crisis intervention, and violence against women programs, and in the areas of community development, social policy, corrections, disability services, and gerontology.

Graduates can rest assured knowing there is a multitude of career options they can explore post-graduation. Many of these careers can be found in the public and private sector.

A young student is smiling while sitting on a chair outside

Laurentian is amazing because it gives you the rare opportunity of getting to know your professors. Small classes let you ask the questions that matter to you and explore topics with flexibility. Many professors are glad to talk to students to further their learning and career goals. Laurentian is incredibly interconnected and is full of opportunities for collaboration, research, and involvement that learners who are only known by their student number do not get to benefit from.

My program has transformed my relationship to myself, others, and society. The opportunity for self directed learning and exposure to a variety of world views has been invaluable to developing my willingness, receptiveness, active engagement with new theories and perspectives. Social work matures your opinions by integrating lived experience with formal research. Course content in social work interweaves material on reconciliation that promotes an emotional, spiritual, and intellectual understanding of colonization; reflection on my settler identity; and decolonizing action. Social work is unique because students in every year are encouraged and sometimes even required to participate in activism and social justice initiatives. Learning is only considered successful when it translates into action beyond the boundaries of the classroom. Social work is a rigorous and theoretically complex program that teaches applied professional skills. Accordingly, social work at Laurentian is perfect for everyone who is prepared to work hard and come with an open mind, an open heart, and humility.

Nicholas Schwabe

Program Details

Program language:

English

Delivery method:

On Campus

Contact info

Dr. Diana Coholic, BSW Program Coordinator
dcoholic@laurentian.ca

Please contact the email above, and our recruitment team will get back to you!

More About The Program

Solidarity Statements

View the Bachelor of Social Work Recruitment Video!

Interesting facts:

Excellent student life;
Personalized teaching and small class size;
Knowledgeable and accessible faculty in the classroom and through distance education;
Unique experience to study and practice in a variety of settings;
Wide variety of placement opportunities;
High postgraduate employment rate;
The 4-year program leads to a Bachelor of Social Work degree (BSW);
Because of its geographic location, the School offers an exceptional experience to students who are interested in studying or working in northern Ontario’s multicultural communities;
Graduates acquire practical work experience with 700 hours in professional settings.

Program Highlights:

Four-year program leads to an Honours Bachelor of Social Work (BSW)
The School is accredited with the Canadian Association for Social Work Education (CASWE-ACFTS)
Students gain valuable field experience with 700 hours of training in approved practice settings in Sudbury and beyond.

Additional Information:

Second degree and transfer students:

Programs for second degree students are planned by the Director of the School. According to university regulations, a student must obtain a minimum of 60 credits for a second degree, but more credits may be needed to meet the requirements of the Bachelor of Social Work. A second degree student may be granted permission to take some 2nd year courses at the same time as 3rd year courses, but must carry out the 3rd year placement during the spring session or the following academic year.

Challenges

Some students in the program are individuals with many years of experience in social services and related fields. For students with a minimum of three years of full-time experience in social services, the program offers challenge examinations which, if passed, constitute credit for SWRK 3605.

Admission Requirements

Ontario High School Applicants

Program Prerequisites:

1 grade 12 English U/M course; 5 other grade 12 U/M courses
A minimum overall average of 70% in the 6 best grade 12 U/M courses

Additional information for applicants who have completed Advanced Placement courses.

Additional information for applicants who have completed the International Baccalaureate.

Applicants from outside an Ontario High School

International Students

Canadian High School Applicants from outside Ontario

Applicants from Colleges

Applicants from other Universities

Mature Students

One-Year Honours Bachelor of Social Work (Second Degree program)

4-year honours undergraduate degree in a related discipline such as psychology, sociology, women’s studies, gerontology, and child and youth care, with high standing (minimum of 80% average in final year)
A minimum of 2 years of social work work-related experience (could include volunteer and part-time professional hours)

To be submitted by the applicant to socialwork@laurentian.ca:

A resume or CV
3 academic and/or professional reference letters (submitted by the Referee as an email attachment, in PDF form to socialwork@laurentian.ca).
- Note that references cannot come directly from the student.

How To Apply

Canadian Applicants

If you are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, you must complete your application through the Ontario Universities Application Center (OUAC).

For detailed instructions on the application process, see the How to Apply: Canadian Undergraduate Applicants page.

Apply Now as a Domestic Applicant

International Applicants

If you’re an international applicant, you must fill out the International Application Form.

For detailed instructions on the application process, see the How to Apply: International Students page.

Apply Now as an International Applicant

Degree Options

Honours Bachelor of Social Work - 120 credits

Students must follow these regulations in order to meet graduation requirements.

First Year

SWLF 1006E Introduction to Social Welfare*

SWLF 1007E Introduction to Social Work*

PSYC 1105E Introduction to Psychology**

SOCI 1015E Understanding Society**

12 elective credits

Students need to meet the following : BESO 1005 or SWLF 1006/1007 with a minimum grade of B (70%), Introduction to Sociology and Introduction to Psychology with a minimum grade of C (60%), and 12 credits in Arts and/or Science.

Upper Years

SWLF 2107E Human Service Organizations*

SWRK 2267E Indigenous Perspectives in Social Work

SWRK 2315E Basic Intervention Skills in Social Work Practice*

SWRK 3405E Foundations of Practice*

SWRK 3505E Applied Research in Social Work*

SWRK 3605E Field Instruction I

SWRK 3727E Social Work with Groups*

SWRK 4436E Social Work with Individuals and Families*

SWRK 4605E Field Instruction II

SWRK 4726E Contemporary Issues in Social Policy*

SWRK 4727E Strategies for Social Change*

SWRK 4915E Foundations of Practice II*

6 additional credits of SWLF or SWRK electives

STAT 2126E Introduction to Statistics or equivalent

PSYC 2127E Scientific Method and Analysis II

OR SOCI 2127E Research Methods and Data Analysis

OR GEOG 2027E Quantitative Methods in Geography

OR equivalent

6 upper year PSYC credits

6 upper year SOCI credits

12 elective credits

* minimum grade of 70% is required

** minimum grade of 60% is required

One-Year Honours Bachelor of Social Work - Second Degree

30 credits over 3-terms

SWRK 3405E Foundations of Practice*

SWRK 4726E Contemporary Issues in Social Policy*

SWRK 4436E Social Work with Individuals and Families*

SWRK 3727E Social Work with Groups*

SWRK 4727E Strategies for Social Change*

SWRK 4267E First Nations Perspectives in Social Work

SWRK 4605E Field placement (450 hours)

3 credits of SWRK 3000 or 4000 level professional elective*

* minimum grade of 70% is required

Program Regulations

(A) To be in good academic standing in the Bachelor of Social Work, the student must:

1. meet all conditions of admission;

2. achieve a minimum of 70% in all required Social Work concentration courses: 1006/1007; 2106/2107; 2315; 3405; 3505; 3727; 4915; 4726/4727; 4436;

3. obtain a “satisfactory” grade in both SWRK 3605 and 4605;

4. achieve a minimum grade of 60% in 6 credits of upper-year SWRK/SWLF electives;

5. have an overall average of 60% on all passed courses in the previous year or in the previous 30 consecutive credits with no failures in any course attempts.

Students who fail to attain academic standing in a given year may be allowed to continue in that program on probation by petition to APR with a positive recommendation from the school for no more than one year or 30 consecutive credits. If after one year, such students fail to attain academic standing, they must withdraw from the program.

Students must withdraw from the university if they have been required to withdraw from a professional program and have not been permitted to transfer to another program. The School of Social Work, through its faculty and appropriate committees, reserves the right to suspend a student who, not withstanding her/his academic performance, fails to adhere to ethical and professional standards incumbent upon members of a helping profession (see the Code of Ethics & Standards of Practice @ http://www.ocswssw.org/docs/codeofethicsstandardsofpractice.pdf).

Students who have not been registered in any courses for a period of more than two years must submit a request for readmission to the director of the School of Social Work. The director will convene an interview with the student and appropriate faculty members.

Field Instruction I (SWRK 3605) consists of a minimum of 300 hours and Field Instruction II (SWRK 4605) consists of a minimum of 400 hours of work in a practice setting approved by the School of Social Work. Considerable flexibility is permitted to students and their agency-based field instructors to determine appropriate work schedules. This may result in the field practicum being offered in a block (3, 4 or 5 days per week) or concurrently (2 or 2.5 days per week) throughout a session. Practicum settings must be approved by the field coordinator and learning contracts (including work schedules) are approved by the faculty consultant. Given the range of agency requirements and student priorities, learning contracts and work schedules may differ, but all are subject to the mutual consent of the parties concerned.

(B) To graduate with an Honours Bachelor of Social Work, a student must:

1. complete 120 credits which satisfy all stated requirements for the degree;

2. complete all Social Welfare and Social Work required courses with a minimum grade of 70% as well as grades of “satisfactory” in SWRK 3605 and 4605;

3. complete 6 credits of Social Welfare and Social Work elective courses with a minimum grade of 60% after no more than two attempts.

4. complete all courses presented for the degree with an overall average of 70%. Only courses completed at Laurentian University are included in the calculation of averages.