Social Work

4-Year Bachelor of Social Work

Introduction

Your academic journey in the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree program will provide you with opportunities, skills, and knowledge needed to excel as a professional social worker.

Your program will allow you to gain in-depth theoretical knowledge, extensive practical experience, and a reflective understanding of various social issues. Our internationally known educators and researchers will help you develop your professional social work identity and prepare you for practice in a variety of settings. To find out more about the social work profession, click here.

For the four-year BSW, the first two years will consist of on-campus classes that focus on building a strong academic foundation, with most courses taken outside of social work.

In your first two years at UCalgary, you should try a variety of disciplines to broaden your knowledge base. You will complete Social Work (SOWK) 201 in your first term. This introductory course to social work provides an overview of the history, philosophical foundation, codes of ethics, practice standards, and theoretical perspectives and introduces you to the diverse fields of practice related to social work. You'll learn in a variety of ways, including inquiry-based learning, readings, learning from guest speakers and discussions. 

We also recommend that you look for work or volunteer experience with human services organizations or community groups prior to your application to the program. This will allow you to be more thorough in your answers to the program-specific questions you are asked as a part of the application process. 

Courses recommended in your first year

Social Work is a profession informed by knowledge from a variety of academic disciplines. We recommend completing your non-social work courses in areas such as  English, Academic Writing, Sociology, Political Science, Psychology, Indigenous Studies, Human Development, Communication and Culture, Ethics, Research Methods, Health and Society, History, Social Welfare and Social Policy, Public Administration and Policy, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Anthropology, Community Rehabilitation. In Year 1, your non-social work option courses must be at the 200-level. Learn more about the first-year options available to you.

Tip:
Remember to register for both fall and winter semesters at the same time.

This full-time blended program is available for high school applicants at main campus in Calgary. For the first two years of study, you’ll complete both social work and non-social work courses. In the final two years, you’ll take mostly social work classes both online and campus. You’ll also complete a practicum in the community during each of your final two years.

You are welcome to contact a Social Work advisor for assistance with your program planning, registration, and degree requirements, or any other aspect of your program and student life. The easiest way to connect with us is to email fsw.studentservices@ucalgary.ca.

https://socialwork.ucalgary.ca/

Calgary campus
MacKimmie Tower (MT) 301

BSW Policy Committee: Join the BSW committee and engage in regular structured meetings representing your classmates. This committee is chaired by the Associate Dean Undergraduate and has student representation as voting members on matters pertaining to the BSW program.

Social Work Student Association (SWSA): Join SWSA and participate in events aimed at developing and improving the professional, academic, and social lives of BSW, MSW and PhD students in the Faculty of Social Work.