Social Work

The Faculty of Social Work offers two degree programs: a Master of Social Work and a Master of Indigenous Social Work.

Master of Social Work

Associate Dean - Research & Graduate Program: Gabriela Novotna, PhD       
MSW Program Advisor: Connie Ding - MSW.advising@uregina.ca

Faculty Listing

Master of Indigenous Social Work (First Nations University of Canada)

Graduate Program Coordinator: Susannah Walker
Note:  Admission to this program will resume for Fall 2022 and in alternating years thereafter, i.e. 2024, 2026.

First Nations University of Canada Faculty Listing

Master of Social Work

Program Description

The Faculty of Social Work is committed to a graduate education program that will enhance the quality of individual and community well being.  Our focus is with the development of advanced social work intervention methods as well as with broader aspects and issues of service delivery, professional leadership, social policy analysis, and social welfare research.

Students may select major areas of study such as: social policy, social justice and human rights, direct practice, community development and research.  The MSW program provides an option to complete the program with a thesis or a practicum.

Program Objective
The MSW program is designed to enable students to undertake a variety of responsibilities in management, policy formulation, program consultation, planning, research roles, and advanced direct social work practice within human services. Fundamental to the program is an emphasis on integrative analysis as a means of understanding the manner in which social research, direct social work practice, social policy development, and social administration are interrelated.

Candidates may be enrolled on either a full time or part time basis. Students must maintain candidacy. No more than two semesters may elapse before a student is required to register. Students have a maximum of five years to complete the thesis program and six years to complete the practicum program.

Admission
Candidates for the degree of Master of Social Work must hold a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree with a minimum GPA of 70% and have the equivalent of at least two years employment in a social work position following their BSW degree.  However, human service employment gained prior to and during the BSW degree may be considered as part of the two year employment requirement.  A previous undergraduate or graduate course in research methods is required.  In addition, evidence of awareness of contemporary global and social issues and values will be assessed through a letter of intent and stated areas of social research. Applicants are required to submit two confidential letter of reference. It is recommended that at least one reference be able to speak to the applicant’s academic and research abilities. Preference will be given to applicants with experience in the broad field of human services.

Program
The MSW program provides an option of completing the requirements with a thesis, or a practicum. The practicum option contains two streams: the field practicum and the research practicum. Program requirements are slightly different depending on which option is chosen. Thesis students, admitted after 2015, must complete six courses and a thesis.  Field practicum students must complete six courses and a practicum. Research practicum students must complete six courses and a project undertaken in the field.  All three groups will participate in a graduate seminar. Course requirements include two research courses (qualitative and quantitative research) and for students enrolled in the thesis route, SW 885 (Thesis Proposal) is an additional required course.The following presents the program requirements for each program option (course offerings may alternate year to year).

Courses

Course catalogue and current course offerings

Master of Indigenous Social Work

Program Description

The Faculties of Social Work and Graduate Studies and Research offers graduate work leading to a MISW degree.  Faculty Members form the School of Indigenous Social Work at First Nations University of Canada are involved in this program. The graduate program of studies aims to prepare students as clinical practitioners, especially skilled in First Nations approaches to therapy and especially sensitive to issues facing First Nations and Metis communities. As clinicians, they would be capable of functioning in a broad spectrum of human services activity and in a wide variety of social work and social welfare settings.  There will be a focus on the abuses of residential schools, including intergenerational effects, as one lens through which generic clinical skills, relevant to serving all populations, are developed. The program encourages the development of critical analytical framework with which to understand the effects of colonization on Indigenous people. The program has a commitment to respecting the principles and practices of Indigenous pedagogy, and to building its teaching and learning experiences on a foundation which respects traditional Indigenous knowledge and the collective wisdom of the Elders.

The program of studies leads to a Master of Indigenous Social Work (MISW). Candidates will enroll on a full-time basis. On-line application is made through the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research website with an application deadline of March 15 of each alternating year ie. 2022, 2024, 2026 etc.

There are two program options: an internship route and a thesis route. The internship route will include clinical interships.