SCHOOL OF

SOCIAL WORK

CHALLENGING INJUSTICES

ENGAGING CLIENTS

ADVOCATING FOR SOCIAL CHANGE

SCHOOL OF

SOCIAL WORK

CHALLENGING INJUSTICESENGAGING CLIENTS

ADVOCATING FOR SOCIAL CHANGE

POST-DEGREE BACHELOR OF SOCIAL WORK Politicizing Social Work PracticeThe post-degree Bachelor of Social Work

Program prepares students to respond

effectively to the needs and interests

of clients in an increasingly inequitable

and globalizing world. Our program is

accredited with the Canadian Association

of Social Work Education.

At St. Thomas, responsive social work

for the 21st century means engaging in

politicized practice.

Unique Features of our Program• Students are prepared to be ethical practitioners with the ability to challenge

structural injustices.

• Students learn critical theories to frame practices and understand how intersecting forms of oppression and power operate in the world.

• Classroom learning is brought to life and integrated during two intensive field placements:

The 1st Field placement focuses on acquiring direct practice skills for engaging and supporting clients;

The 2nd Field Placement—unique to social work schools in North America—challenges small groups of students to work collaboratively with community partners on community identified and supported projects or research initiatives.

In addition to exercising direct practice skills learned in the 1st Field Placement, our students experience firsthand what it means to initiate social change at an institutional, community or wider socio-economic-environmental level.

• Learning is collaborative and based in principles of creative problem-solving and self-reflection.

Our Social Work FacultyTeaching faculty bring a depth of research and professional experience into the classroom. They are engaged in local, cross-provincial and cross-national research projects, provide expert guidance to a diverse array of community groups, and offer generous support and mentorship to students enrolled in our programs.

SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK

The Mi’kmaq/ Maliseet Bachelor of Social Work ProgramThe Mi’kmaq/Maliseet Bachelor of Social Work Program is an accredited social work program that provides First Nation individuals with an opportunity to receive social work education within a flexible and culturally relevant framework.

The MMBSW Program is designed for First Nation individuals who are currently working or wish to work in social work or related positions in First Nation communities.

Distinctive Features • There is recognition that First Nation peoples have been historically

disadvantaged in educational and other systems.

• The program design respects that First Nation students are typically employed and have family commitments.

• There is recognition of First Nation systems of knowledge and ways of learning.

• There is a culturally-relevant curriculum that reflects First Nation holistic experiences.

• The program is overseen by a committee of members from St. Thomas University, First Nations Child and Family Agencies, and student representatives from New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

Admission Requirements for MMBSWStudents admitted to the MMBSW program are required to have an undergraduate degree in liberal arts or to have completed a minimum of 10 full university credits (two academic years) prior to being considered for admission.

ContactSandra Germain, MMBSW Coordinator.Contact her at sgermain@nbnet.ca for more information.

For more information view the MMBSW website at:

www.mmbsw.ca

ADMISSION TO THE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORKThe program is limited to 52 students, and admission is competitive. Applicants are assessed on the basis of academic and professional readiness.

Applicants must satisfy the following minimum academic requirements:

1. Bachelor’s degree from a recognized university or a candidate for the degree by May 15 of the year you wish to begin. Candidates may be given provisional acceptance pending completion of degree requirements.

2. Degree program must include a minimum of 60 credit hours in liberal arts.

3. Cumulative grade point average, on the most recent 60 credit hours, must be no less than 3.0 (B).*

4. Undergraduate program must include an empirical research methods course which provides familiarity with qualitative and/or quantitative research methods as well as research ethics.

Candidates are assessed for professional suitability based on the following criteria:

• Critical awareness of the interaction among the individual and the social, political, and economic aspects of society;

• Recognition that while social workers provide assistance to individuals and families, the main focus for change is the structure of society rather than the individual;

• Evidence of familiarity with and commitment to the profession; and

• Capacity to learn from experience.

* An applicant with a bachelor’s degree who does not meet the GPA requirement may be considered for admission two years after graduation if the applicant has earned a grade point average of at least 3.0 based on university course work completed after graduation (minimum of 15 credit hours). Satisfying minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.