Director's Office
D. Baines, Director
2080 West Mall
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z2
Telephone: 604.822.0782
Fax: 604.822.8656
Website: www.socialwork.ubc.ca
The School of Social Work offers undergraduate programs leading to the Bachelor of Social Work, the first professional degree in social work. The School also offers graduate programs leading to a Master of Social Work.
There are two entry points into the M.S.W.:
For more information, see Social Work graduate program. Refer to the School (www.socialwork.ubc.ca) for admissions, degree requirements, and other information.
The School also offers a Ph.D. in social work, and participates in a doctoral program of individual Interdisciplinary Studies that is offered by the Faculty of Graduate Studies. Applicants to the program must hold a master's degree (or equivalent) from a recognized graduate program in social work (or a closely related field). Information on graduate programs, requirements, and application procedures is available from the School's admissions office or its website.
The School is a member of the Canadian Association for Social Work Education (CASWE), the policy and standard-setting body for social work education in Canada. The School's degree programs are accredited by the CASWE.
The following text is based on the UBC Vancouver Senate policy on Professional Conduct for Social Work Students (senate.ubc.ca/vancouver/policy-abstracts).
The School is charged with ensuring that all of its graduates have the requisite competencies and can meet the professional practice standards to be eligible for professional registration as Registered Social Workers in the Province of British Columbia. Professional social work behaviour requires adherence to the BC Association of Social Workers, the Board of Registration for Social Workers Code of Ethics (2002), and the Board of Registration Standards of Practice (2002). The professional conduct of social work students is directed by these standards, as well as by University policy. Professional social work ethics and standards are taught in the School's social work curriculum.
Social work students are expected to behave in a professional manner in all aspects of the program and are responsible and accountable for their actions. Faculty are expected to help students interpret specific School and/or practicum guidelines and apply them in their conduct. It is the responsibility of Social Work faculty and students to familiarize themselves with the guidelines.
Examples of unprofessional conduct include but are not limited to:
In addition, social work students convicted of, or admitting to, serious illegal activities that are inconsistent with the practice of social work or likely to harm clients (such as assault, sexual assault, fraud, or trafficking in narcotics) will be subject to the procedure set out in this policy.
Social Work students should also note that the laying of criminal charges, the commencement of civil proceedings, or the commencement of student disciplinary proceedings does not preclude the University from initiating the procedure set out in this policy.
Although satisfactory performance in both academic coursework and in practicum placements is a prerequisite to advancement, it is not the sole criterion in the consideration of the suitability of a student for advancement or graduation. The School reserves the right to require a student to withdraw from the School if the student is considered to be unsuited to proceed with the study or practice of social work. A student may be considered unsuited to proceed with the study or practice of social work if he or she engages in unprofessional conduct.
When a member of faculty, staff, or practicum agency staff (the "Complainant") believes that unprofessional conduct may have occurred, the Complainant is expected to first discuss the alleged unprofessional behaviour with the student. If the matter is not resolved satisfactorily between the student and the Complainant, or if the alleged unprofessional behaviour persists, the Complainant will bring the matter to the attention of the Program Chair, whose practice will generally be as follows:
Unless otherwise specified above, all steps to be taken by the Program Chair, the Program Advisor, and the faculty member designated to review and/or investigate the matter or the Director will be taken within a reasonable period of time.
1The full and unedited text of the policy on Professional Conduct for Social Work Students is available from the UBC Senate (senate.ubc.ca/vancouver/policy-abstracts).