Program Requirements
Note: University regulations apply to all students at Laurier. If there is any discrepancy between the program or progression requirements outlined on this page and those in the university's academic calendars, the academic calendars are the official sources of information. The information below is from the latest calendar, and you may be following progression requirements from an earlier calendar. Students are responsible for checking the appropriate calendar. Contact your program coordinator should you notice any discrepancies.
Program Requirements for the On-Campus Master of Social Work (MSW) Programs
Foundational Year
Term 1 (Fall)
Note: These 5 courses must be completed before starting field placement in the winter term.
- SK501: Approaches to Community Organizing and Group Practices
- SK504: Research 1
- SK507: Social Justice and Transformative Social Work Practices
- SK522: Social Work Practice with Individuals
- SK545: Introduction to Ethical Thought and Reflexive Practices
Term 2 (Winter)
- SK536: Integrating Theory and Practice
- SK599: Field Education Orientation (online course)
- SK541: Foundational Field Education (two-terms, winter-spring, three days per week, Monday-Wednesday)
- Choose one of following two courses:
- SK641: Critical Social Policy and Activism, or
- SK681: The Political and Organizational Contexts of Social Work Practice
- Choose one Foundational Elective - typical options include:
- SK509: Social Work Practice with Groups
- SK552: Social Work Practice with Families
- SK592: Transnational Social Work Practice
Term 3 (Spring)
- SK541: Foundational Field Education (two-terms, winter-spring, four days per week, Monday-Thursday)
- SK615: Research 2
- SK665: Relational Accountability: Transforming Social Work with Indigenous Peoples
Advanced Study Year
Term 4 (Fall)
- SK649: Advanced Field Education (two-terms, fall-winter, three days per week, Monday-Wednesday)
- Choose one of the following (depending on micro/macro nature of placement):
- SK508: Reflexive Group and Community Practice
- SK621: Reflexive Practices
- Choose one of the following:
- SK651: Advanced Social Work Practice with Individuals
- SK690: Inequality, Poverty and Income Support
Term 5 (Winter)
- SK649: Advanced Field Education (two-terms, fall-winter; three days per week, Monday-Wednesday)
- Two Advanced Electives
Foundational Year
Term 1 (Fall)
- SK501: Approaches to Community Organizing and Group Practices
- SK504: Research 1
- SK507: Social Justice and Transformative Social Work Practices
- SK522: Social Work Practice with Individuals
- SK681: The Political and Organizational Contexts of Social Work Practice
Term 2 (Winter)
- SK536: Integrating Theory and Practice (two-term, winter-spring course)
- SK541: Foundational Field Education (two-term, winter-spring)
- SK545: Introduction to Ethical Thought and Reflexive Practices
- Foundational Elective - typical options include:
- SK509: Social Work Practice with Groups
- SK552: Social Work Practice with Families
- SK592: Transnational Social Work Practice
Term 3 (Spring)
- SK536: Integrating Theory and Practice (two-term, winter-spring course)
- SK541: Foundational Field Education (two-term, winter-spring)
- SK665: Relational Accountability: Transforming Social Work with Indigenous Peoples (formerly known as: Critical Indigenous Knowledges in Social Work)
Advanced Study Year
Term 4 (Fall)
- SK615: Research 2
- SK649: Advanced Field Education (two-term, fall-winter course; three days, Monday-Wednesday)
- Choose one of the following (depending on micro/macro nature of placement):
- SK508: Reflexive Group and Community Practice
- SK621: Reflexive Practices
- Choose one of the following:
- SK651: Advanced Social Work Practice with Individuals
- SK690: Inequality, Poverty and Income Support
Term 5 (Winter)
- SK649: Advanced Field Education (two-term, fall-winter course; three days, Monday-Wednesday)
- Two Advanced Electives
Foundational Year
Term 1 (Fall)
Note: These 5 courses must be completed before starting field placement in the winter term.
- SK501: Approaches to Community Organizing and Group Practices
- SK504: Research 1
- SK507: Social Justice and Transformative Social Work Practices
- SK522: Social Work Practice with Individuals
- SK545: Introduction to Ethical Thought and Reflexive Practices
Term 2 (Winter)
- SK536: Integrating Theory and Practice
- SK541: Foundational Field Education (winter-spring course; three days per week, Monday-Wednesday)
- SK599: Field Education Orientation (online course)
- Choose one of the following:
- SK641: Critical Social Policy and Activism or
- SK681: The Political and Organizational Contexts of Social Work Practice
- Foundational Elective - SK592: Transnational Social Work Practice required
Term 3 (Spring)
- SK541: Foundational Field Education (two-term, winter-spring, four days per week Monday to Thursday)
- SK596: International Social Work Research (replaces SK615: Research 2)
- SK630: International Placement Orientation: Introduction to Culture, History and Traditions of your Host Country
- SK665: Relational Accountability: Transforming Social Work with Indigenous Peoples
Term 4 (Fall)
- SK622: Personal and Professional Identity: Reflexivity and Growth in International Context
- SK650: Advanced International Field Education (five days per week)
Term 5 (Winter)
- SK597: International Social Work Research Paper
- SK622: Personal and Professional Identity: Reflexivity and Growth in International Context
- Two Advanced Electives
Term 1 (Fall)
- SK504: Research 1
- SK599: Field Education Orientation (online course)
- SK649: Advanced Field Education (two terms, fall-winter, three days per week, Monday- Wednesday)
- Choose one of the following (depending on micro/macro nature of placement):
- SK508: Reflexive Group and Community Practice
- SK621: Reflexive Practices
- Choose one of the following:
- SK651: Advanced Social Work Practice with Individuals
- SK690: Inequality, Poverty and Income Support
Term 2 (Winter)
- SK649: Advanced Field Education (two terms, fall-winter; three days/week, Monday-Wednesday)
- Two Advanced Electives
Term 3 (Spring)
- SK615: Research 2
- Two Advanced Electives
- SK665: Relational Accountability: Transforming Social Work with Indigenous Peoples
Term 1 (Fall)
- SK628: Cultural Camp
- SK645: Indigenous Research Methodologies
- SK646: Wholistic Healing Practice
- SK647: Elders’ Teaching and Indigenous Identity
Term 2 (Winter)
- SK507: Social Justice and Transformative Social Work Practices
- SK644: Aboriginal Kinship Structures and Social Work Practice
- SK649: Advanced Field Education
Term 3 (Spring)
- SK635: Indigenous Knowledges and Theory
- SK648: Elders’ Teachings and Self-Reflection
- SK649: Advanced Field Education
Term 1 (Fall)
- SK628: Cultural Camp
- SK647: Elders’ Teaching and Indigenous Identity
Term 2 (Winter)
- SK646: Wholistic Healing Practice
- SK649: Advanced Field Education
Term 3 (Spring)
- SK645: Indigenous Research Methodologies
- SK649: Advanced Field Education
Term 4 (Fall)
- SK507: Social Justice and Transformative Social Work Practices
- SK644: Aboriginal Kinship Structures and Social Work Practice
Term 5 (Winter)
- SK635: Indigenous Knowledges and Theory
Term 6 (Spring)
- SK648: Elders’ Teachings and Self-Reflection (fasting camp)
Program Requirements for the Online Master of Social Work (MSW) Programs
The program requirements noted below are as of Fall 2022. For students that started the program prior to Fall 2022, please see the Graduate Academic Calendar for your specific program requirements.
- Classes are fully online, asynchronous and self-directed, but students must meet weekly deadlines and assignments.
- Each course requires a minimum of 15 hours of study per week.
- Most courses are 6 weeks in length.
- Courses noted are current as of posting but are subject to change.
- Specific course sequencing for each cohort will be provided.
- SK501, SK504, SK507, SK522 and SK545 must be completed before students can begin placement.
- For more information see course descriptions.
Courses required:
- SK501: Approaches to Community Organizing and Group Practices
- SK504: Research 1
- SK507: Social Justice and Transformative Social Work Practices
- SK522: Social Work Practice with Individuals
- SK545: Introduction to Ethical Thought and Reflexive Practices
- SK598: Field Preparation Seminar
- SK599: Field Education Orientation
- SK600: Field Education
- SK536: Integrating Theory and Practice
- Foundational Elective, one of:
- SK509 Social Work Practice with Groups
- SK552 Social Work Practice with Families
- One of
- SK641: Critical Social Policy and Activism
- SK681: The Political and Organizational Contexts of Social Work Practice
- SK665: Relational Accountability: Transforming Social Work with Indigenous Peoples
- SK615: Research 2
- SK649: Advanced Field Education
- SK621: Reflexive Practices
- Choose one of the following:
- SK651: Advanced Social Work Practice with Individuals
- SK690: Inequality, Poverty, and Income Support
- Two Advanced Electives
- Classes are fully online, asynchronous and self-directed, but students must meet weekly deadlines and assignments.
- Each course requires a minimum of 15 hours of study per week.
- Most are 6 weeks in length.
- Courses noted are current as of posting but are subject to change.
- Specific course sequencing provided to each cohort.
- For more information see course descriptions.
Courses required:
- SK504: Research 1
- SK615: Research 2
- SK598: Field Preparation Seminar
- SK599: Field Education Orientation
- SK649: Advanced Field Education
- SK621: Reflexive Practices
- Choose one of the following:
- SK651: Advanced Social Work Practice with Individuals
- SK690: Inequality, Poverty, and Income Support
- SK665: Relational Accountability: Transforming Social Work with Indigenous Peoples
- Four Advanced Electives
MSW Thesis Guidelines
On-Campus students who wish to complete a thesis must discuss this with the associate dean, MSW (full-time students early in the first term or even as soon as they have accepted an offer of admission). The associate dean will assist you in identifying potential thesis advisors; however, enrolment in the thesis stream is contingent upon you finding a faculty member who is willing to act as your thesis advisor. Note: Faculty of Social Work students can apply for funding for their thesis research.
Exemptions
- Thesis students in the Regular Track Full-time On-Campus program are exempt from three courses: the foundational elective, two advanced electives and 100 hours of the minimum 500 practice hours from the advanced field placement.
- Thesis students in the advanced standing programs are exempt from two advanced electives and the Advanced Field placement.
Registration
Thesis students must register for their thesis (SK698) for every term that they are working on their thesis, along with their other courses. You can only register for the thesis once you have completed your proposal and it has been approved by your committee.
Regulations and Procedures Governing the Master's Thesis are found on the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies website.
Procedures for MSW Students seeking courses outside the Faculty of Social Work
We expect that all courses taken in the MSW program will be taken from courses offered within the Faculty of Social Work (FSW).
In extenuating circumstances students may be able to take graduate courses offered in other faculties. Students should make a case to the Associate Dean: MSW Program as to why the course is important to them versus options that are available within the FSW. Requests will be considered and approval will be granted on a case-by-case basis and will require the approvals of the instructor and department offering the course.
Only courses needed to fulfill MSW program requirements will be approved, therefore it must be to fill a required or elective credit for the MSW. They cannot be "extra" courses to the degree.