Social Work at Laurier Brantford

The Faculty of Social Work believes that social work's unique perspective is its focus on persons in environments. It is understood that the interaction of political, economic, social and interpersonal forces generate differences in the ability of people to participate fully in society. Those who are vulnerable to being disadvantaged by such differences as class, race, gender, age and ability are of particular concern to the field of social work. Social work attempts to facilitate people's full participation in society through advocating for structural change and through facilitating change in individuals, families, groups, communities and organizations. Thus, social work is concerned with individual and family problems, along with broader social issues such as poverty.

Laurier’s four year Honours BSW program follows the standards and guidelines of the Canadian Association of Social Work Education (CASWE) and aims to educate students for generalist practice in Canada. Unique to Laurier, this program offers a unique focus on Aboriginal issues and includes an examination of the cultural exchanges between Canada’s colonial processes and First Nations people. Our Brantford campus, located a mere 15 minutes from the Six Nations and New Credit reserves, is an ideal location to bring together traditional and Aboriginal communities, respecting the diversity and cultural integrity of each.

All students studying at Laurier Brantford are immersed into the Contemporary Studies core curriculum. This allows BSW students to develop critical thinking skills in humanities, arts and science courses and learn theories for professional practice in social work courses. They will be able to develop specific knowledge and critical understanding of key professional social work concepts, practice theories and methods and where intersections of social work occur with fields such as Criminology, Psychology, Human Rights, Health Studies, etc.

Please note: this program is still going through the approval process by the MTCU (Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Univerisities.) Current applicants will be informed by April 29, 2013 of the final status of the program at the latest. Please contact chooselaurierbrantford@wlu.ca for the most up-to-date information.

Program Highlights

• Field placement in third and fourth year: this will assist students to learn through experience while providing pre-professional service in the community.

• Community Service-Learning (CSL): these courses will assist in preparing BSW students for reflective learning in a variety of organizations. BSW students will first be exposed to CSL concepts in SW 111 Introduction to Social Welfare through CSL staff presenting the theories associated with how practical learning is derived from their activities in real-world settings.

Admission Requirements

Careers

The Social Work faculty recognizes that social work knowledge and skills are constantly evolving. Graduates with a BSW degree will be able to think critically, reflect on experiences, reason effectively and be creative when dealing with new and novel situations. Graduates will be eligible for membership in the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW). They will also be qualified for professional social work practice in a variety of fields including, child welfare, mental health, family and children’s services, social policy and planning and community development.