GRADUATE ADMISSIONS GUIDEBOOK 2015
LYLE S. HALLMAN FACULTY OF SOCIAL WORK
Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect. — Chief Seattle, 1854
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LYLE S. HALLMAN FACULTY OF SOCIAL WORK
The Faculty of Social Work The Faculty of Social Work (FSW) at Wilfrid Laurier University offers social work programs at the Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral levels. For more information on our BSW program, please refer to the Undergraduate Guidebook at chooselaurier.ca. The MSW program has three fields of study: Individuals, Families, and Groups; Community, Policy, Planning, and Organizations; and Aboriginal Studies. The PhD program provides students with opportunities for advanced scholarship and professional growth in two fields of study: Studies in Social Work Practice, and Critical Social Policy and Organizational Studies. The FSW is located in downtown Kitchener among neighbouring community agencies, and enjoys strong partnerships in the social services sector both in research and in practicum opportunities for students. We are committed to providing a friendly, respectful, and inclusive learning environment. NICK COADY, DEAN LYLE S. HALLMAN FACULTY OF SOCIAL WORK
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INTEGRATED & ENGAGED LEARNING
Why choose Laurier? The Faculty of Social Work at Wilfrid Laurier University has an outstanding reputation as one of Canada’s top graduate schools for social work education. • Since 1966, we have graduated more than 3,500 social workers. • More than 85 per cent of our graduates find full-time employment in the field. • Our Practicum team works with over 500 agencies to secure approximately
250 placement opportunities each year across southern Ontario. • All of our programs are offered on both a full-time and a part-time basis.
ENGAGING CLASS SIZES: Classes usually do not exceed more than 30 students: this allows for strong relationships between faculty and students and encourages personal learning. • Our MSW graduates are highly qualified for practice in their chosen field of study, IFG, CPPO, or Aboriginal. • Our PhD program prepares graduates for leadership roles in professional education, research and specialized practice in governmental or private human organizations.
TEACHING AND RESEARCH Faculty members are involved teachers and mentors as well as active researchers whose work is recognized both nationally and internationally. Faculty members’ interests and expertise are wide-ranging. Areas of practice, teaching and research, and writing include capacity building with diverse communities, counselling process and outcome, critical theory and anti-oppressive practice, refugee experiences, bereavement, collaborative projects with Aboriginal communities and diverse local groups, treatment of survivors of sexual abuse, practice ethics, policies and practices related to disability, work with families and service providers in the child-welfare and mental-health systems, community-based mental health policies, and many others.
FACULTY PROFILE
Professor Marshall Fine’s research, writing, practice and theoretical interests are related to professional and relational ethics, families’ experiences in child protection services, therapeutic alliances, intergenerational relationships, family therapy and supervision. His most recent research projects have investigated the ethical issues social workers experience in their everyday practices. Marshall came to Laurier after teaching in the Couple and Family Therapy Program at the University of Guelph. He is an Approved Supervisor of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. He has practiced social work in a variety of settings including a Children’s Aid Society and a hospital based child and family clinic. Given his practice and research experience he considers a social worker-client relationship grounded on recognition and justice as paramount in the ethical enactment of social work.
Teaching by full-time faculty in the FSW is complemented by teaching by part-time instructors, many of whom are practicing social workers with extensive expertise in various fields of practice. Many of these part-time instructors also provide practicum instruction for our students.
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A sense of community in Kitchener-Waterloo K-W is in the heart of southwestern Ontario, about halfway between London and Toronto. This area has the fifth-largest per capita immigrant population of all urban areas in Canada. K-W has a healthy economy with thriving industrial, retail and commercial sectors and internationally recognized recreational, arts and cultural facilities. K-W offers the perfect lifestyle for students who are looking for a smaller, diverse and very active community in which to live, to work and to learn. Laurier’s Kitchener location opened in 2006 as the new home of the Lyle S. Hallman Faculty of Social Work. Both the campus and the social work program are based in downtown Kitchener and are
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located in the historic building which was formerly St. Jerome’s high school. The building, which dates back to 1907, was completely renovated prior to reopening. It is now a lively centre of activity for more than 320 graduate students, 24 faculty members and 15 staff. Laurier’s Kitchener location has contributed to the revitalization of the city core while putting social work students closer to
many social-service agencies. Despite Laurier’s rapid growth, there is something that has remained constant: our sense of community. The feeling of community our students find at Laurier is real. In survey after survey, students report feeling they belong here and they appreciate being treated as people, rather than numbers.
Laurier is located in KitchenerWaterloo, a modern, prosperous community of approximately 350,000 that offers a quality of life few cities its size can equal.
A remarkable number of Laurier students are also community volunteers, perhaps because they feel they are part of a caring community on campus.
LIBRARY The Social Work Library, located on the lower level of the Faculty of Social Work building, includes books, core journals and videos, along with computers, audiovisual equipment and study space. Ask for research assistance at the information desk.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM In the FSW, we believe that you never stop learning. Our Professional Development program offers over 30 continuing education workshops a year. Whether you’re looking to upgrade your
skills, complement your MSW studies or explore new areas of interest, the Professional Development program can help you achieve your goals. Some of the workshops that will be available this year include Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Adult Attachment, Crisis and Trauma Counselling and Single Session Therapy. All of our courses are facilitated by highly qualified, knowledgeable instructors with considerable experience in their area of expertise. We also offer certificates in Management and Leadership, and Addictions. Students receive a 50% discount on all Professional Development workshops. For more information, or to receive a calendar of available workshops, please email fswprofessionaldevelopment@wlu.ca.
Laurier’s downtown Kitchener location is close to many social service agencies.
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PROGRAMS
Faculty of Social Work MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK The Faculty of Social Work offers a variety of Master of Social Work Programs: FACULTY PROFILE
Assistant Professor Eliana Suarez is a faculty member in the FSW, who specializes in the intersections between violence, resilience and trauma, in particular, in the context of political violence and sexual violence. Suarez is also interested in the nexus of global/ local health disparities and social justice, and international social work responses to neocolonialism and globalization. Her current funded project examines political activism as a resilience strategy of Indigenous women in the highlands of Peru. “I believe in re-envisioning a ‘reverse mission’ this is, rather than to rescue, to learn from the Global South as an exemplar resource of new sites of resistance against social struggles.” Born and raised in Peru, Suarez has worked extensively in the fields of community mental health and violence against women in Toronto. She is also part of two research teams aiming to enhance the services for survivors of domestic violence and victims of drug-facilitated sexual assault in Ontario. Her teaching includes social change, crisis intervention and research methods courses, and is committed to enhancing the integration of critical epistemologies with quantitative research methods.
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Bachelor of Social Work required* • MSW advanced standing (full-time) • MSW advanced standing (part-time) • MSW Aboriginal field of study (full- & part-time)
Bachelor degree required • MSW two-year (full-time) • MSW four-year (part-time) • MSW-MDiv (full-time)
MSW FIELDS OF STUDY: • Practice with Individuals Families and Groups (IFG) • Community, Policy, Planning and Organizations (CPPO) • Aboriginal Field of Study
PhD IN SOCIAL WORK The Faculty of Social Work offers a PhD program on a full-time and part-time basis. PhD FIELDS OF STUDY: • Studies in Social Work Practice
(with individuals, families, groups and communities) • Critical Social Policy and Organizational Studies
*For more information on our Bachelor of Social Work program offered at our Brantford campus, please refer to the Undergraduate Admissions Guide.
The Faculty of Social Work has graduated more than 3,500 social workers since its inception in 1966. The Kitchener location offers graduate programs leading to degrees at both the Master’s and PhD levels. Upholding a stellar reputation as one of Canada’s top graduate schools for social work education, the degree programs of the Faculty of Social Work are designed to prepare specially qualified individuals for the many forms of direct (working with individuals, families, and groups) and indirect (working with communities, policy development, social planning, administration and research) social work practice. wlu.ca/fsw
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STUDENT PROFILE
Ryan Maharaj is from Markham, Ontario. He currently holds an honours degree in Specialized Psychology, an MA in Humanities and is in pursuit of his MSW. Maharaj has spent several years mentoring and teaching youth while researching the roles of culture and tradition on cognition; and has found the MSW program to be a place that encourages growth and challenges preconceptions. He has recently become involved in research on the ways that masculinity theory can be used in the prevention of intimate partner violence and domestic abuse. He firmly believes that with respect, support, compassion and education, we can prevent the occurrences of sexual violence in the next generation. Maharaj thoroughly enjoyed his placement at the Crime Prevention Council which allowed him to explore the levels of fear of crime and social capital in the Waterloo Region. He emphatically awaits his next placement at the City of Kitchener where he will be conducting a community needs assessment.
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MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK
MSW Fields of Study Our MSW programs have three fields of study: Individuals, Families and Groups (IFG); Community, Policy, Planning and Organizations (CPPO); and Aboriginal Field of Study. 1. INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES AND GROUPS (IFG)
This field offers students an opportunity to develop knowledge and skills for the provision of services to individuals, families and groups. Emphasis is placed on a wholistic, person-in-environment perspective and the integration of theory with practice skills. Knowledge and skills are directed towards the enhancement of psychosocial functioning. The goal is to prepare students for focused work with individuals, families and groups in various fields, including child welfare, mental health services, health care, correctional services, addictions, family services, gerontology and disabilities. 2. C OMMUNITY, POLICY, PLANNING AND ORGANIZATIONS (CPPO)
This field emphasizes community, policy, planning and organizations with a view to facilitating social change and social justice through a range of social work theories and interventions. This concentration will develop a focused skill set in areas of social policy analysis, community planning, social action, capacity building, leadership development, social marketing, administration, research and evaluation, and community interventions at local, regional, national and international levels. The goal is to prepare students for responsibilities in a range of settings including non-profits; regional, provincial or federal governments/funding bodies; community organizations within various sectors; planning councils; political lobbying; administration; race relations; and international development. 3. ABORIGINAL FIELD OF STUDY
The MSW Aboriginal Field of Study program is designed for students who already possess a Bachelor of Social Work degree. As the first Master of Social Work program in Canada rooted in a wholistic, Indigenous worldview and contemporary social work practice, the goal is to develop social work practitioners who demonstrate an understanding of, and respect for, the history, traditions and cultures of the Indigenous people of Canada. This unique program includes the use of Indigenous elders, a traditional circle process and Indigenous ceremonies.
THESIS OPTION Although most students complete the coursework option, a limited number of students can choose the thesis option. The thesis option is not available to students in the integrated stream. WHY DO A THESIS? • To pursue a particular interest • To contribute to a field of knowledge or practice • To lay the groundwork for later projects
(practice or research) • To enhance skills and academic record in
preparation for subsequent studies STUDENTS WHO CHOOSE THE THESIS OPTION WILL HAVE THE FOLLOWING EXEMPTIONS:
Full-time, two-year & part-time, four-year • Last six weeks (or 18 days) of first placement • Three courses Advanced Standing, full- & part-time • Two electives • Winter term of practicum (45 days) Students who wish to complete a thesis must discuss this with the MSW associate dean (full-time students early in the first term and part-time students before their fourth term). The MSW associate dean will assist students in identifying potential thesis advisors; however, enrolment in the thesis stream is contingent upon the student finding a faculty member who is willing to act as his/her thesis advisor.
INTEGRATED OPTIONS are available within the IFG + CPPO fields for students in the two-year full-time and four-year part-time programs.
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PRACTICAL APPLICATION LEARNING
Practicum - Gain valuable experience The purpose of the practicum program is to provide students with the opportunity to practice and integrate advanced level social work values, knowledge and skills, including the development of a professional “self” and professional identity as a social worker. The practicum is conceptualized as an educational experience rather than a work term. That is, it is a graded course (pass/fail) with an agency-based MSW Practicum Instructor assigned to teach each student and a field advisor assigned to support each student and instructor. The practicum workload is controlled to facilitate this emphasis on learning.
These centres are mostly located in towns/cities within a 125-kilometre range of Kitchener-Waterloo. Most agencies require that students have access to a car. Commuting to placement is expected and as a result, flexibility regarding the geographical location of a placement is required.
WHERE DO STUDENTS COMPLETE THEIR FIRST PRACTICUM?
Students are assigned to a placement for an interview based on their MSW stream (e.g. IFG) and the requirements of the MSW program. The interest of students in particular agencies is also
HOW ARE STUDENTS ASSIGNED A PRACTICUM OPPORTUNITY?
MSW practicum teaching centres consist of social agencies/ organizations selected and approved by the Practicum Office.
LAURIER PRACTICUM TIME FRAMES WHEN DOES THE PRACTICUM TAKE PLACE? The following practicum timeline is structured to ensure that students attend the required seminars and workshops that are part of the practicum course, and complete their program requirements in a timely manner. YEAR 1 | FULL-TIME
DAYS
MONTHS
TIME IN PLACEMENT
Four days per week
Tuesday – Friday
January to April
82 days in Placement
Three days per week
Wednesday – Friday
April to June
Tuesday – Friday
September to December
60 days in Placement
Wednesday – Friday
September to April
87 days in Placement
YEAR 2 | FULL-TIME Four days per week ADVANCED STANDING Three days per week
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PART-TIME Two or four days per week. The timeline of the placement varies depending on the student’s program. Employed part-time students must make arrangements with their employers to attend practicum during the agency’s and instructor’s business hours on required week days. Placements are not offered during evenings and weekends. A minimum of 14 hours (seven– eight hours/day) over a two day period is required.
taken into consideration when matching students with an agency for an interview; however, this is not guaranteed, as placements are competitive. The Practicum Office also considers new placement opportunities that are proposed by students within the appropriate time frame. WHO EVALUATES STUDENTS AT THE PRACTICUM?
Professional social workers teach our students in the field. MSW Practicum Instructors typically hold an MSW degree and are recognized as “our faculty in the field.” Instructors have a
minimum of two-years post-master’s experience as well as formal practicum instructor training. PRACTICUM COSTS
The practicum is a course, which is covered under student fees. There are no extra charges through the university. However, while on placement, the student is usually expected to pay for expenses such as police checks and parking. Students and MSW practicum instructors are not paid. Placement agencies normally cover the student’s mileage costs while on agency business.
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ALUMNA PROFILE
Jodi Rouah has always had an interest in travel and learning about how others live around the world. Throughout the completion of her undergraduate degree, a specialization in Therapeutic Recreation and then a post graduate certificate in Addictions Treatment and Prevention, Rouah spends all of her free time travelling with the hopes to one day live and work abroad. After working for a few years in addictions and mental health, completing a master’s degree felt like the next logical step towards working to achieve her goals and Laurier’s MSW program offered the International Practicum Program. Jodi was accepted into the program and chose the IFG integrated stream. During her second year in the MSW program, Rouah completed her international practicum with the Shenzhen (Nanshan) Concord College of Sino-Canada in China, where she worked in the Professional Development Center (PDC) of the high school. While working in the PDC she was able to further develop her clinical skills working for the first time with the adolescent population, while considering the social, economic and political context of the students she was working with. This international opportunity allowed Jodi to explore different ideologies around being client centered; gender and sexuality; right to choice; health and wellness; and forming attachments under the one child family policy. She worked with students to understand their own mental health through a number of group programs, including The Life Skills Club (a psychology club), a Peer Buddies mentoring program, as well as individual counselling. Working and living in China was an eye-opening experience for Rouah. Being submersed in a new community where she did not speak the language was difficult but the experience of “culture shock” was also the opportunity to develop a new global perspective of social work. The international practicum reinforced her understanding of how important it is to challenge one’s own beliefs about how to practice social work, especially after learning in a cross-cultural environment. The PDC’s programs were created by a graduate of Laurier’s MSW program and are very progressive for Chinese culture. This taught her that these opportunities for international work can begin to create a significant impact across the world positively contributing to the lives of others.
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PRACTICAL APPLICATION LEARNING
International Practicum The International Practicum Program is offered to Master of Social Work (MSW) students in the two-year full-time program and MSW students in the four-year part-time program. The Faculty of Social Work collaborates with international organizations that offer MSW students challenging and unique opportunities. The International Practicum Program (IPP) was developed by the Faculty of Social Work as an innovative approach to provide students with an opportunity to advance their knowledge and theory of social work practice in countries with social, economic and political contexts that are significantly different than Canada, while encouraging the sharing of ideas among social work students, schools and practitioners around the world. The program fosters students’ understanding of global interdependence, the universality of social problems and the need to develop responses grounded in the local community. WHEN DOES THE PRACTICUM TAKE PLACE?
The international practicum is a 60-day placement and takes place during the second practicum, which falls between September and December. Students are expected to work 28 hours/week for 15 weeks, as well as take part in day-to-day community life. WHO CAN APPLY FOR THE INTERNATIONAL PRACTICUM?
MSW students in the two-year full-time and four-year part-time program, who successfully completed their first practicum, are eligible to apply for the IPP. Successful completion of all first-year courses, participation in IPP orientation sessions and the IPP course are also requirements of the program.
WHERE DO STUDENTS COMPLETE AN INTERNATIONAL PRACTICUM?
MSW students apply for practicum opportunities with international agencies that the Faculty of Social Work has an established agreement with. The host agencies are listed on the FSW website with detailed information on each placement opportunity. Currently, the FSW is partnered with host agencies in China, Tanzania, Kenya, India, Peru and St. Vincent & Grenadines. Students seeking new placement opportunities that are not listed on the FSW website are encouraged to present their proposed placement to the Coordinator during the first term of their program. ARE THERE ANY FEES?
Students pay tuition fees at Laurier and are responsible for all expenses incurred while abroad, including health insurance. In the past, students have offset their expenses through scholarships and organizing various fundraisers. There may also be opportunities to apply for external grants. Some international organizations assist with housing students or offer students a stipend towards accommodation or meals. Such financial assistance is offered at the discretion and capacity of the organization.
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STUDENT PROFILE
“Boozhoo, my name is Shawn Johnston and I am an Anishinaabe from Couchiching First Nation. My journey through the Aboriginal Field of Study has allowed me to gather the necessary knowledge and tools that I now carry in my ‘bundle’. The program also provided a space that allowed for the development of both my leadership and community organizing skills. Most importantly, I learned that the journey to becoming a wholistic practitioner begins from within.”
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MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK ADVANCED STANDING
Aboriginal Field of Study The needs most commonly identified by Aboriginal people, as seen often in their public statements and political processes, include self-determination, cultural preservation, and respect for the wholistic healing worldview. The MSW Aboriginal field of study, therefore, will fully and dramatically root itself within the Aboriginal worldview and have as its goal the development of social work practitioners who can seek empowerment for Aboriginal populations so that they can meet the needs that they have identified for themselves. Students in this Aboriginal field of study are expected to respect and seek to practice within the Aboriginal worldview. This means that along with intellectual development students will also engage in the development of their spiritual, emotional, and physical selves. They will learn from a diversity of teachers including academic instructors, Elders, Aboriginal ceremonies, and the Aboriginal community. They will be expected to involve themselves in all aspects of the specialized program, which include; cultural camps, classroom work, presentation of themselves to Elders, and in practice settings. They will be evaluated on their academic knowledge and their ability to practice from the Aboriginal worldview.
FULL-TIME
PART-TIME
TERM COURSE
TERM COURSE
TERM 1 (F)
TERM 1 (F)
SK628 Cultural Camp SK647 Elders’ Teaching and Indigenous Identity SK646 Wholistic Healing Practice SK645 Indigenous Research Methodologies
TERM 2 (W) SK649 Practicum (3 days per week) SK507 Diversity, Marginalization and Oppression SK644 Aboriginal Kinship Structures and Social Work Practice TERM 3 (S)
SK649 Practicum (3 days per week) SK635 Indigenous Knowledges and Theory SK648 Elders’ Teachings and Self-Reflection (Fasting Camp)
TOTALS
EIGHT COURSES plus one practicum that extends over two terms
SK628 Cultural Camp SK647 Elders’ Teaching and Indigenous Identity
TERM 2 (W) SK649 Practicum (3 days per week) SK646 Wholistic Healing Practice TERM 3 (S)
SK649 Practicum (3 days per week) SK645 Indigenous Research Methodologies
TERM 4 (F)
SK507 Diversity, Marginalization and Oppression SK644 A boriginal Kinship Structures and Social Work Practice
TERM 5 (W) SK635 Indigenous Knowledges and Theory TERM 6 (S) SK648 Elders’ Teachings and Self-Reflection (Fasting Camp) TOTALS
EIGHT COURSES plus one practicum that extends over two terms
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MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK PROGRAM
MSW Two-year Program The two-year program is designed for students who possess a four-year Bachelor’s degree. Students may choose between two fields of study: Individuals, Families and Groups (IFG) or Community, Policy, Planning, and Organizations (CPPO). Students may also take an integrated stream combining both IFG and CPPO. All students take the same courses in their first term. Students choosing an integrated stream will meet with an academic advisor during their first term to determine their program requirement.
TERM
IFG
CPPO
TERM 1 (F)
SK500 Human Development SK501 Community SK507 Diversity SK522 Individuals SK641 Social Policy
SK500 Human Development SK501 Community SK507 Diversity SK522 Individuals SK641 Social Policy
TERM 2 (W) SK541 Practicum SK504 Research Methods SK509 Groups
SK541 Practicum SK504 Research Methods SK679 Agencies
TERM 3 (S) SK541 Practicum SK552 Families SK615 Research
SK541 Practicum SK508 Reflective Groups SK607 Research
TERM 4 (F)
SK643 Practicum SK680 Adv. Social Policy
TERM 5 (W) SK653 Adv. Groups Two electives
PART-TIME TERM
FULL-TIME
SK643 Practicum SK621 Reflexive Practices SK651 Adv. Individuals
The part-time program is normally completed in 10 academic terms over a period of three years and four months. Courses for the parttime program are generally offered in the evenings, although CPPO field courses and some electives are available only during the daytime. Students are required to register and pay tuition in each of the 10 terms.
SK610 Social Change SK609 Program Development Two electives
IFG
CPPO
TERM 1 (W) SK500 Human Development SK500 Human Development SK507 Diversity SK507 Diversity TERM 2 (S)
SK501 Community SK522 Individuals
SK501 Community SK522 Individuals
TERM 3 (F)
SK541 Practicum SK641 Social Policy
SK541 Practicum SK641 Social Policy
TERM 4 (W) SK541 Practicum SK509 Groups
SK541 Practicum SK679 Agencies
TERM 5 (S) SK541 Practicum SK552 Families
SK541 Practicum SK508 Reflective Groups
TERM 6 (F) SK643 Practicum SK504 Research Methods
SK643 Practicum SK504 Research Methods
TERM 7 (W) SK643 Practicum SK621 Reflexive Practices
SK643 Practicum SK609 Program Development SK610 Social Change
TERM 8 (S)
SK615 Clinical Research
SK607 Community Research
TERM 9 (F)
SK651 Adv. Individuals SK653 Adv. Groups
SK680 Adv. Social Policy
Term 10 (W) Two electives
Two electives
Thesis students in the two-year full-time and four-year part-time programs are exempt from three courses and the last 18 days of their first practicum. These students take six core courses, four courses in their chosen concentration (the integrated concentration is not available to thesis students) and one elective. Course descriptions are available online at wlu.ca/socialwork.
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STAFF PROFILE
As the Faculty Administrative Assistant, Zaida Leon is central to the day-to-day operations of the FSW. Some of her responsibilities include providing assistance to departmental facilities and services; providing administrative support to the faculty academic activities; assisting students in organizing projects related to their courses, such as forums, fundraising campaigns, interview assignments and equity events; as well as delivering front-line assistance to the wide Laurier community, and to the general public. “The FSW is an enriching and motivating place to work. Being the main point of contact to the Faculty, I interact with students from different social and cultural backgrounds. Having come to Canada as an international student myself, I am very aware of the challenges students face when studying and living away from home.� Among other duties, Leon also acts as a liaison to support the FSW partnership with diverse KitchenerWaterloo community groups. Leon holds a BA degree in counselling psychology from her native Venezuela, and a MEd. degree from McGill University.
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STUDENT PROFILE
Before entering the MSW program, Andrew Hoang worked in the areas of anti-racism, violence prevention, support for survivors of sexual assault and LGBTQ university students. After spending four years working in Customs and Immigration, he began to question what life was like for recent immigrants and refugees. “I’m discovering a more profound sense of the social problems of our times that affect newcomers to Canada. These are problems that demand recognition, understanding and thoughtful, collective action. My experience at Laurier has nurtured and inspired me. Simultaneously, it has challenged and dislocated me from the comforts of what I thought I knew and who I thought I was. I am so grateful for the transformative learning opportunity I have been afforded here.” Hoang is currently doing research in the areas of psychiatric disability and stigma, diversity and equity in the faculty of social work and an archival project examining the history of the Waterloo County House of Industry and Refuge. He is the accessibility commissioner for the Graduate Students’ Association and also helped to create a committee for Equity Action and Research in the faculty.
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MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK PROGRAM
MSW Advanced Standing Program The Advanced Standing program is designed for students who already possess a Bachelor of Social Work degree. Students may choose between two fields of study: Individuals, Families and Groups (IFG) or Community, Policy, Planning, and Organizations (CPPO). The integrated option is not available in the advanced standing program.
The part-time program is normally completed in six academic terms over a period of two years. Courses for the part-time program are generally offered in the evenings, although CPPO field courses and some electives are available only during the daytime. Students are required to register and pay tuition in each of the six terms.
FULL-TIME
PART-TIME
TERM
IFG
CPPO
TERM 1 (F)
SK649 Practicum SK649 Practicum SK621 Reflexive Practices SK680 A dvanced Social Policy SK651 Advanced Individuals SK504 Research Methods SK504 Research Methods
TERM 2 (W) SK649 Practicum Two electives
SK649 Practicum SK610 Social Change or SK679 Managing Social Service Agencies SK609 Program Development Two electives
TERM 3 (S)
SK508 Reflective Groups SK607 Community Research
SK653 Advanced Groups SK615 Clinical Research SK680 Advanced Social Policy
TERM IFG
CPPO
TERM 1 (F)
SK504 Research Methods
SK504 Research Methods SK651 Advanced Individuals
TERM 2 (W) One or two electives
SK679 Managing Social Service Agencies or SK610 Social Change One elective
TERM 3 (S) SK653 Advanced Groups SK615 Clinical Research
SK508 Reflective Groups SK607 Community Research
TERM 4 (F)
SK649 Practicum
SK649 Practicum SK621 Reflexive Practices
TERM 5 (W) SK649 Practicum One elective (if needed)
SK649 Practicum SK609 Program Development One elective
TERM 6 (S) SK649 Practicum SK649 Practicum SK680 Advanced Social Policy SK680 Advanced Social Policy
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FACULTY PROFILE
Shoshana Pollack. “I have been working with and beside incarcerated women since 1991 when I began my MSW practicum at the former Kingston Prison for Women. Over the last 22 years I have continued my practice, research, scholarship and advocacy in the area of the criminalization and imprisonment of women. It was with great enthusiasm that I joined with Simone Davis to develop Inside-Out programming in Canada and at the Faculty of Social work.�
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PRACTICAL APPLICATION LEARNING
Inside-Out Program Inside-Out Canada brings together an equal number of incarcerated students and faculty of social work students as classmates in semester-long, for-credit university courses held at the Grand Valley Institution for Women. Classes are built around dialogue, critical thinking, collaboration and community-building, using circle pedagogy and the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program model. The model is about ‘being with,’ not ‘working with’ – about co-creating a community of learners and developing new ways of engaging. Class participation involves learning with the whole self (mind, body, emotions, and spirit) and all genders are welcome to participate. HOW TO PARTICIPATE
All Faculty of Social Work students receive an email from admissions with information on what courses are being offered. Students then contact the professor directly with a letter of interest and a C.V. Unfortunately, due to limited space, not all applicants will be able to take the course. WALLS TO BRIDGES COLLECTIVE (W2BC)
The Walls to Bridges Collective was created in November 2011 by the first Inside-Out class held at Grand Valley Institution for Women. All members are alumni or instructors of InsideOut courses. Walls to Bridges meets bi-weekly at Grand Valley and engages in a variety of different activities in a supportive, anti-oppressive and nurturing environment. W2BC work includes advocacy, participatory action research and educational experiences in and beyond the prison. We offer an annual, five day training for instructors and educators across Canada interested in developing their own Inside-Out programs. THANK YOU
We are grateful to the Lyle. S. Hallman Foundation and our other donors for their continued support in making this program possible and for their belief in transformative education.
STUDENT PROFILE
Lorraine, Inside-Out alumni and Walls to Bridges collective member. “The Inside-out learning environment persuaded me, but in the gentlest of ways, that all this talk about changing the world a step at a time, really does commence with us and through us... that it would be truly immoral to not act on the knowledge the courses bestow on us... and that the best learning experience happens when we listen to each other... I guess the question then would be ‘why don’t the courses taught in traditional class-room setting elicit the same response?’ .... simple... In the words of Paulo Freire, ‘Liberating education consists in acts of cognition, not transferals of information’... this is what transpires in an IO classroom - ‘acts of cognition’ - when we give each other safe spaces to be heard... safe spaces to learn... validate the voices and the story they tell... without judgment... without backlash... without cringing...”
INSIDE OUT PARTICIPANT
“ We are all students. Learning. Evolving. Erasing. Celebrating. Building bridges, building communities, and growing internally all the while.”
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ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS - MSW
Admission Requirements - MSW Each year the Faculty of Social Work receives many more qualified applications than spaces available in the program. Having the minimum admission requirements does not itself guarantee admission to our programs. The Faculty reserves the right to select the most qualified applicants. All decisions are final. Applicants can apply to more than one MSW program by the program deadline date. An application fee will be required for each program application; however, only one set of transcripts and references will be required. Students are not permitted to transfer from one program to another. In order to be considered for admission to a program you must apply to that program. No late applications will be accepted for any MSW program. 1. DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
Typically, a four-year bachelor’s degree, or equivalent from a university or college of recognized standing is required. Applicants with a threeyear degree and significant relevant work experience (equivalent to three years paid and/or volunteer work in human service organizations) will be considered. To be eligible for the advanced standing program, applicants must hold a Bachelor of Social Work degree from an accredited program in a university of recognized standing. 2. COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Academic background must include at least four full (or eight half) social science courses and a half-credit course in research methodology.
3. GPA REQUIREMENT Applicants who have already completed a bachelor’s degree, a minimum B (73%) average in the final academic year is required (equivalent of 10 half-year courses). For students completing their final year of undergraduate study, eligibility is determined on the basis of the last completed academic year at the time of application. If an applicant does not have a B standing in the final academic year, additional undergraduate coursework may be completed to raise the final year GPA to the minimum B requirement. Additional courses required for admission to the MSW Program, or for upgrading purposes that are completed after your undergraduate degree has been granted, will be calculated into the final year GPA. To be considered for admission, the recalculated GPA must be at least a B average. 4. EXPERIENCE PROFILE
Evidence of paid and/or voluntary experience in human service organizations, awareness of contemporary social issues and social work values, demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and motivation for a career as a professional social worker is assessed on the basis of application material.
APPLICATION DEADLINES (MSW) BACHELOR OF SOCIAL WORK REQUIRED
BACHELOR DEGREE REQUIRED
• MSW advanced standing (full-time):
• MSW two-year (full-time): January 15, 2015
December 1, 2014 • MSW advanced standing (part-time):
January 15, 2016 (next start date Sept. 2016) • MSW Aboriginal field of study (full- & part-time): April 1, 2015
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• MSW-MDiv (full-time): January 15, 2015 • MSW four-year (part-time): May 1, 2015
(next start date January 2016)
5. ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY
• Paper-based test: Minimum overall score of 573
Applicants whose language of instruction during the undergraduate degree was other than English are required to submit official English, language test results obtained within the last two years from either TOEFL or IELTS (see below for more information). Photocopies will not be accepted. Other tests of English language proficiency accepted include: Michigan Test (minimum score of 90) and Canadian Academic English Language Assessment (CAEL) (minimum score of 70 is required).
IELTS (International English Language Testing System) Minimum score of 7 overall 6. APPLICANTS WITH INTERNATIONAL DEGREES AND TRANSCRIPTS
Applicants whose transcripts are issued in a language other than English must submit to Laurier an original official translation PLUS the official transcript and degree certificate, where applicable, in the language in which it was issued.
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) • Internet-based test: Minimum overall score of 89, with minimum
skill scores of 21 in each of the skills tests (speaking, writing, reading and listening)
7. RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS
Non-Canadian citizens are required to submit a photocopy of their permanent residency status with their application.
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FACULTY PROFILE
Magnus Mfoafo-M’Carthy, has more than 15 years of social work practice experience in New
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York, British Columbia and Ontario. He has worked with individuals diagnosed with serious mental illness, HIV/AIDS, adolescent sex offenders, youth in conflict with the law and adults diagnosed with serious mental illness. He has taught the following courses at Laurier: Research Methods; Diversity, Marginalization and Oppression (DMO); Community Interventions; and Health and Mental Health. Mfoafo-M’Carthy’s research interests include global mental health. His funded projects examine serious mental illness and stigma among immigrant communities. He is also interested in post-colonial and critical race theories, social justice and anti-oppressive practice. He is involved in multiple collaborative projects at the faculty and the department of social work at the University of Ghana. He has currently been awarded a visiting professorship (Summer 2014) at the University of Ghana by the Carnegie Foundation. Until his appointment at Laurier, Mfoafo-M’Carthy worked for more than 10 years at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto and also pursued a CIHR funded post-doctoral study at the centre’s Social Aetiology of Mental Illness (SAMI) program. He is the past Associate Director of the Tshepo Institute for the Study of Contemporary Africa (TISCA), a Laurier based research institute comprising of academics engaged in scholarship and research in Africa.
MSW TUITION FEES & SCHOLARSHIP
MSW Application Procedures MSW APPLICATION DEADLINES:
• All students who are offered full-time admission to a graduate program at
Laurier are automatically considered for a Laurier Graduate Scholarship up to $4,000 based on final year GPA scores. • If a student’s GPA is A- or higher in their last 20 credits, they should apply
for both the Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) $15,000 and the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) $17,500. Applications are submitted one year in advance. If you are still in an undergrad program you should apply through your university. Second year MSW students apply through Laurier. • The Faculty of Social Work offers approximately 15 Research Assistant
positions per term. Applications are made available to students once they begin the program. Other Scholarship and Bursary opportunities can be found on the Student Awards website wlu.ca/studentawards.
2014/2015 MSW FEES
BACHELOR DEGREE REQUIRED: 1. MSW two-year (full-time): January 15, 2015 2. MSW-MDiv (full-time): January 15, 2015 3. MSW four-year (part-time): May 1, 2015 (next start January 2016) All application forms and information are found on our website at wlu.ca/socialwork. Select “Admissions” Choose “MSW Programs,” then select “Apply for Admission.”
PART ONE: THE ONLINE APPLICATION nC omplete the online application by the applicable program deadline date. A $125 application fee is required when the online application is submitted nP rint the Submission Summary Form at the end of the online application
PART TWO: THE APPLICATION CHECKLIST
FULL-TIME
Domestic Students
International students
Tuition
$3655.03 per term (plus incidental fees)
$5999.32 (CDN) per term (plus incidental fees)
Textbooks
$1,500/year (estimated cost)
$1,500/year (CDN) (estimated cost)
BACHELOR OF SOCIAL WORK REQUIRED: 1. MSW Advanced Standing (full-time): December 1, 2014 2. MSW Advanced Standing (part-time): January 15, 2016 (next start September 2016) 3. MSW Aboriginal Field of Study (full-time/part-time): April 1, 2015
PART-TIME
Domestic Students
International students
Tuition
$2053.96 per term (plus incidental fees)
N/A
Textbooks
$1,500/year (estimated cost)
N/A
REAPPLICATION PROCEDURES
If you have applied to our MSW program within the last year you must still complete the application in its entirety. However, your references and transcripts will be pulled forward from your previous application, therefore, you are only required to submit one new letter of reference and provide only an up-to-date official academic transcript(s).
nS igned copy of Submission Summary Form (printed at the end of the online application) nO fficial transcript(s) of all undergraduate and graduate work including transcripts for all courses studied through an international exchange nP ersonal Information Form nP racticum Agreement Form nC ompleted copy of your Personal Statement nP rerequisite Information Form nS ummary of Experience Form nA résumé of your academic and work experience nT hree reference forms n Official English language test results (if applicable) nP roof of record of landing or permanent residency status for non-Canadian citizens All documentation in the application checklist must be submitted by the deadline date to: Wilfrid Laurier University Lyle S. Hallman Faculty of Social Work 120 Duke St. W., Kitchener, Ontario, CANADA N2H 3W8
PhD IN SOCIAL WORK
Why choose a PhD at Laurier The Faculty of Social Work provides opportunities to develop excellence in teaching and research. The Faculty provides a supportive environment for an incoming class of five full-time PhD students and one or two part-time PhD students each year. APPLYING TO OUR PhD PROGRAMS
THE PART-TIME PhD PROGRAM
Applicants may apply to one of our PhD programs or they may apply to both the full-time and part-time PhD programs. An application fee will be required for each program. However, only one set of transcripts and references are required. Only applicants who have applied to the full-time program by the deadline will be considered when decisions are being made regarding offers of admission to the full-time program. Similarly, only applicants who have applied to the part-time program by the deadline will be considered when decisions are being made regarding offers of admission to the part-time program. No late applications will be considered for either program.
The part-time PhD Social Work program has been designed for individuals who wish to remain employed while they complete their PhD degree. Students take a maximum of two courses per term. Part-time students follow the same curriculum as fulltime students and attend classes with full-time PhD students. They must, therefore, plan to take courses in the terms in which the courses are currently offered. Criteria for admission to the part-time program are the same as the criteria for the full-time program.
PhD ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS THE PHD PROGRAM SEEKS APPLICANTS WITH:
1. A Master of Social Work degree from a recognized university, with a minimum A- (80%) average. Applicants with other graduate degrees and strong social service experience may be considered. 2. Normally, a minimum of three years post MSW social work experience. The applicant must also provide evidence of a level of professional competence suitable for admission to the PhD program. 3. Evidence of scholarly ability for clear and creative thinking and the ability to pursue independent study.
Please note that part-time students are not eligible for the Minimum Guaranteed Funding package or for Ontario Graduate Scholarships, SSHRC or CIHR doctoral awards.
PhD Application Procedures PhD APPLICATION DEADLINES: The deadline for receipt of application for full-time and part-time programs is January 15, 2015. All application forms and information are found on our website at wlu.ca/socialwork. Select “Admissions” choose “PhD Programs”, then select “Apply for Admission.”
PART ONE: THE ONLINE APPLICATION nC omplete the online application by the program deadline date. A $125.00 application fee is required when the online application is submitted nP rint the Submission Summary Form at the end of the online application
PART TWO: THE APPLICATION CHECKLIST
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN SOCIAL WORK
PhD students may study in one of two fields: 1. Studies in Social Work Practice (with Individuals, Families, Groups and Communities) 2. Critical Social Policy and Organizational Studies The field Studies in Social Work Practice encompasses a wide variety of practice issues and diverse practice settings. Students apply quantitative and qualitative research methodologies to the study of service fields such as health and illness, mental health, child welfare, addictions, corrections, disabilities, seniors and immigration. Students explore paradigms essential to understanding the practice relevance of, for example, feminism,
anti-racism, anti-colonialism, social change, global studies, post-modernism, and self and subjectivity. Students engage in critical reflection of social work practice from a variety of theoretical and methodological perspectives. The field Critical Social Policy and Organizational Studies draws upon scholarship in policy development, advocacy for social justice, and administration to guide PhD students through a critical analysis of current policy and organizational issues. Students develop research questions from their professional or personal experience that focus on the production and/or reproduction of oppression using socialist, feminist, anti-racist, anti-colonial, critical disability, anti-homophobic and other critical perspectives.
nS igned copy of Submission Summary Form (PDF) (printed at the end of the online application) n Official transcript(s) of all undergraduate and graduate work including transcripts for all courses studied through an international exchange n C ompleted Personal Information Form and Statement of Academic Intention nA résumé of your academic and work experience — please provide a detailed chronological account of your educational background, employment and professional activities, research and publications, scholarships, awards, honours, conference presentations and agency reports; distinguish between paid and volunteer positions, and practicum and full- or part-time work n Three completed reference forms are required; at least two referees should be able to comment on your academic qualifications and abilities; reference letters may be verified for authenticity n Samples of your academic and professional writing; include copies of published articles, conference or research materials, technical reports or previous academic papers nO fficial English Language test results (if applicable) n Proof of record of landing or permanent residency status for non-Canadian citizens All documents in the Application Checklist must be submitted by the deadline date to: Wilfrid Laurier University Lyle S. Hallman Faculty of Social Work 120 Duke St. W., Kitchener, Ontario, CANADA N2H 3W8
PhD PROGRAM
The new Field Learning Option provides an opportunity for the student to tailor a field learning experience in a specific role and setting (in Canada or elsewhere) that will advance the relevance and rigour of the student’s research. The field learning proposal is approved by the students’ advisor and the PhD Curriculum Committee. Students choosing the Field Learning Option are exempt from SK820 (Doctoral Seminar) and the elective course.
Over the last nine years, at least 65% of the graduates from the Social Work PhD program have been employed almost immediately as full-time faculty in schools of social work across Canada and internationally. Others have assumed leadership positions in organizations focused on social work practice, research and advocacy. Our graduates are making important contributions to social work knowledge, practice and education through innovative research methods and the dissemination of this knowledge via conference presentations, books, peer-reviewed publications and teaching both in traditional venues and online.
2014/2015 PhD FEES FULL-TIME
Domestic Students
International students
Tuition
$2,773.72 per term (plus incidental fees)
$5,999.32 (CDN) per term (plus incidental fees)
PART-TIME
Domestic Students
International students
Tuition
$1,784.08 per term (plus incidental fees)
N/A
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STUDENT PROFILE
MONICA CHI started her PhD program in 2013. Since obtaining her MSW (2008), she has worked with various client populations including individuals living with dementia, severe mental illness, physical disabilities, learning disabilities, obesity, as well as newcomers to Canadian society. She has worked with clients in various settings including in-patient units, outpatient clinics, community, in Canada and London, UK. Monica continues to practice part-time as a social worker in healthcare and is currently the principal investigator of a research project looking at the perspectives of family members of those undertaking bariatric weight-loss surgery. In addition, Monica serves her community as a board member of a non-profit settlement agency. Her personal upbringing and involvement in community development have led her to ask critical questions about how to improve the resettlement experience of refugees in Canada. She maintains her research interests in two areas and has been able to do so with the support she receives through the PhD program. The rigorous scholarly training, faculty support and enriching relationships with fellow students are helping her in seeking relevant and innovative answers to today’s social problems. Returning to school after five years of post-MSW field experience is enabling her to wear two hats as a researcher and a practitioner and put to test the academic material in practice settings. Taking every opportunity to learn and strengthen relationships, she is finding that the PhD program is moving her closer to her passion.
Faculty members are involved teachers, mentors and researchers whose work is recognized locally, nationally and internationally. With diverse backgrounds and perspectives, they represent a broad range of interests in leading-edge social research.
PhD PROGRAM COURSE WORK
PhD FUNDING
The program consists of a minimum of eight half-credit courses. Seven courses are required courses for all students and one is an elective course corresponding to the students’ study plan and interests.
The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (FGPS) at Wilfrid Laurier University offers a Minimum Guaranteed Funding (MGF) policy for full-time doctoral students. This funding guarantee will ensure that doctoral students registered full-time receive a minimum of $19,000 in financial support each year for four years of doctoral-level study.
THE REQUIRED COURSES ARE AS FOLLOWS: SK701 Multivariate Analysis for Social Work Research SK702 Advanced Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Social Work Research SK790 Social Work Thought and Theory Development SK791 Epistemology and the Nature of Social Work Knowledge SK805 Applied Qualitative Research Methods SK820 Doctoral Seminar SK894 Publication in Social Work
The MGF package may come from a variety of sources including: • internal awards • teaching assistantships • external awards • research assistantships
FACULTY PROFILE
Professor Lea Caragata teaches in the areas social policy and community development and is currently the Associate Dean of the PhD program. Her doctoral teaching includes epistemology and the production of knowledge. Areas of research and specialization include marginalization and oppression, most recently focussed on labour market changes and welfare state retrenchment. Caragata’s academic work follows extensive practice experience including grassroots community organizing, social housing development, public policy coordination and public administration. Caragata has been the principal investigator on a Community University Research Alliances (CURA) project “Lone Mother’s: Building Social Inclusion” which has been funded by SSHRC. Her most recent SSHRC funded research examines resilience in low income lone mothers and explores individual, familial, community and structural factors that mediate risk and adversity.
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wlu.ca/socialwork
WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY KITCHENER | Waterloo | Brantford | Toronto
120 Duke Street W, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada N2H 3W8 | socialwork@wlu.ca