The Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree gives you the training to advocate for social justice and help people from diverse age groups and populations resolve problems in their everyday lives for better quality of life.
Social workers are in demand in British Columbia, and in the coming years, employment opportunities for graduates of BSW programs will be even greater, according to the 2025 Labour Market Outlook. Graduates of the Douglas College BSW program will be prepared to take on roles in health-care programs, non-profit community organizations, child welfare agencies and more to work with community groups, families, children and individuals.
Program Format
Our BSW program takes three years to complete; all you need is 30 university-transferable credits to be admitted. With our degree, the prerequisites are built into the first year of the program, so even if you have taken general university-transferable courses, you’ll still be eligible to apply.The third-and-fourth years of the Bachelor of Social Work degree provide two supervised practicums to prepare you for your social work career after graduation.
The Douglas College Bachelor of Social Work program was approved by the BC Ministry of Advanced Education in the Spring of 2016 following a highly consultative development process managed via the province's Degree Quality Assessment Board.
Starting in September of 2015, the BC College of Social Workers (BCCSW) instituted an Entry to Practice exam. This practice is in keeping with other regulated professions in the province. Students completing their BSW at Douglas College can apply for registration (to become Registered Social Workers, RSWs) as soon as they have finished their education. Once the application is complete and approved by the BC College of Social Workers, students can write the exam. Requirements for registration may be found on the BCCSW website. RSWs who have been registered in BC are able to apply for registration in other provinces/jurisdictions. However, registrants from BC wishing to register in another province/jurisdictions are strongly advised to inquire with the regulatory body in that province/jurisdiction beforehand regarding specific registration criteria as these may vary.
Graduation Requirements:
** A university transferable course is a course that transfers to one of the 5 Research Universities - SFU, UBC, UBCO, UNBC or UVIC - according to the BC Transfer Guide.
Course Requirements:
| Year II | ||
| Course Number | Course Title | Credits |
| SOWK 2100 | Introduction to Social Work Practice | 3.00 |
| SOWK 2200 | Introduction to Social Welfare | 3.00 |
| SOWK 2122 | Counselling: Theory and Practice I | 3.00 |
| SOWK 2333 | Family Systems Social Work | 3.00 |
| SOWK 2360 | Substance Misuse |
3.00 |
| SOWK 2362 | Social Work with Seniors | 3.00 |
| SOWK 2363 | Mental Health | 3.00 |
| SOWK 2400 | Metropolitan Social Work | 3.00 |
| SOWK 2422 | Social Work Practice with Groups and Communities | 3.00 |
| ENGL elective | ENGL 1130 or any UT ENGL course not previously taken | 3.00 |
| 30.00 | ||
| Year III | ||
| Course Number | Course Title | Credits |
| SOWK 3100 | Social Work Theories and Perspectives | 3.00 |
| SOWK 3122 | Counselling: Theory and Practice II | 3.00 |
| SOWK 3140 | Practicum I | 4.50 |
| SOWK 3233 | Child Welfare |
3.00 |
| SOWK 3250 | Social Work with Aboriginal People | 3.00 |
| SOWK 3240 | Practicum II | 4.50 |
| UT Elective | 3000 or 4000 level UT elective from outside of Social Work | 3.00 |
| UT Elective | 3000 or 4000 level UT elective from outside of Social Work | 3.00 |
| UT Elective | 3000 or 4000 level UT elective from outside of Social Work | 3.00 |
| 30.00 | ||
| Year IV | ||
| Course Number | Course Title | Credits |
| SOWK 4100 | Social Work Practice Between Systems | 3.00 |
| SOWK 4160 | Research Methods in Social Work | 3.00 |
| SOWK 4140 | Practicum III | 4.50 |
| SOWK 4260 | Global Perspectives in Social Work | 3.00 |
| SOWK 4133 | Risk Assessment, Mitigation and Prevention |
3.00 |
| SOWK 4233 | Promoting Family and System Capacity | 3.00 |
| SOWK 4240 | Practicum IV | 4.50 |
| UT Elective | 3000 or 4000 level UT elective from outside of Social Work | 3.00 |
| UT Elective | 3000 or 4000 level UT elective from outside of Social Work | 3.00 |
| 30.00 | ||
To be eligible for admission to the Bachelor of Social Work program, students must complete the following 30.00 credits:
*CFCS 1130 (Change and Development Lifespan) can be used in place of PSYC 1130, however, it only received University Transfer (UT) status in September 2018. If you completed CFCS 1130 from this date onward, you may use it towards your 30 UT credits to enter the BSW degree program. If you completed this course prior to September 2018, it does not count as a UT credit but you may use it as a course to fulfill the Lifespan requirement for the program.
Students must also complete the following:
Admission to the Bachelor of Social Work program is contingent upon:
Students who have completed a Community Social Service Work diploma or other credential, may be eligible to transfer into the Bachelor of Social Work program. Please see the FAQ section of this page for additional details.
You can get an average cost for your program - tuition and student fees, books, uniforms, lab fees etc - on the Program Cost page.
Only programs approved for student loan funding are listed on the Program Cost page. For all other programs, refer to the Tuition Fee page.
Program Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this program and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the program, consider the previous version as the applicable version.