McGill School of Social Work BSW Information & Advising

1. McGill School of Social WorkBSW Information & Advising March 19, 2019 Julia Krane, PhD., & Maria Pacheco School of Social Work ZoricaJeremic, LL.M.  Admissions Officer|Enrolment Services

2. So you want to apply to the BSW program? • The instructions vary depending on the category of your application – be careful to select the appropriate category • Submit the McGill University Admissions ApplicationOR the electronic intra/interfaculty Transfer Application form online on or before the due date • Submit unofficial transcripts: • For university transfers, grade of 3.0 minimum • For CEGEP students, minimum overall R-Score of 26.0 and Core R-Score English of 24.0 • If your CGPA is less than 3.0, you must submit a statement of extenuating circumstances • Complete the CV form found on our website • Arrange for 2 letters of reference from individuals who have direct knowledge of your performance in a helping capacity or your potential in the field of social work. • Must be signed, on letter-head, and mailed in sealed envelopes • How long and in what capacity have they known you? • What were your responsibilities or role?  • What are your strengths and limitations in a professional program in social work • Submit your 500 word Personal Statement and your 500 word Analysis of a Social Problem

3. What is social work? • Social work “promotes social change and development, social cohesion, and the empowerment and liberation of people. Principles of social justice, human rights, collective responsibility and respect for diversities are central to social work” (International Federation of Social Workers, 2014). • Social workers engage in meaningful interactions with individuals and/or organizations that serve vulnerable individuals in meeting their basic needs (e.g. housing, food, medical care, education, employment) or support to foster well being and fulfillment of the potential of individuals, families, or communities. • Such support may be at the micro (individual), mezzo (small to medium sized groups or organizations ), or macro (community, government) practice level.

4. Think about your paid, volunteer, and/or life experiences as follows: Social work micro practice experience: • Have you worked one-on-one with individuals, families, or groups to promote self-determination, the fullest possible expression of functioning, access to justice, equity, quality of life, and human dignity? • This might include counseling, crisis lines, facilitating support groups, conducting outreach, advocacy for helping to meet basic needs or attain benefits, services, education, etc. Social work mezzo practice experience: • Have you worked with small to medium sized groups or organizations such as schools, community service organizations, or businesses to promote cultural or institutional change and/or attainment of social justice for vulnerable populations? • This may include community-organizing work, organizational management, program evaluation, etc. Social work macro practice experience: • Have you been involved with communities, government entities, and the policy environment to advance social and economic justice, protect human rights, and/or enhance health, well-being and empowerment of disadvantaged communities? • This may include advocacy work, assuming leadership roles in non-profit or government agencies, building community capacity, developing policies, etc.

5. Some examples of service populations • Indigenous communities • women • children and adolescents • homeless persons • LGBTQ persons • Immigrants/refugees/non-citizens • low-income communities • communities of color • individuals living with mental or physical disabilities • populations impacted by education inequity, health disparities, environmental injustice or poverty.

6. Present your experiences with honesty and integrity and connect them to “social work” values and skills! • It is up to you to assess your own experiences and consider the ways in which your interactions within the settings in which you have worked or volunteered contributed to the welfare of others. • Purely administrative tasks, e.g. secretarial work, accounting, bookkeeping, reception, etc. may not qualify unless they put you in direct contact with vulnerable populations wherein you were directly supporting or advocating For helpful resources to assist you in assessing whether your own experience meets the criteria, see: • https://www.casw-acts.ca/en • http://another-mirror.blogspot.com/2012/10/micro-mezzo-and-macro-social-work.html • https://www.casw-acts.ca/en/what-social-work/what-social-workers-do

7. Personal Statement (maximum of 500 words in length) • Why are you interested in becoming a social worker? • How have your past experiences contributed to this interest? • What have you learned from your past experiences (knowledge, understanding and/or skills) that make you a good candidate for social work? • Do you have a particular area of practice that is of interest to you? Analysis of a social problem (maximum of 500 words in length) • Identify a social problem and explain why it is a social problem, not just an individual problem. • What are the causes of this problem? • Who are the actors involved in this problem? (i.e. Who is affected? Who is responsible? Who is trying to address this problem?) • How can social work address this problem? Please give a variety of interventions that a social worker might implement.

8. BSW Curriculum (2018/2019) • Consists of 30 courses = 90 credits • 21 courses are “required SWRK” courses = 63 credits • 2 courses are “complementary SWRK” courses = 6 credits • 5 courses are “complementary” = 15 credits • Of these 5 courses (15 credits), 2 courses (6 credits) must be at 300 level or higher, or 3 courses (9 credits) must be in the same discipline (NOT SWRK) • See our Approved Social Sciences, Humanities, Literature & Civilization courses on the BSW website: https://www.mcgill.ca/socialwork/prospective/bsw/formsmanuals • 2 courses are “electives” = 6 credits (NOT SWRK)

9. Required and Complementary Courses and Electives: What do they mean? • Required courses are mandatory courses that must be completed to fulfil the requirements of the BSW program. Students have no choices among required courses. • It is possible to request an exemption from a required course • The BSW program is comprised of 63 credits of required SWRK courses • Complementary courses are not “required courses”; Complementary courses are selected from a restricted list from which students choose. • The BSW program is comprised of 6 credits of complementary SWRK courses • Complementary SWRK courses give students exposure to specialized areas of practice • The BSW program is also comprised of 15 complementary credits from Social Sciences, Humanities, Literature & Civilization • Complementary courses are not electives • Elective Courses are taken outside of a student’s program of study; they count towards the BSW degree but there are few restrictions on electives • The BSW program is comprised of 6 elective credits from courses taken outside of social work from any academic faculty and any department • A maximum of 6 credits of elective courses taught through online education may be used towards the BSW program – see BSW Plan of Study section of website

10. Courses taken in U1 – FALL

11. Courses taken in U1 – WINTER

12. Courses taken in U2

13. Courses taken in U3

14. Social work complementary courses2018-2019 Second Year (U2) • SWRK 342 Practice with GLBT-S People • SWRK 354 Soc Work in the Health Field Third Year (U3) • SWRK 400 Policy & Practice for Refugees • SWRK 434 Prac with Involuntary Clients • SWRK 463 SW Practice with Older Adults • SWRK 493 Seminar on Child Protection • SWRK 510 Disability and Rehabilitation • SWRK 532 International Social Work • SWRK 535 Addictions • IDFC 500 Indigenous Field Studies

15. Transfer students • For transfer students or Intra/Inter-Faculty Transfer (IFT) students, up to a maximum of 18previously completed credits from other universities, or from another program at McGill in the case of IFTs, are assessed individually for transfer at the point of admission. These credits may be transferred from a completed degree or an incomplete degree. • For instructions on the transfer credit process, please see the BSW Transfer Credit Equivalence Form at: https://www.mcgill.ca/socialwork/prospective/bsw/formsmanuals

16. Are you eligible for an Exemptionfrom a required course? [CEGEP] BSW students are eligible for an exemption from the following two courses based on having completed an equivalent course at CEGEP: • SWRK 224, Human Development Across the Lifespan • SWRK 423, Social Work Research In order for your course to be considered “equivalent”, you will need to submit your course syllabus to the BSW Program Director, Dr. Julia Krane, for evaluation. If you are granted an exemption, you will replace the course with SWRK credits (social work complementary course). The exemption will be noted on your unofficial transcript and you will be notified. Note: A university level course on Human Development Across the Lifespan is a prerequisite for entry into the MSW program at McGill.

17. Are you eligible for an Exemptionfrom a required course? [University course taken] If you have previously taken an “equivalent” course in Human Development Across the Lifespan and/or Social Work Research Methods at another university (but not in a Social Work faculty or School) and you want your course to be considered as an exemption for SWRK 224 and/or SWRK 423, you will need to submit an equivalency request via McGill Equivalency System • If granted an exemption, you will take a complementary course(s) in social work (SWRK) If you have previously taken the equivalent of 224 or 423 in a social work program at another university, then you would follow the process to request transfer credits. • If granted an exemption, you are not required to take a complementary SWRK course.

18. Transfer Credits, Courses/Term & GPA • Transfer credits for courses taken at another university prior to entering the BSW will be indicated on your McGill transcript. The grades you received for these courses do not transfer, nor will the grades be included in the calculation of your GPA • Transfer credits for courses taken at McGill prior to entering the BSW (students admitted as Intra/Inter-Faculty Transfer to the BSW) will be indicated on your McGill transcript. The credits and GPA for the courses that are transferred will roll over into your BSW transcript and be part of your GPA.  Credits and GPA for courses that are not transferred will be excluded from your record.   • Transfer credits do not appear in specific academic terms of study. They function to reduce the total number of credits to complete your BSW program, i.e., when 18 transfer credits are granted, you must complete 72 credits for your BSW program • Whether completing 90 credits or less (i.e., 72), to be full time, you must be registered for 12-15 credits per term; to be part-time, you must be registered for 9 credits or less per term

19. Exemptions & GPA • BSW students are eligible to be granted an exemption from SWRK 224 and/or SWRK 423 • If granted an exemption, the exemption will be indicated on your McGill transcript with 0 credits • You are required to replace the exempted course with a SWRK complementary course •  The grade you receive for the replacement SWRK complementary course is included in the calculation of your GPA.

20. Field Placements for U2 • To enter the U2 field placement, 24 of 90 credits must be completed (all SWRK U1 & U2 required courses – see list on website) • Full-time students doing course work at the same time as their field placement are in placement from September until mid-April • Field placement ceases at Christmas and Study Break.  • Field placement is on Tuesdays and Thursdays; some placements require students to be available at alternate times  • The U2 field placement amounts to 350 - 400 hours, however students remain in field placements until the end of the course date, regardless of hours accrued • In BSW U2, the field courses are SWRK 322 and SWRK 323  Note:90% of placements are bilingual Pass/Fail based on goals and evaluation by field supervisors

21. Field Placements for U3 • To enter the U3 field placement, 54 of the 90 credits must be completed (including all U1 & U2 SWRK required courses) • Full-time students who are completing course work at the same time as their field placement are in field placement from September until mid-April • Field placement ceases at Christmas and Study Break  • Field placement takes place on Tuesdays and Thursdays; some field placements require students to be available at alternate times • Field placements in hospitals (Jewish General and MUHC system) & Batshaw (Evaluation & Orientation) include an additional ½ day, generally Fridays • The U3 field placement amounts to approximately 400 hours, however students remain in field placements until the end of the course date, regardless of hours accrued • In BSW U3, the field courses are SWRK 420 and SWRK 421  Note:90% of placements are bilingual Pass/Fail based on goals and evaluation by field supervisors

22. Contact information • U1 Cohort Advisor – Planning your U1 courses: • Prof. Julia Krane: Julia.krane@mcgill.ca • U2 Cohort Advisor – Planning your U2 courses: • Prof. Marion Van Horn: Marion.vanhorn@mcgill.ca • U3 Cohort Advisors – Planning your U3 courses: • Prof. Michael MacKenzie: michael.j.mackenzie@mcgill.ca • Prof. Zack Marshall: zack.marshall@mcgill.ca • Prof. Tamara Sussman: tamara.sussman@mcgill.ca Revised March 19, 2019