Bachelor of Social Work in Child Welfare Specialization

at University of the Fraser Valley - Abbotsford Campus Canada

Do you have a passion for social justice? Have you always been interested in social issues? 

UFV's Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree prepares you to collaborate with individuals, families, groups and communities in diverse envronments and cultural settings. Upon graduation you can apply to register with the British Columbia College of Social Workers (RSW). Or, opt to pursue further studies and complete a Master of Social Work degree at UFV.

You enter the BSW when you are in third year after you've completed 60 credits. Once admitted to the program, you will complete two field placements with one of UFV's community partners. The program offers flexibility so you can carry on with other commitments in your life while earning your degree. 

View the Bachelor of Social Work's program outline in the UFV Academic Calendar

Child Welfare specialization
Choose to specialize your Bachelor of Social Work in the area of child welfare where you may complete a practicum with the Ministry of Children and Family Development or a Delegated Aboriginal Agency.

UFV’s Early Childhood Education (ECE) certificate program is an excellent foundation to purse a career working with young children.

Especially designed for students who are coming out of high school, and those already in the workforce the four-semester program takes you through basic courses in communication, interpersonal growth, human development, and the early childhood curriculum.

You explore the theories and current trends in physical, cognitive and psycho-social development, from conception to the age of eighteen. In addition, you are introduced to different recording techniques that have been developed from observing children’s social, play, language, motor, and cognitive development.

In the third and fourth semesters, you also complete a 200-hour introductory and a 200-hour advanced practicum where you put Early Childhood Education theories into practice, document your experience, and apply advanced competencies including parent interaction, self-evaluation, and peer evaluation.

The Bachelor of Arts in Global Development Studies (GDS) is a broadly interdisciplinary program designed to equip students with the critical academic knowledge, skills and experience required to function effectively as development professionals in Canada or abroad or to continue on to graduate or other professional studies.

In addition to learning history and theory of development processes, and analyzing current global practices, international or domestic internships provide opportunities to make contacts and build skills.

The program:

• Equips you with strong advocacy, problem-solving, research, and writing skills.
• Promotes intercultural dialogue locally and abroad by drawing on topics in economics, political science, anthropology, sociology and communications.
• Presents unique internship opportunities with development organizations in Canada and internationally so you can apply what you learn in a global context.
• Develops focused disciplinary knowledge and skills by fulfilling requirements for a minor or an interdisciplinary concentration.
• Grounds you in the history and theory of global development processes and examines current debates in development practice.

Develop your artistic skill, become a creative problem solver, and learn how to flourish in the creative arts industry by earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA). In your first year, you can explore a range of Fine Arts discipline while you complete the BFA general requirements in writing, logical reasoning, and science.

Before the end of your second year, you focus your degree, based on your career goals and personal interests, by choosing a major or two extended minors from the list below:

• Majors
  • Visual Arts
  • Graphic and Digital Design
• Extended Minors
  • Art History and Visual Studies
  • Creative Writing
  • Graphic and Digital Design
  • Media and Communication Studies
  • Theatre
  • Visual Arts
• Minors
  • Art History
  • Business
  • Creative Writing
  • Graphic and Digital Design
  • Media and Communication Studies
  • Theatre
  • Visual Arts

In your third and fourth years of study you deepen your knowledge by completing the requirements for your major, minor, or extended minors, and by selecting your choice of electives to meet the credential requirements of your degree.

The General Studies Diploma can serve as your interdisciplinary introduction to university studies. The two-year (60-credit) program allows you to customize your program of study by choosing from a wide range of courses to select those that match your interests and goals.

If you plan to continue on to complete a degree (BGS, BA, BBA, BCIS, BSc, etc.) once you have completed your diploma, it is highly recommended that you complete the first- and second-year requirements of the degree program. You can also use up to 45 transfer credits within the diploma.

The Bachelor of Agricultural Science (BAS), Horticulture major emphasizes the academic study of the natural sciences in combination with an applied agriculture curriculum. The program will provide students with an understanding of science and the practical nature of large scale horticulture production. Breadth of knowledge will be enhanced by communication, business, and general elective courses related to agriculture in society, in addition to science and agriculture courses.

The BAS requires 125 credits. To receive a Bachelor of Agricultural Science degree, students must complete an industry-based practicum (AGRI 192) and an applied research project (via a Capstone course) which provides graduates with practical experience with which to enter the workforce and face the challenges associated with the horticulture industry.

UFV’s four-year Bachelor of Arts with a Philosophy major or minor is designed to teach you to think independently and become a powerful problem-solver.

Philosophy major
As part of your philosophy studies, you take courses in the history of philosophy, where you examine early schools of thought and learn about the origins of modern philosophy. First and second year courses provide a broad knowledge of reasoning, morality, and politics, while third and fourth year courses allow you to deepen your understanding of logic, philosophical theory, metaphysics, and political philosophy.

The major includes the following general requirements:

• 9 introductory courses in Philosophy
• 9 credits in lower and upper-level History of Philosophy courses
• 3 credits in logic
• 3 credits in each of: Philosophical Theory, Metaphysics and Epistemology, and Political Philosophy

The Accounting certificate program is a comprehensive accounting program designed for mature students who wish to pursue a career as an accounting technician or in financial management.

The program provides a thorough grounding in management accounting, business law, income tax, auditing, financial management, statistics, and microeconomics. You may also select an elective, based on the professional program you intend to pursue.

View program outline in the UFV Academic Calendar

The program may be taken on a part-time basis over several years or on a full-time basis over three semesters. The course load of the full-time program is rigorous and requires above-normal effort and time to succeed.

The Administration certificate can also open the door to further studies to complete a Bachelor of Business Administration at UFV or earn a designation from a professional society. Check with their website for transfer information, as well as work experience and grade requirements.

Study Economics to gain the problem-solving, reasoning, and computer skills that employers value in government, business, or finance. Economics is the only discipline in the broad areas of Social Sciences and Business that is awarded the Nobel Prize. Many famous and successful people have an economics degree.

Economics Major
Develop your analytical and creative thinking skills in order to understand and communicate complex economic issues facing all levels of people - from individuals to entire nations.

During your first and second year, you are introduced to the concepts of micro and macroeconomics and learn to strategically evaluate the influences and decisions contributing to the economic issues.

In your third and fourth year, you hone your critical thinking skills and expand your knowledge of international markets, consumer demands, market structure, and more.

As an Economics student, you develop:

• Problem-solving skills
• Quantitative and computer skills
• The capacity for independent thought
• A firm grounding in modern economic theory
• Knowledge of finance and accounting
• Knowledge of the Canadian and world economy

FEATURES:

• Co-op semester(s) provide paid work experience in your field of study
• Emphasis on critical thinking and real-world problem solving to develop job-ready skills
• Program eligible for financial aid

This program is designed to provide a sound background for students who intend to pursue careers in businesses with interests overseas, church work in the third world, teaching, journalism, community relations, translation, international development work, the travel industry, diplomacy, government, international trade and commerce, as well as for those wishing to prepare for advanced scholarly work and research. Currently the International and Development Studies option focuses on Latin America.

International and Development Studies field school
Optional field schools and study tours of three to six weeks duration are organized on a regular basis. A typical field school in Latin America of a three-week duration would cost approximately $2,000 plus meals. A field school certificate will be awarded to those students successfully completing this aspect of the program.