Associate Professor and Director
S. Birnie-Lefcovitch
The degrees of Master of Social Work and Doctor of Philosophy are
offered in social work.
The MSW may be completed by part-time or full-time study. Except
for internships and the institute component of practice courses,
courses are delivered by distance format, and not in a regular
classroom format. “Distance delivery” includes course delivery using
any or all of web-based format, traditional correspondence (readings
packages, mailed assignments), and tele or videoconferencing.
The degree of MSW is offered in selected specializations. The program
allows professionally qualified social workers holding the Degree of
BSW or an equivalent professional undergraduate degree in Social Work
to undertake intensive advanced work in a specialized area of social
work knowledge and practice. The particular specializations offered
may change from time to time, according to resources, societal needs,
the state of knowledge and trends in professional practice. Currently,
advanced clinical practice is the specialization offered.
Students admitted to the MSW program prior to 1999 who are enrolled in
specializations which are no longer offered, should consult with the
Graduate Officer in the School of Social Work to discuss options for
completion.
The program is designed to be accessible to students in remote and
rural areas, and assumes that: (1) students will have a computer and
internet access; and, (2) can travel to St. John’s for the institute
portion of the three practice courses. Students studying outside St
John’s, Newfoundland, will also be expected to purchase internet
service or to incur long distance charges for accessing their Memorial
University of Newfoundland internet account.
The deadline date for receipt of applications for admission in
September of each year is February 28. Under special circumstances,
late applications and admissions in other semesters may be considered.
Entrance into all courses and the offering of any course in an academic
year is by approval of the School, consistent with the candidate’s
program. Candidates are admitted only into a designated program of
studies in an area of specialization.
The School of Social Work may deliver special offerings of the MSW
and/or other programs of the School to identified groups of
out-of-province students where numbers warrant. These offerings will
be self supporting, and therefore subject to an additional one-time
non-refundable tuition fee as approved by the Board of Regents and
payable on first registration following formal admission to the
program. Students will also pay appropriate tuition fees for each
semester during their tenure in the program.
Admission to the special offerings of these programs will be
competitive, using the same procedures and standards that are in place
for students applying to the St John’s campus program(s).
Subject to approval by the Committee on Graduate Studies for the School
of Social Work, students admitted to an out-of-province program
offering may apply to transfer to the equivalent program on the St.
John’s campus. In such instances, the fee structure under which the
student was admitted will not change. Subject to approval by the
Committee on Graduate Studies for the School of Social Work, students
admitted to a St. John’s based program may apply to transfer to the
equivalent out-of-province program. In these instances, students
transferring from the St. John’s based program offerings to an
equivalent out-of-province offering will be required to pay a pro-rated
one-time fee upon formal transfer to the special offering.
A.
QUALIFICATIONS FOR ADMISSION
C)
PROGRAM OF STUDY AND RESEARCH
1. Admission is limited, selective and competitive.
2. To be considered for admission an applicant shall hold a Bachelor of
Social Work degree from an institution recognized by the Senate, with
at least second class standing, and an average of at least Grade B in
the last 60 undergraduate credit hours, or an equivalent professional
undergraduate degree in social work approved by the Graduate Studies
Committee of the School of Social Work for recommendation to the Dean.
3. In addition to the stated academic requirements, the applicant must
have completed, subsequent to obtaining the BSW degree, at least two
years employment in professional social work practice or in a
comparable human service discipline or activity. Extensive relevant
experience prior to undergraduate degree work may be recognized in full
or partial fulfillment of this requirement.
1. Applicants must submit an application for admission with
supporting documentation to the School of Graduate Studies. The
supporting documentation will consist of: an official transcript of
the applicant’s previous academic record submitted directly from the
institution(s) attended; a statement of previous professional
employment, a list of any published or unpublished works, and a
declaration of program emphasis and educational objectives; and three
letters of appraisal, to be submitted by three referees capable of
assessing the applicant’s previous academic and/or practice
performance. Letters of appraisal are to be submitted directly to the
School of Graduate Studies.
2. The Graduate Studies Committee of the School of Social Work may
require the applicant to appear for a personal interview with a
faculty member or members.
3. A student who meets the basic admission requirements under A2 and A3
above may, space permitting, take no more than 6 credit hours in Social
Work graduate courses without applying for and being admitted to the
MSW program. Students wishing to take courses under this provision
should submit to the School of Social Work a REQUEST FOR PERMISSION TO
REGISTER IN A GRADUATE COURSE with evidence of BSW graduation, and
apply or reapply for admission to Memorial University of Newfoundland
as an undergraduate at least six weeks before the beginning of the
semester in which the class is to be taken.
4. A person who has completed an MSW degree is eligible to register in
any MSW course offering, space permitting.
5. Qualified students admitted to other graduate programs may, space
permitting, apply to take Social Work graduate courses SW 6011, SW
6412, SW 6422, SW 6332 and graduate social work electives. Students
wishing to take courses under this provision should submit a REQUEST
FOR PERMISSION TO REGISTER IN A GRADUATE COURSE, academic transcripts
and a brief professional resume to the Graduate Officer in the School
of Social Work.
C) PROGRAM OF STUDY AND RESEARCH
1. A candidate’s program will be developed cooperatively by the
candidate and a faculty advisor designated for this purpose by the
Director of the School. The faculty advisor shall counsel the candidate
on course selection.
2. Specified supplementary studies may be required to ensure requisite
knowledge pertinent to the specialization.
3. A candidate electing a thesis program shall be assigned by the
Director in consultation with the student a thesis supervisor. This
election can be made upon completion of SW 6412 and SW 6422. The
thesis supervisor, when assigned, shall normally assume the duties of
faculty advisor under C(1) above.
4. Candidates admitted to the MSW Program in Advanced Clinical Practice
thesis route must complete a thesis and a minimum of 21 credit hours
consisting of SW6011, SW6312, SW6322, SW6332, SW6412, SW6422 and
SW6912 (Internship). In addition to these courses, non-thesis
candidates must also complete SW6432, SW 6442 and a 3 credit hour
graduate elective in social work or a related discipline as requested
by the candidate and approved by the graduate advisor. Candidates in
either route may be required to take additional courses.
D) INTERNSHIP
Each MSW student is required to complete an advanced clinical
internship which is to be conducted in a setting and supervised by a
field teacher approved by the School of Social Work. Students are
responsible for exploring internship options and locating a
professional practitioner with at least an MSW to provide field
instruction during their internship. The graduate field coordinator is
responsible for finalizing the internship and field instruction
arrangements in conjunction with the candidate. Although consideration
will be given to all factors affecting the location and type of social
work internships, final approval of an internship rests with the
School of Social Work. The School cannot guarantee the availability of
MSW field instruction in all communities and at all times.
Students are responsible for their own financial support during the
internship. Part-time internships of two semesters will require
approval from the proposed agency field instructor and the graduate
field coordinator.
All candidates wishing to register for SW 6912, the 500 hour field
internship, must submit a completed Practicum Planning Information
form and a Social Work Internship proposal at least four months prior
to the commencement of the semester in which they intend to begin their
internship. Evaluation of the internship in Advanced Clinical Practice
will be on a PASS/FAIL basis.
Candidates who voluntarily withdraw from the social work internship
without prior approval of the graduate field coordinator and the chair
of the Graduate Studies Committee, or who conduct themselves in such a
manner as to cause the agency and the field coordinator to terminate
the placement, will normally be awarded a grade of Fail in the
internship course.
Candidates who voluntarily withdraw from the field internship with the
prior approval of the graduate field coordinator and the chair of the
Graduate Studies Committee cannot be guaranteed a second internship
during that semester. In this case, the candidate will be awarded a
grade of Incomplete for the internship course. The candidate shall
normally complete an internship the following semester.
To increase accessibility for students in remote and rural practice,
we offer courses in the following formats:
(i) SW 6011, SW 6412, SW 6422, and social work
electives will be offered by distance delivery; that is, not in a
regular classroom format.
(ii) SW 6312, SW 6322 and SW 6332: By residential
institute consisting of 36 hours of condensed classroom instruction.
These courses also include home-study and teleconference and/or
internet components scheduled prior to and/or following the institute.
Students must be available on a full-time basis to attend classes and
complete assignments and group projects during the institute portion of
these courses. It is recommended that students take leave from their
employment for the duration of a residential institute which may be
scheduled in a combination of weekday, evening and weekend hours within
a two and a half week time period. The final decision regarding the
residential institute schedule rests with the School of Social Work.
(iii) SW 6912, Advanced Clinical Practice Internship
and SW 6432 Research Internship can be completed in St. John’s, or in a
student’s home community where appropriate supervision is available.
(iv) SW 6442, Colloquium Presentation, may be
conducted in St. John’s or in a student’s home community, provided
suitable audio-visual facilities are available.
(i) In exceptional circumstances, and contingent upon
student numbers and school resources, additional course sections may be
offered in a regular classroom format.
For students admitted to the program outlined in C.4 above:
1. For the candidate in part-time enrolment, the program of study is
designed to permit completion of all degree requirements within nine
semesters or three calendar years.
2. For the candidate in full-time enrolment non-thesis route, the
program of study is designed to permit completion of all degree
requirements within three semesters or one calendar year, as follows.
Fall semester: SW 6011, SW
6312(institute), SW 6412
Winter semester: SW 6322(institute), SW 6422, Elective
Spring semester SW 6432, SW 6442, SW 6332(institute),
SW 6912
G) EVALUATION
1. Failure to attain a final passing grade of A or B in a program
course, or PASS in a PASS/FAIL course, shall lead to
termination of the student’s program, unless a re-read has been
requested. Failure to obtain the required grades as stated above in
the re-read shall lead to termination of the student’s program.
2. When the Director has determined, on the basis of consultation with
the candidate, the advisor, or supervisor, and the instructors, that a
candidate’s work has fallen below a satisfactory level, the Director
may recommend to the Dean of Graduate Studies that the candidate be
required to withdraw from the program.
3. To remain in good standing students are required to maintain
professional behaviour consistent with the current Code of Ethics of
the Canadian Association of the Social Workers. Students who fail to
meet this requirement will be required to withdraw from the School
upon the recommendation of the Graduate Studies Committee.
H) THESIS
See General Regulation J, THESES AND REPORTS
I) NOTE: Every candidate shall comply with the GENERAL REGULATIONS governing the School of Graduate Studies and the MSW Degree Regulations.
A selection of the following graduate courses will be offered to
meet the requirements of candidates, as far as the resources of the
School will allow.
CORE COURSES
6011. Critical Thinking and Ethical Evaluation for Assessment and
Intervention (3 credit hours) (Not required by students who have
successfully completed SW6010)
6312. Crisis Intervention, Brief and Integrated Therapies for Diverse
Individuals (3 credit hours) (Prerequisite/ Corequisite
SW6011 or the former SW6010) (Not required by students who have
successfully completed SW6311)
6322. Family Therapy: Promotion of Strengths and Prevention of Violence
in Diverse Families (3 credit hours) (Prerequisite SW6011 or the former
SW6010) (Not required by students who have successfully completed
SW6321)
6332. Social Work Perspectives in Interdisciplinary Team Development
and Group Therapy (3 credit hours) (Prerequisite SW6011 or the former
SW6010) (Not required by students who have successfully completed
SW6331)
6412. Research Design for Social Work Assessment and Evaluation (3
credit hours) (Not required by students who have successfully
completed SW6411)
6422. Data Analysis for Social Work Assessment and Evaluation (3 credit
hours) (Prerequisite SW6412 or the former SW6411)
6432. Research Internship (2 credit hours) (Prerequisite SW 6412 or the
former SW6411 and SW6422)
6442. Colloquium Presentation Integrating Theory and Research in
Advanced Clinical Practice (1 credit hour) (Prerequisite/co-requisite
SW 6912, SW 6432.)
6912. Advanced Clinical Practice Internship (3 credit hours)
(Prerequisites SW6312 or the former SW6311; SW6322 or the former
SW6321; and Prerequisite/Corequisite SW6332 or the former SW6331)
ELECTIVES (3 credit hours)
6230. Seminar in Community Development
6530. Seminar in Social Administration: Evaluation of Policies and
Programs
6540. Supervision in Professional and Clinical Practice
6550. Feminist Therapy in Social Work Practice
6820-29. Individual Reading and Research in Special Areas
Although the School does not currently offer a program in Social Policy
and Administration, it has faculty expertise in these areas and may,
resources permitting and given sufficient student interest, offer the
following elective courses:
6210. Seminar in Social Planning and Social Development
6220. Seminar in Organization Development
6510. Seminar in Social Administration: Social Policy Analysis,
Development and Administration
6520. Seminar in Social Administration: Program Design and Development
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