One Year Program Info Thunder Bay Campus

Welcome to the One Year Program!

Applications to the One Year HBSW program are now closed. The deadline to apply was January 7, 2013. Applications for the 2014-2015 academic year will be available the beginning of October. If you still have questions after reviewing this site and the application package please see our list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's).

The One Year HBSW is designed for students who already have an undergraduate degree and wish to receive the training and professional qualification to allow them to enter into the profession of social work. The program offers the equivalent of the social work program content normally offered in first, second, third and fourth in a compressed, intensive 12 month delivery.

Students begin the One Year program in July and continue through on a full-time basis until the end of June. The summer and fall terms are spent in the classroom taking core courses and electives. The winter and spring terms are spent primarily in the field completing a 100 day agency placement under the mentorship of a social worker. Students are also expected to take courses and attend field integration seminars throughout the winter term. There is no January intake into the One Year HBSW program.

Due to the nature of the program, it is not offered through distance education. . The H.B.S.W. program at Lakehead was developed to reflect a broad theoretical social work knowledge base, with emphasis on professional skill development for competent intervention with individuals, groups, families and communities. Part of the "learning" comes by "doing" with a hands-on, field practicum component in the program. This allows the opportunity to apply the classroom theory to real life situations. There are a multitude of options for exciting and diverse placements, dependant, of course, on your areas of interest.

If you have already completed either a 3 or 4 year university degree, then you would certainly be eligible to apply for our One Year Program, which commences every July and runs to the end of June of the following year. This program offers a dynamic and challenging social work education that builds upon your previous university, volunteer and work experience. You can view a complete sample application package online.

To enter the One Year Program, it is helpful to know that admission is based on four different areas listed below. The number in brackets is the amount the item is worth in the ranking process.

(1) Academic grades in last 10 full course equivalent courses (minimum average of 70%) (40%)

(2) Volunteer and work experience (15%)

(3) References (20%)

(4) A personal statement exam (25%).

The following is a quick overview of how the One Year Program is structured. It can basically be broken into four terms:

(a) July and August - 3 full academic courses are scheduled entailing 8:30 a.m.- 4:30

p.m. class attendance in July, and 8:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. daily attendance during the

first 2 weeks in August.

(b) September to December is focused on academic course work.

courses on campus

(d) April to July is focused on a 5-day a week field placement.

The practicum portion of the program (3501 and 4501) for the Thunder Bay campus is 100 days and counts as 2 full credit courses. As the first 50 days of placement happen in conjunction with academic classes, it is advisable to complete it here in Thunder Bay . Although students are encouraged to complete the full placement at a single agency, it is possible for those with extenuating circumstances to complete the second half of the practicum in their home community, if approved by the Field Coordinator.

Note: Thunder Bay Campus students are on campus for the duration of the program.

Following the successful completion of the HBSW degree, you would be eligible to apply for the MSW program offered here at Lakehead or anywhere else in North America . Ours is a challenging post graduate program that includes an interesting course work component, as well as a project and a field practicum. Students have much choice in terms of program focus and direction, with the project, placement and a portion of the academics based on their own specific area of interest. The program is usually completed within a two year time frame, but there is the potential to finish in a year and a half if the student is persistently dedicated.