Program Overview

Program Overview & Highlights

• Honours 4-Year Program
• Combined Honours Programs Available
• B.S.W.

Become an effective advocate for people with disabilities in your community and around the world. This is the only joint Social Work and Disability Studies program in North America with the ability to graduate with a BSW degree. You’ll have the opportunity to gain real hands-on experience working in the field, where you can impact the lives of people with disabilities. This is a program where you can learn to make a difference in the world!

• Gain 700 hours of real experience working in local schools, hospitals, and non-profits in our 4th year practicum course
• Hands-on experiential learning opportunities to prepare you for a successful career
• Join a tight-knit community of like-minded peers in the Social Work Student Association and participate in workshops, galas, and more

Learn More About Our Program

• $2.53M in scholarship and award money
• 1 in FAHSS
• 95% of our graduates are employed within 2 years
• 139K hours of service contributed by FAHSS students in the community
• 200+ undergraduate students have published or presented original research in FAHSS

Faculty & Staff

Student Recruitment Officer

• Selena Randhawa
• Recruiter - Business, FAHSS, Law, Education

Recruitment & Outreach Coordinator

• Sheri Lowrie
• FAHSS Recruitment and Outreach Coordinator

Admission Requirements

High School Student from Canada

• Course Requirements: English/ENG4U (min. avg. 60%)
• Minimum Average: 70%
• Mean Average: 80%

High School Student from Outside Canada and the United States (International)

• Course Requirements: Grade 12 English
• Minimum Average: 70%
• Mean Average: 80%

Career Tracks

• Disability support worker
• Social worker
• Child and youth worker
• Community support worker
• Family service worker

Related Programs

• Disability Studies
• Social Work
• Family and Social Relations

Plan Your Program

Term: Fall 2025

Important Notes

1. ENGL-1010 is required for all FAHSS Majors. Students with 80% or higher in Grade 12 ENG4U (or equivalent) are exempt from this course requirement and will substitute it with an additional course from any area of study.
2. All FAHSS programs require students to take one course with Indigenous content, perspectives, or materials. This can be done at any time during the student’s undergraduate education.

Required Course Notes

• Major Courses:
  • IACS-1000 (previously DISB/SJST 1000)
  • PSYC 1150
  • SWRK 1170
• Required Course:
  • ENGL 1010
• Recommended Other Courses:
  • GART 1210 (see note 2)
  • One course from any area excluding Disability Studies, Psychology, and Social Work

Required Courses

• DISB 1000: Social Justice in Action (SJST 1000)
  • Students investigate the local and global origins of a contemporary social problem through the eyes of social justice activists. Students will assess the strengths and limitations of strategies and theoretical frameworks for social change and use this knowledge to create social action messages that raise public awareness, influence government or corporate policy, or positively change attitudes and behaviors.
• ENGL 1010: Academic Writing
  • An introduction to the fundamentals of effective writing in academic contexts. Topics may include language, essay writing conventions, critical thinking, research, editing and revising, and academic integrity.
• PSYC 1150: Introduction to Psychology as a Behavioural Science
  • Introduction to selected areas in psychology including learning, perception, physiological psychology, emotion, and motivation.
• SWRK 1170: Meeting Human Needs through Social Welfare
  • This course examines the historical, philosophical, and political aspects of the development and delivery of the Canadian Social Welfare System. Special attention will be focused on ways to identify and assess the needs of, and services to, vulnerable populations within the context of social and cultural diversity.

Recommended Courses

• GART 1210: An Introduction into Indigenous Topics
  • This course introduces students to Indigenous histories, perspectives, and modern realities through an Indigenous lens. The role of colonization is introduced as Indigenous relationships on Turtle Island changed as a result of contact and colonization. This survey course provides a learning opportunity for students to engage in Indigenous pedagogy and worldview as they learn how history impacts the contemporary lives of Indigenous people.