Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) is excited to announce the development of a new Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree program.
The program, set to launch in September 2024, will deeply align with CMU's mission and commitments to reconciliation in church and society, as well as Mennonite/Anabaptist traditions of service and community development. This degree will provide students with the skills and abilities needed to help facilitate the health and well-being of vulnerable persons and communities across Canada.
CMU's BSW program will be designed as a four-year program, with advanced entry in year two. Year one, which is already receiving students for September 2023, offers considerable choice to develop a diverse range of competencies in the arts, sciences, and social sciences. BSW-specific courses will be offered starting in September 2024.
This program promises to deliver professional work opportunities and to prepare students for graduate studies. Students will be equipped as creative, constructive, self-aware, critical thinkers, better problem-solvers, mature leaders, and more effective peace builders making them a sought-after choice for employers.
An extensive BSW feasibility study included broad-based consultation with practicing social workers, social work educators, CMU alumni, current students, parents, and community leaders. There was remarkable and unanimous support in these conversations for CMU developing a distinct BSW program to meet the great and varied social needs of our communities. These consultations also underlined the need and opportunity for this program to reckon with the very real dynamics of systemic harms that both the field of social work and institutions more broadly, including Christian organizations, government, and educational institutions, have historically perpetuated as tools of colonialism.
Demand for another undergraduate social work program in Manitoba is strong, from both a student perspective and from a job market perspective. Acceptance into existing provincial social work programs in the province is very competitive, resulting in hundreds of applicants turned away each year due to limited program capacities. Demand for BSW graduates for a range of entry-level roles in Manitoba is also strong, with job opportunities outnumbering qualified candidates. In addition, workforce demographic changes and an aging population indicate the need for qualified, credentialed social workers will remain strong into the future.
As CMU is a member of Universities Canada, students can be assured that CMU will design a program to meet the highest regulatory requirements for work in a range of contexts across Canada. CMU has initiated the process of hiring faculty and an Indigenous advisor who will coordinate a program development council drawn from the community. These hires will ensure that the BSW program is inclusive and culturally responsive to diverse social needs in Winnipeg and Manitoba. Program development, including accreditation processes with the Canadian Association for Social Work Education (CASWE), will commence immediately once these roles are confirmed.
Uniquely among Canadian universities, CMU has been providing all students with work-integrated learning opportunities since its inception, offering students the chance to gain real world experience as part of their education. Through strong existing networks and capacities to build new partnerships, CMU is well positioned to provide quality placements that meet CASWE requirements and ensure that students apply classroom academics to real world work environments.
"We are thrilled to offer this program and to equip students with the character, skills, and knowledge base to enable and strengthen the health and well-being of our communities through social work", said CMU President Dr. Cheryl Pauls. "This program will complement existing programs, building on CMU's mandate to educate for the betterment of society through attention to developing the intellectual, spiritual, physical, and social dimensions of students and communities."
