Regulations

All Bachelor of Social Work students are required to observe the University Regulations and Academic Regulations of Dalhousie University and the Faculty of Health set forth in the annual Undergraduate Calendar.

Grade Point Average Requirements

Faculty of Health's academic regulations applies to the BSW degree requirements. Students require a cumulative GPA of 2.0 to graduate. In addition, the School’s grade requirements specified in Items 2 and 3 below apply to components of the Social Work curriculum.

Grade Requirements for Social Work Courses

The minimum requirements for satisfactory completion of a Social Work course is C-. In the case of a core course, a student who earns a grade of less than C-, but is otherwise still eligible to continue in the program, must repeat the course until a grade of C- is attained. In the case of an elective, a student who earns a grade of less than a C-, but is otherwise still eligible to continue in the program, must repeat the same elective or if not offered during the student’s course of study, a different elective until a grade of at least C- is attained. Social Work courses are all courses taken under BSW study other than those designated as general admission credits.

Required Withdrawal: Academic Dismissal

A student who fails to meet sessional GPA standards as defined in the Academic Regulations - Faculty of Health must withdraw from the School for at least 12 months. (Please refer to Academic Regulations - Good Standing, Probation and Academic Dismissal, Dalhousie Undergraduate Calendar).

• A student who fails a repeated academic course must normally withdraw from the BSW Program.

Required Withdrawal on Grounds of Unsuitability

See University Regulations: Suspension or Dismissal from a Program on the Grounds of Professional Unsuitability - Faculty of Health.

Consideration of Readmission

Students are normally required to complete their undergraduate studies within ten years of their first registration and comply with the program requirements at the time of first registration. If a student is readmitted and cannot complete the program within 10 years they may be required to comply with the new program requirements.

A. Request for Readmission After Dismissal

Students who have been required to withdraw from the School of Social Work on the basis of academic dismissal may apply for readmission by the annual February 15 admissions deadline date that follows a minimum of 12 month's absence from the School. Due to the competitive nature of the enrolment process, readmission of students is not guaranteed.

B. Request for Readmission After Voluntary Withdrawal

Students in good standing who have not registered in the program for 36 months or less and who wish to be reinstated are required to submit a new application form to be returned with a letter to the Undergraduate Program Coordinator requesting re-admission to resume their BSW degree studies. Students in good standing who have not registered in the program for 37 months or more and who wish to be reinstated are required to reapply by the February 15 admission deadline date. The application and all supporting documentation must be accompanied by a letter explaining the reasons for the interruption in the student's studies and the decision to request readmission to the BSW degree program.

Appeals

A student wishing to appeal a decision based on School regulations, should consult with the Chair of the Committee on Undergraduate Studies for advice on appeal procedures.

Duration of Undergraduate Study

Students are normally required to complete the BSW degree within 10 years of their first registration (see Academic Regulation—Duration of Undergraduate Studies).

Workload Regular Academic Year

30 credit hours per academic year shall be regarded as constituting a normal workload for a full-time student. Permission of the Undergraduate Program Coordinator is required if this workload is to be exceeded, or if the planned workload in any one term (Fall or Winter) would amount to more than 15 credit hours per term.

On-campus, part-time students may register for a minimum of one .03 credit (three credit hours) per term. Part-time status applies to students registered for no more than a total of 2.5 credits (15 credit hours) in the Fall and/or Winter terms. All new students are required to register in the first Fall term following their acceptance in order to maintain their place in the program.

Workload Summer Session (includes May-June and July-August)

Dalhousie regulations permit students to take six credit hours in each of the May-June and July-August parts of Summer term. Social Work students may, following consultation with the Field Coordinator, register for the Field Practicum and Seminar course during this session.

The School usually offers one .03 credit Social work course in the May/June period for BSW campus students, provided that minimum enrollment requirements are met. Students in distance delivery take elective and core courses in the summer sessions. Consult the timetable for current course offerings.

Permission of the Undergraduate Program coordinator is required to exceed the two-credit limit for the two summer terms.

Students in Other Degree Programs (applicable for on-campus students only)

Students enrolled in degree programs at Dalhousie may, in conformance with their program regulations, choose their degree electives from Social Work Field of Practice electives. Permission from the instructor is required; course prerequisites and class size limitations apply.  Students are able to enroll in Social Work electives only to the maximum credit value allowable for open electives by their degree requirements.  Any additional Social Work courses would be considered on the same basis as “No Degree.”

Special Students “Non-Degree” (applicable for on-campus students only)

Social Work courses are not available to persons on a “no degree” basis, with the exception of agency field instructors and other qualified Social Work professionals who are able to satisfy normal admission requirements. Permission of the Undergraduate Coordinator is also required.

Students enrolled in other Social Work degree programs may be permitted to enroll in specific courses, by application for admission as a visiting student with letter(s) of permission from the home university. Course prerequisites and size limitations apply. Further information may be obtained from the Student Services Coordinator.

Deferral Policy

Newly accepted applicants who, for reasons beyond their control, are unable to take up their position on the date from which they were accepted, may request a deferral of one year. No student may receive more than one deferral. Foundational courses begin in September, therefore the deferral would be from September to the following September.

Requests for a deferral of admission should be sent in writing to the Undergraduate Coordinator of the School of Social Work by August 15th for the year in which they were offered admission. When submitting a request for deferral, please clearly state the reason for the deferral and, where relevant or appropriate, provide additional documentation to support the request (for example, medical certificates). All deferrals are subject to the approval of the Undergraduate Program Coordinator.

Audit by Agency Field Instructors

The School of Social Work permits Agency Field Instructors to audit Social Work courses. Prior permission of the instructor concerned is required. In order for the audit to show on a University transcript, the agency field instructor must abide by the audit and fee regulations as outlined in Academic Regulation—Audit of Courses.

Tuition Fees

Detailed information concerning tuition and fees is available in Money Matters at https://dal.ca/moneymatters.