BSW Introduction and Program Hub
The Bachelor of Social Work at Carleton is an Honours program that is based on an innovative social justice approach to social work practice. The School’s orientation places a strong emphasis on the development of strategies for working with people, both individually and collectively. The School also emphasizes the need for a critical analysis of the social policies and administrative practices that affect the lives of equity-seeking groups.
Our program at Carleton University is based on what is known as a “structural approach” to social work and this approach is reflected in the School’s Mission Statement. This approach provides a critical framework for critically engaging with, and analyzing, social work knowledge, social work practice and social policy development. It is based on an understanding of how economic, social, political and legislative contexts shape individual, community and societal problems. At the School of Social Work, we promote the development of innovative social work practice directed toward advancing equity and social justice as well as individual and societal change. Through this approach, students are being prepared to address injustices and inequities in a range of roles. In your various courses, you will learn about this approach and how it is applied.