There are two steps in the equivalency process: the first consists of establishing the candidate's eligibility, and the second involves writing a document demonstrating that, through work experience, the objectives required by the School for the intervention internship have been achieved. It is also important to note that recognition of any course equivalence is subject to approval by the Office of Graduate Studies (OGS).
The equivalency policy applies to students who meet the following eligibility criteria:
- Have a minimum of two years of full-time social work experience in a social service or health agency (e.g., Children's Aid Society, family or psychosocial service center, hospital, etc.) or in a community organization; this work experience must have been acquired before the start of the first courses taken in the Master of Social Work program.
- Intervention experience must be recent, i.e. obtained within the 4 years preceding the start of the course (excluding parental and study leaves).
- Have received continuous supervision during work experience from a professional with a degree in social work or a related field relevant to social work practice.
- Have successfully completed the following mandatory courses Theoretical Foundations of Social Work (Fondements théoriques du travail social, SVS 5500) and Socio-historical Analysis of Social Policy and Social Work in Canada (Analyse sociohistorique des politiques sociales et du travail social au Canada SVS 5510).
Students wishing to take advantage of this equivalency policy must:
- Submit a request for eligibility to the Internship and Practical Training Coordinator, including a resume, a copy of on-the-job evaluations and an attestation of employment. This application must be submitted before September 30 of the registration semester preceding the planned start date of the intervention internship (spring-summer). The professional file review will be completed by October 15, and eligibility confirmed by the internship and practical training coordinator.
- Following confirmation of eligibility, the student must write a document (12 to 15 pages) in which he or she demonstrates how the objectives set for the intervention internship have been achieved through his or her work experience. This paper, supported by references to relevant scientific literature, is intended to be more than a descriptive work. It must include a critical analysis of your work experience in relation to the objectives established for the intervention internship and the theoretical approaches. This means systematically analyzing and supporting the ideas put forward in the account of this experience with the help of the relevant scientific literature. Only scientific texts (academic articles, books, chapters of collective works, etc.) should be included in the bibliography.
- This document is structured around the following elements:
- a brief presentation of the organization, including the main laws and regulations governing it and the social policies affecting the population reached (select one organization if the work experience includes more than one) ;
- a reflection on preferred intervention models and methods;
- an assessment of the strengths and limitations of its interventions;
- a reflection on learning and a critical analysis of work experience as a whole;
- and a reflection on the role and modalities of supervision.
- Submit the document, by November 25, to a committee composed of the professor responsible for graduate studies and the coordinator of internships and practical training.
Within 10 working days of receiving the document, the Internship and Practical Training Coordinator informs the student of the outcome of the evaluation of his or her work, i.e. whether or not to recommend acceptance of the request for equivalence to the Office of Graduate Studies. If the student is not satisfied with the decision, he or she may appeal by submitting a written request for review to the Director of the School within 10 working days of receiving the decision.
The School of Social Work's recommendation is forwarded to the OGS, which is responsible for approving the course credits for which equivalence is granted.
Modifications adopted at the Departmental Assembly of November 19, 2015.
Adopted at the School of Social Work Assembly on January 17, 2008.