Offered by Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo, Canada, Social Work: Bachelor's Degree (BSW) is a bachelor's degree in Social Work programme. The programme runs for 2 years, delivered on campus. Teaching is in English. Tuition is CAD 13,900 per total for local students.
This program is designed around developmental psychology, the study of adolescent and child development, and building resiliency around trauma and conflict resolution. Coursework covers community development, interpersonal skills, leadership and supervision, conflict resolution, and addictions or addiction treatment. Graduates are prepared for roles such as marriage and family therapist, school counsellor, rehabilitation counsellor, probation officer, or human service assistant.
Requirements
Minimum GPA:2.33 / 4.33
Admission Requirements: Entry is competitive and at the third-year level; you are not admitted straight from secondary school. To be eligible you need at least 60 credits of post-secondary study made up of: the Degree English Requirement with a minimum "C+" in each course; 6 credits of SOCW 200A and SOCW 200B or equivalent with a minimum "B-" in each; and 48 further credits, of which at least 24 must be arts, humanities or social science courses (social services and social work courses do not count towards those 24), carrying a minimum GPA of 2.33 ("C+"). Applicants graduating from VIU's Social Services Diploma in the current academic year complete 6 extra arts, humanities or social science credits.
Your application must also include a Personal Profile setting out why you want a social work degree and covering your suitability for the profession alongside your strengths and challenges; a resume evidencing 100 hours of paid or volunteer work in a community or clinical setting; a completed Self-Assessment Form; and transcripts from every post-secondary institution you have attended.
Enrolment is limited and meeting the minimums does not guarantee a seat — VIU states explicitly that graduating from its own Social Services Diploma does not secure one. Fieldwork and practica require a satisfactory criminal record check requested through VIU and processed by the BC Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General under the Criminal Records Review Act; a check done at a local police detachment does not satisfy the Act. VIU encourages prospective applicants to speak to an advisor before applying.
Application Details
Start Date:September
Application Deadline:Domestic (Canadian) applicants apply through EducationPlannerBC; Vancouver Island University sets no institution-wide equal-consideration date, and its admissions FAQ states deadlines vary by programme, with applications for most academic programmes opening 1 October in the year before a September start. VIU publishes no general closing date for that window; applicants are directed to each programme's own page for its own deadline. International applicants use the same portal; VIU publishes no international-specific institution-wide date either, and several health programmes (Practical Nursing, Nursing Unit Assistant) are stated as not currently open to international students. Each programme's own page carries its own Start Date, Deadlines, and Additional Application Details table for the 2026-27 cycle, and admission for programmes without a stated window is treated as ongoing/rolling until the intake fills. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
