Previously – September-2017:

On September 16, 2017, the BCCSW Board voted to provisionally approve the Douglas College Bachelor of Social Work program, on the understanding that Douglas College will use best efforts to obtain appropriate accreditation for the program at the earliest opportunity.

Previously – June-2019:

In June of 2019, the Board of Directors of the Canadian Association for Social Work Education (CASWE-ACFTS) accepted a CASWE-ACFTS working group’s recommendation that social work programs in institutions that are not members of Universities Canada be allowed to petition for CASWE-ACFTS accreditation.

The CASWE-ACFTS Board of Directors emphasized that a recommendation to allow a process for accreditation of non-Universities Canada programs does not necessarily result in the accreditation of these programs. Programs would need to undergo a rigorous assessment which may result in being granted accreditation or not being granted accreditation. The CASWE-ACFTS Board of Directors is constituting a working group to develop criteria to determine eligibility for application for accreditation of non-Universities Canada programs.

Administrators of Douglas College are in communication with CASWE-ACFTS. Douglas College remains interested in CASWE-ACFTS accreditation and has offered to assist and participate in the CASWE-ACFTS non-Universities Canada programs accreditation working group.

Update – November-2019:

In November of 2019, Administrators of Douglas College communicated to CASWE-ACFTS an eagerness to proceed forward with the opportunity for CASWE-ACFTS accreditation of the Douglas College Bachelor of Social Work program.

The British Columbia College of Social Workers continues to provisionally approve the Douglas College Bachelor of Social Work program, on the understanding that Douglas College will use best efforts to obtain appropriate accreditation for the program at the earliest opportunity.

Associated Social Workers Act Regulatory Information:

Pursuant to s. 9 (1) of the Social Workers Act, the BC College of Social Workers has established qualifications to become a Registered Social Worker in BC.1 The qualification for education is graduation with a degree in social work (or credential equivalent to a degree in social work) from an academic program approved by the Board.2, 3 The Board has approved academic programs at educational institutions accredited by the Canadian Association of Social Work Education in Canada and by the Council on Social Work Education in the USA.4

For a list of accredited universities in Canada, click here. For a list of accredited universities in the USA, click here.

For more information about how to register, click here.
For more information, please contact BCCSW at info@bccsw.ca.

1 See ss. 3(2)(c) and 9(1)(h) of the Social Workers Act which provide as follows:
3(2) The college has the following objects:
(c) to establish the qualifications required for registration as a registrant;

***

9(1) Subject to this Act and the regulations, the board may, with the approval of the minister, make bylaws to do any of the following:
(h) establish the qualifications required for registration as a registrant;

2 See s. 41(1) of the College’s Bylaws which provides as follows:
41(1) For the purposes of section 9(1)(h) of the Act, the requirements for full registration are
(a) graduation from an academic program approved by the board with
(i) a baccalaureate, master’s, or doctoral degree in social work; or
(ii) a credential in social work equivalent to an undergraduate or postgraduate baccalaureate, master’s, or doctoral degree in social work;

3 Under s. 41(2) of the Bylaws, there is also a registration process for those with international degrees and for those with degrees related to social work
4 BC College of Social Workers Policy Manual, 2010 at p. 37: “The current approved educational institutions are those accredited by the Canadian Association of Social Work Education and by the Council on Social Work Education in the U.S.A.”