Building upon a foundation of social justice and an ethic of care, the UBC School of Social Work is a community of learners actively engaged in the development of critical, transformative knowledge for social work practice.

Founded in 1929, we are the oldest social work education program in British Columbia and the third oldest in Canada. Today, we continue our long and distinguished record of leading professional education, research, and scholarship.

Based on a commitment to fundamental social work values and a vision of social justice, UBC’s School of Social Work prepares social work students for generalist and advanced professional practice. We promote the scholarly generation of critical transformative knowledge through research and study relevant to social work theories, practices, social development and social administration.

Our programs are fully accredited by the Canadian Association of Social Work Education with regular one-on-one contact between faculty and students and field education practicum placements that are suited to individual learning goals.

Our faculty are engaged locally and globally in research and community building in a diverse range of settings with strong links to government, professional, and community organizations.

We’re also home to the Canadian Institute for Inclusion and Citizenship and the Centre for Research in Personhood in Dementia.

Located in Vancouver, British Columbia on the traditional, ancestral, and occupied territory of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓-speaking Musqueam peoples, we are a community of faculty members, practitioners, students, research, and support staff, all working together to advance the study and understanding of social work.

Social work is a profession working for social justice at individual, family, organization, community, and societal levels through various knowledges, values, ethics, and skills.

Human dignity: We honour the individual right to dignity and respect in all life circumstances.

Social equity: We are committed to equality from within and across social systems, practising inclusion, and respecting diversity.

Social justice: We promote social work values that aim to identify and address causes of exclusion, marginalization, and oppression past and present.

Scholarship: We generate critical, transformative knowledge that advances social work theory, practice, social development, and social administration.