Course Terminology
Note
The Practicum is classified as a half-credit course (H) in Year I of the M.S.W. program and as a full-credit course (Y) in Year II. The Year Two practicum, SWK4702Y Social Work Practicum II typically starts in September and ends in early April. A credit (CR) is noted on the student transcript at the end of the session in which the practicum is completed. If the practicum commences in the Fall Session (IPR) in progress is noted at the end of the Fall Session as a permanent standing on the transcript.Full-credit and Half-credit Courses
Graduate course: is understood to require three hour weekly lectures or seminars over 26 weeks. In the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work a half-credit course generally refers to a unit of instruction of three hours a week extending over a single term of 13 or 14 weeks.
Course Codes
Alphabetical character after the course number: indicates the time period within which the course is offered. Fall Session (F); Winter Session (S); Full Session (Y); a half-course (H)may be offered in either the Fall or Winter Sessions.
Required course: one which must be taken in order to complete your degree. If you have achieved good standing in essentially the same course content before entering this Faculty, you might want to discuss a substitution. Approval is required from the course instructor and from the Associate Dean, Academic for the exemption and the alternate course substitution. See the Faculty registrar about procedures to follow and forms to complete.
Elective course: gives you an opportunity to choose among several courses when arranging your degree program. Elective courses are located within the curriculum of the Faculty or may be relevant courses in other graduate departments of the University that receive approval of the Associate Dean, Academic.
Extra course: one which you choose to take in addition to the required and elective courses comprising your program of study. These courses are subject to the same SGS regulations regarding withdrawal and satisfactory completion of work as are courses required for your degree. There is no added fee to take an additional course while completing program requirements.
Outside department course: offered in another graduate program may be approved by the Associate Dean, Academic as either an elective for the degree or as an extra course. Contact the Faculty registrar about enrollment procedures. No more than two half-credit courses may be taken from outside the Faculty for credit towards the M.S.W. degree. Students are asked to attach a course descriptions to complete a SGS Program Change Form when requesting to take a graduate course from outside the Faculty. The SGS Program Change form is available on the SGS web site: www.sgs.utoronto.ca. Under Current Student, select Student Forms (about ten down on the righthand sidebar). Important Note: it is the responsibility of students enrolled in courses offered outside the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work in the last term of their graduating year to inform instructor(s) of their intent to graduate and to provide the instructor with the School of Graduate Studies grade submission deadline for reporting grades for graduating students which can be found in the SGS academic calendar (typically the SGS grade submission deadline is the last week of April for June convocation).
Auditing: as a registered student in the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work you may audit graduate courses without formal enrolment provided you have the instructor's consent. Auditing permits class attendance but your work is not evaluated and no record of attendance appears on your transcript.
Special Studies course designation: refers to a course which is intended to meet particular needs or interests and is not available in other graduate courses offered at the University. A special studies course typically is offered on a specific topic. This option is limited by faculty resources and time constraints of potential instructors. We encourage student initiative in identifying the need for this type of course. Contact the Associate Dean, Academic or M.S.W. Studies Committee to discuss this option.
Directed Reading course: a type of special studies course that is individually developed, with one or a few students. It should involve as much reading and written work as a regular graduate level course and the frequency of your meetings with your instructor also should be consistent with other courses. The instructor must be a faculty member. Neither a sessional instructor nor teaching assistant is authorized to teach this type of course. If you plan to take a directed reading course, a course outline and bibliography must be developed with your instructor and a Request for Individual Reading and Research Course Form completed (the form is available on the School of Graduate Studies web site: www.sgs.utoronto.ca. Under Current Student, select Student Forms). The course must be approved by the Associate Dean, Academic to be counted as a course requirement for the M.S.W. degree.