Start Date: September 2026 (Part-time Status)

Application Deadline: March 1, 2026

Program Length: Six Academic Terms (2 years)

Credential: Ontario Masters Degree

Program Partner: Wilfrid Laurier University

About the Program:
Join Kenjgewin Teg’s Master of Social Work – Indigenous Field of Study (MSW – IFS) program to become a social work leader grounded in Indigenous knowledge and contemporary practice. This immersive program equips you with the skills to support holistic healing and apply them across diverse settings. Graduates earn a Master’s Degree, ready to make a meaningful impact in their communities.

You Will Learn:

  • How to integrate Indigenous worldviews and traditions into social work practice.
  • The principles of Indigenous wholistic healing and their application in diverse settings.
  • The historical and contemporary impacts of Canadian policies and colonization on Indigenous communities.
  • Techniques for culturally safe engagement with individuals, families, and communities.
  • The use of Indigenous elders, traditional circle processes, and ceremonies in social work practice.
  • Skills to advocate for social justice and systemic change.
  • Strategies for fostering resilience, wellness, and cultural continuity in Indigenous communities.

Your Future Career:
Graduates of the MSW – Indigenous Field of Study program are prepared to pursue roles such as:

  • Indigenous social work practitioner or counsellor
  • Community program coordinator or advisor
  • Policy analyst or advocate in Indigenous social services
  • Clinical social worker in health or mental health settings
  • Educator or trainer in Indigenous social work practices
  • Leader in organizations serving Indigenous communities

Fall (Term 1)

  • SK628 Culture Camp: 1-week in-person (land-based)
  • SK647 Elders’ Teaching and Indigenous Identity: 1-week in-person (Kitchener)

Winter (Term 2)

  • SK646 Wholistic Healing Practices: 1-week virtual synchronous*
  • SK649 Advanced Field Education (3 days/week): Practicum in community

Spring (Term 3)

  • SK649 Advanced Field Education (3 days/week): Practicum in community
  • SK645 Indigenous Research Methods: 1-week virtual synchronous*

Fall (Term 4)

  • SK507 Social Justice and Transformative Social Work Practices: 1-week virtual synchronous*
  • SK644 Indigenous Kinship Structures and Social Work Practice: 1-week virtual synchronous*

Winter (Term 5)

  • SK635 Indigenous Knowledges and Theory: 1-week in-person (Kitchener or FNTI)

Spring (Term 6)

  • SK648 Elders’ Teachings and Self-Reflection (Pass/Fail): 1-week in-person (land-based)

Admission Requirements:

  • Bachelor of Social Work required.
  • B (73%) average in your last ten half-credit courses or equivalent.
  • Qualitative research methods course and eight half-credit social science courses.
  • Evidence of paid and/or voluntary experience in human service organizations is required. Two or more years of experience is strongly recommended.
  • Although this program is open to students of all cultural backgrounds, candidates for the Indigenous Field of Study must also have some familiarity with the traditional wholistic healing approach and/or have used it in their practice. This will be demonstrated through a personal statement, references and an admissions interview.

Connect with Your Program Coordinator:
Your program coordinator is here to support you every step of the way—both in the classroom and beyond.

Rebecca Wright
Health and Wellness Program Coordinator
705-370-4342 ext 258
RebeccaWright@kenjgewinteg.ca

Every attempt is made to ensure the accuracy of information provided in this fact sheet with our valued post-secondary partners. Kenjgewin Teg and its partners reserve the right to modify any course, program, curriculum, fee, timetable or location at any time. As a community-based delivery program with its partner, this program offering is subject to approved funding and sufficient enrolment.