Maritime School of Social Work.

The Maritime School of Social Work was incorporated in Halifax as an independent school in April 1941, becoming the fourth place of its kind in the country. It arose out of long recognized need for professionally educated social workers in the Maritime region. In 1949, the School moved to King’s College, where it remained until it found a home of its own at 150 Coburg Road. The School amalgamated with Dalhousie University in 1969, enabling those attending to benefit from the University’s graduate programs in fields allied with those of social work--mainly Sociology and Psychology.

Dr. Samuel Henry Prince was the School’s first director, adopting a lighthouse whose rays shine into the darkness as the official Maritime School of Social Work emblem—a symbol of what Dr. Prince called ‘the epitome of the two-fold character of all social service, prevention and rescue.’ L.T. Hancock took over as the first regular Director of the School in 1949, and held this position until 1973.

In July 1984, the School joined the Faculty of Health Professions with Fred Wein as its Director. Prior to this date, the School had come under the auspices of the Faculty of Administrative Studies.

The mandate of the School is to make social work education both geographically and academically accessible to human service workers, service networks, and other ed persons throughout the Maritimes. The School offers two degrees: a Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Social Work. The Canadian Association of Schools of Social Work (CASSW) accredits both degrees which are the only such degrees offered in Nova Scotia. While undertaking study, many students work on either a full or part-time basis in human service positions.