msw22

Hello! It's nice to see more applicants slowly appearing on this forum! I unfortunately can not offer too much insight as I am not an Advanced Standing applicant, however many social workers that I volunteered for in my community at CAS spoke highly of Ryerson's program. My only suggestions would be to either look at forums from previous years and contact the students that were accepted to the program and/or contact the practicum coordinator at Ryerson to ask if they can give you a general list of where students have completed their placements. If you don't mind me asking, what information do you have regarding Laurier's placement options? From the research I have done they typically do not offer a list of their placement options unless you are in the program. I do remember seeing a list of organizations that U of T works with, but of course can not seem to find that now. Thank you

@smpalesh that's was my next concern but I guess I am best to wait it out until I have a letter of acceptance before overthinking this

@smpalesh thank you for the input, how soon did you have to arrange that and with who?

@Socialworkerr that's a good perspective, I hadn't considered looking at it like that! @jenste I am just a little outside of Hamilton so I know my commute wouldn't be complicated, but my concern is would I miss out on opportunities to participate in functions, events, organizations, missing out on valuable practicum placements in the Toronto area and/or gaining experience from these placements by keeping myself in the Hamilton area.

I'm managing somewhat because I will know something from Guelph within the next 2 weeks, but I am sure afterwards I'll be eager and anxious! Does anyone have any insight on the potential for commuting to U of T while doing the program FT... @smpalesh I believe i had seen you mention this on a previous post, any idea if it's manageable especially when it comes to completing the practicum?

I believe when you log in to ROSI where it says "Registration" the status there changes, I could be wrong but I think I remember reading that from an old post.

@Canadian_Uni_International what stream are you hoping to go into if accepted and did you apply to any other programs? April does indeed seem far away!

@Bettyg asides from going to the gym, I'm planning a trip in the summer so my mind's being occupied by getting together an itinerary for that! haha @lee22 - Laurier: CPPO + IFG (integrated option with emphasis on CPPO) U of T- Health & Mental Health with a collaborative degree option in health services and policy research (non-PhD option)

@prospect_student this is a discussion board for MSW programs

Hello! Congratulations on applying Here is another program that might be of interest to you: Masters of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership http://carleton.ca/mpnl/ The application system is now open for the Summer 2015 intake. The Summer Institute for 2015 will run from July 6th to July 17th. Complete applications should be submitted before the deadline of January 15th, 2015 to be considered for funding.

You are best to call or email Angela Umbrello

@soapaddict you can find out the university's specializations on their department webpage. York's focus is an anti-oppression perspective.

I would personally go with straight to the point if you're worried about the word limit and maybe write up 2 or 3 different intros then have someone else read them to get an unbiased opinion. I've had 4 or 5 different people read my statement of interests haha If you have a professor that wouldn't mind reading over the statement of interest, that might be beneficial as well.

@Soapaddict, as smpalesh has indicated there is a minimum grade requirement and grad schools typically do not accept students who do not meet the minimum requirements unless they have proof of extenuating circumstances in addition to having considerable professional, volunteer and work experience. Universities have these standards as a means of ensuring their applicants and prospective students will be able to successfully handle the work load. From what I have read on these forums in previous years, successful applicants tend to have a B+ average or higher in addition to strong personal, work or volunteer experience. Sorry if this is discouraging! However, this was my experience in my final year of undergrad when I applied to Guelph's CFT program, which looked only at students' last 2 years of school completed (at the time that would have been my 2nd and 3rd year grades). I am glad to have had a break between school and given myself the opportunity to gain new experiences as I think they have really helped to develop a more focused interest and goal. As for your question regarding what constitutes a "B average," you will have to look at the university's department website for this information. It tends to be 75% I believe. Lastly, Aboriginal community work is in demand in some provinces more than others but I have learned it is extremely important that you pick your area of social work based on your interest rather than what is "in demand." I do not mean to sound as though I am criticizing your interest in this population, but I have a friend who is pursuing a masters in public health and currently working with this population out west and it is tough work that requires a lot of patience, cultural sensitivity and a significant understanding of their history, background and politics. So, just be sure to do your research on specific issues affecting the population you are interested in working with I have another friend who just graduated from Laurier's MSW program and in their written statement they were upfront in saying that while they were unsure as to what population they wanted to work with or what type of social work they wanted to do. Given their personal and related work experience they felt that they had the necessary skills that just required the guidance of the university. So, yes it is important to show the universities your interest but also understand they are a good judge of character and also want students who want to learn just as much as the students with a specific focus.

@wishingonuoft you are correct regarding the due date for U of T's final application. November 3, 2014* SGS Online Application; Application Fee; Official Academic Transcripts December 1, 2014 Final Date to submit SGS Online Application; Application Fee; Official Academic Transcripts December 15, 2014 All supporting documentation. This includes the following: MSW Program Application Form Resume Field Practicum Experience (if applicable) Written Statement Three References MSW Application Checklist Electronic Transcripts Note: items 1-6 can be submitted electronically. http://socialwork.utoronto.ca/how-to-apply/msw/application-deadlines/

@smplalesh thanks for writing that, while I have already submitted my application for U of T it is a boost of confidence as that is the format I followed for the questions. However, I mentioned 2 professors on my online admissions application form rather than the written statements since I have discussed with them the potential for a different combination of specializations that would require an additional practicum. I was hesitant to just speak out to a select few professors in my written statements as I am open to the research interests of several professors. As well, knowing that some will be on academic leave or attending to their own research I did not want to limit any other potential opportunities. All in all I think we went about our written statements similarly by looking into the program and professors to ensure our own goals would be a good fit for the program as well as presenting a current issue of interest relevant to social work. With regards to the other statements of interest, I had originally thought I would be able to copy, paste and cut out some bits from my U of T application for Laurier given the similarities between the questions... haha oh, that proved me wrong! Hence why I am still struggling to write so much of what I want to say in to so few words. Plus you are definitely right about tailoring each application specifically to each school/program. Best of luck to you with your remaining applications. I hope the new year brings good health to you so you can pursue your studies, which you seem to be working very hard to achieve

Hello! This is also my first time applying to U of T's 2 Year MSW program as well, so keep in mind that my suggestions are just based on my own thoughts and advice I have been given. I think it is important to give equal opportunity to talk about personal, work and volunteer experiences in the statement of interest as well as linking it to your educational background and/or your knowledge of social work. For myself, I used the 5 questions to tell a story. It sounds strange but I felt I was able to pick a few specific instances from each category (personal, work, volunteer) and consistently discuss them while elaborating on their relevance to social work or my interest in pursuing social work without being repetitive. One example, I had discussed some specific early life events that motivated an interest in a advocacy volunteer position with an organization that was concerned with the welfare of youth and issues affecting this population. Any time I struggled with a question or hit a mental road block I stopped and would ask myself a few different questions: "what is the significance of this experience to social work" "how does it relate to other relevant social work experiences" "what unique perspective and/or skill did this experience provide me with that is useful for social workers" One piece of advice I was given was to make mention of the positions/experiences from those individuals you plan to ask for a reference letter. It might be more challenging or not as significant for the academic reference, but it does make sense to mention what you have learned from the people who will be providing you with a reference letter. Especially, if you're choosing these references based on their ability to perceive and speak to your potential suitability for the program/field of social work. I would also encourage not worrying about what your experiences might lack in terms of "direct social work experience" and really focus on what these opportunities have equipped you with - this is one of the many great things about social work, not all experiences are the same and each has its own purpose Hope this helps!

Unfortunately, I can not take credit for that statement since I found it on one of the old posts

From a previous thread for this topic, I found this: "UofT gets about 600-700 applications for about 125 spots. That means less than 20% of applicants will go to the program. They put 75 more on the wait list. Wilfrid Laurier accepts 90 out of 400-500 applicants. Again, that's pretty close to 20%. They have a small waitlist as well but I do not believe it exceeds 20 or 25. I know less about York, Windsor, and Carleton because I never planned on going to any of them. I believe they each accept a class of about 25. I am pretty sure they each typically have between 125 and 250 applicants, but again, not entirely sure." Another post indicated: "As well, the HBSW only takes 60 at Orillia and 25 at Thunder Bay. I was accepted into Thunder Bay. Considering they get roughly 500 applicants per year, your chances of getting in are similar to that of the masters. As well, about 3/4 of the people in my program are from Thunder Bay, so I think they really tend to accept a lot of people from Thunder Bay over others. UofT gets about 600-700 applications and accepts 150. Laurier last year (referring to 2013) there were 600 applicants for 90 spots in the 2yr MSW and 120 applicants for 28 spots." "I heard Mac only accepts 20-25 and has around 85 applicants, and Lakehead Orillia gets around 450 and accepts like 100?" Hope this helps, unfortunately I was unable to find all the applicants/acceptances for each school.

No problem! I am unsure about Lakehead but there's a link on this page for Dalhousie regarding the courses required during the program http://www.dal.ca/faculty/healthprofessions/socialwork/programs/master-of-social-work/course-sequencing.html

I would consider you to be a competitive applicant, your experiences are all very relevant to social work so do not stress! If you do feel like you are still lacking on some level or another asides from taking on more volunteer roles I would recommend considering any personal life experiences that can not be accounted for on the CV. One individual in last years thread indicated that someone from the admissions committee encouraged them to include their experience of having had to take care of a sick relative. Hope this helps!

As far as I know, U of T and York only require a research methods. So this could be completely qualitative. For example, in my undergrad at U of T I took logic of social inquiry and quantitative methods in the sociology faculty. U of T website has a list of courses from different Canadian universities that count towards this. If you are not sure, you can always email admissions with a syllabus. Does anyone know if statistics is required upon admission for other MSW programs? UofT, York, Ryerson..? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ONTARIO MSW PROGRAMS Advanced Standing MSW Programs: U of T: http://socialwork.utoronto.ca/how-to-apply/msw/admission-requirements/ "All applicants must have completed satisfactorily at least three full courses, or their equivalent, in the social sciences, to include a half-credit course in research methodology, preferably in the social sciences. A grade less than mid-B in the required half-credit course in research methodology will lessen the applicant’s probability of admission." York: http://socialwork.gradstudies.yorku.ca/msw/ "Successfully completed an undergraduate research methods course" Ryerson http://www.ryerson.ca/socialwork/graduate/mswadmissions.html Ryerson's admission page does not specifically indicate research methods as a requirement, however given that applicants are required to have BSW I believe it is a requirement to complete a research methods course as part of the curriculum for a BSW just as it is for most social science course Laurier http://www.wlu.ca/page.php?grp_id=30&p=312 "Academic background must include at least four full (or eight half) social science courses and a half-credit course in research methodology. " Carleton: http://carleton.ca/socialwork/prospective-students/graduate-2/msw-admissions/ "One full-credit (1.0 credits) in Research and Statistics (Qualitative and Quantitative) with a grade of B (73%); OR Two half-credit courses (0.5 credits each). One in Research Methods, the other in Statistics with a grade of B (73%) in both courses." Lakehead: http://socialwork.lakeheadu.ca/uploads/docs/MSW_Student_application_Guide_2014_with_suggested_changes.pdf " All candidates are required to have completed an acceptable full credit undergraduate course in research methodology and statistics." Laurentian: http://laurentian.ca/program/social-work-msw "In addition to selected core courses in the undergraduate program, for example, social work policy, research, theory/practice courses (see B.S.W. course descriptions)...." Ottawa: http://www.grad.uottawa.ca/Default.aspx?tabid=1727&monControl=Programmes&ProgId=606 Feel free to correct my french, but I think it says minimum 6 credits in research methods and nothing about statistics McMaster: http://www.socialwork.mcmaster.ca/graduate-program/admissions "half course in introductory social research methods" Waterloo: https://uwaterloo.ca/school-of-social-work/master-social-work-msw/admissions-criteria "The successful completion of both a Research Methodology course and a Statistics course - or one full course which includes both. There is no specific minimum mark requirement." Windsor: http://www1.uwindsor.ca/socialwork/advanced-standing-msw-program-1-year "Evidence of successful completion of one undergraduate course in statistics and one in research methods both of which must be related to social sciences" Western: http://www.kings.uwo.ca/academics/school-of-social-work/master-of-social-work/admissions/admission-requirements/ "The successful completion of one full-course equivalent in Research Methodology and Statistics; that is, a half course in Research Methodology and a half course in Statistics, or one full course which includes both. There is no specific minimum mark requirement." Dalhousie: http://www.dal.ca/faculty/healthprofessions/socialwork/programs/master-of-social-work/admission-requirements--campus-and-distance-delivery-.html 2 Year MSW Programs: U of T's Admission Criteria: http://socialwork.utoronto.ca/how-to-apply/msw/admission-requirements/ "All applicants must have completed satisfactorily at least three full courses, or their equivalent, in the social sciences, to include a half-credit course in research methodology, preferably in the social sciences. A grade less than mid-B in the required half-credit course in research methodology will lessen the applicant’s probability of admission." York's Admission Criteria: http://socialwork.gradstudies.yorku.ca/msw/ "Successfully completed an undergraduate research methods course" Laurier http://www.wlu.ca/page.php?grp_id=30&p=312 "Academic background must include at least four full (or eight half) social science courses and a half-credit course in research methodology. " Laurentian: http://laurentian.ca/program/social-work-msw "In addition to selected core courses in the undergraduate program, for example, social work policy, research, theory/practice courses (see B.S.W. course descriptions)...." Ottawa: http://www.grad.uottawa.ca/Default.aspx?tabid=1727&monControl=Programmes&ProgId=606 Feel free to correct my french, but I think it says minimum 6 credits in research methods and nothing about statistics Windsor: http://www1.uwindsor.ca/socialwork/regular-track-master-of-social-work-program "Evidence of successful completion of one undergraduate course in statistics and one in research methods both of which must be related to social sciences" Dalhousie: http://www.dal.ca/faculty/healthprofessions/socialwork/programs/master-of-social-work/admission-requirements--campus-and-distance-delivery-.html I apologized if I missed any other Ontario University, feel free to add to the list!

Hi! I did this as well after my undergrad, however I applied to an even more competitive program that only accepts about 8 students a year. While I can't speak on behalf of what the experience would be like for applying to an MSW program, from reading previous threads the universities are very strict with their minimum GPA. So, if your average meets the minimum requirement (I apologize I still get thrown off by the point system and do not know them off hand) I would encourage you to apply if you're confident in your experience (personal, professional and volunteer). Hope this helps!

I graduated from McMaster and they classified "Communications and Media" as well as "Art History" as a Humanities course, but check with your university. Also if you're just shy of one credit would you consider doing one online? I know Athabasca was recommended to me as a means of boosting my statistics mark as it just meets the requirement for another program I am applying to. As well, I noticed you were looking into applying to U of T which I think has the same requirements as far as social science and research methods credits as Laurier.

Welcome to the discussion board! Well, first off it sounds as though you have some well rounded experience. So, don't sell yourself short and take a moment to be proud of what you have accomplished Yes, all programs are competitive in one way or another but be confident in your experiences and convey that to admissions. If you think you're capable of another volunteer experience I say go for it, otherwise I would suggest considering work shops or training sessions as a means of skill building. I have found this a bit more manageable with my schedule and beneficial to my work since it's short term (e.g. 1 or 2 day sessions for 1-3 weeks), does not involve me breaking a contract or commitment (some volunteer agencies require "x" amount of hours per week or 1-2 year contracts), shows commitment to education (e.g. staying up to date on relevant issues) and sometimes cost effective (my job pays for some, others are free within the community). If you don't mind me asking, do you have a specific focus in mind for your MSW? As in what type of population or groups of individuals you would like to work with or specialization?