MSW&MD

I am really sorry to hear this, good luck with your BSW advanced standing application, I am sure you will make it..... York two year MSW usually receives over 500 applications every year and has only 20 spots, but the program was talking about to expand it to 40 before 2020.....

The order goes by rejection letter- first round acceptance letter- second round acceptance letter- waitlist letter How do I know this? social work is a small field and you will find friends in every sector, including school admission office

U of t will start sending out all rejection letters next week, hope none of you will receive it!

Hello forum members: Please take a moment of silence and remember six innocent Canadians who were killed during Quebec City terrorist attack today due to hideous racially motivated cause ; and please take sometime to reflect on your social work values and beliefs. Why do you choose this noble profession? Is it because you believe in social justice and advocate for those who are racially/religiously/economically/sexually oppressed? Is it because you wholeheartedly respect the inherent value of every human life regardless of their skin colors, sexual orientation and religious beliefs ? or is it because you want to obtain a stable, middle class job in a healthcare institution/government agency and eventually promote to a junior management position? or perhaps operate a private clinic to compete with psychologists, psychotherapists and mental health counselors in the insurance-covered market? Whatever goals that you intend to achieve in this profession after completing MSW, I sincerely hope that before we jumping on the neo-liberal ,bio-medical bandwagon ,we can remember the ethical foundations of social work which make our profession so unique and commendable. Good luck to everyone!

I received a confirmation email on Feb 13th from York MSW program; I got U of T MSW admission package via mail on Feb 21th. I was in one year program.

You status will change to "under review" on ROSI once the school has your application. If you get into the program, you status will change to "Invited" like the one showing below. You probably going to receive a package via mail before ROSI changes its status. Just remember a big package= You are in, a small envelope = You are on waitlist. Registration - Fall 2016 - SW MSW 2 Degree Master of Social Work (2 Yr) (SW MSW 2) Status Invited Full-time or Part-time Full Time Session in which you entered program Fall 2016

OGS is for students who are interested to do a thesis in their graduate study, you will receive 15k for 3 consecutive terms. Application deadline is usually in January and results are usually released around April/May . If you are in a two year MSW program, you can't apply OGS anymore once you completed your second school term, so start the application process as early as possible.

With all these bizarre comments you made ,You clearly don't know who am I !!! Although i don't know who you were referring to in your post, I think is very obnoxious that you shaming another individual in such malicious manner on a public forum; just let me guess, he/she must be another colored person whom you feel is safe to cyber-bullying and verbally abuse! And judging my comments as " hateful and biased" is a solid evident that you are a narrow mind person who can't handle different opinions!

I guess you are referring me as "Ye"? Although I don't know who is this person, posting that person's name without his/her consent on a public forum is called cyber-bullying and crime!!! in case that u of t didn't teach you!!

Access to OSAP is called privilege!!! Having a job while in school is called privilege!! Lol. looks like u of t didn't teach you folks anything about critical self-reflection and the concept of intersectionality of social oppression. Why did not you go to a cheaper school if you complaining about the student debt ? Maybe those schools are too " ethnic" to you? As a racialized gay person, I have absolutely no interest to initiate any intimate interaction with heterosexual women. I find your accusation is preposterous and absurd !!! I never attended any u of t event in the past few years besides a mandatory training at OISE . I was too busy with my job and I was not even in Canada last year! I don't know why you trumped up these baseless and defamatory stories ! Is it a strategy that U of T taught you to silencing people who question the legitimacy of dominant discourses in social work profession? Then, I must say that U of T is doing a good job here Cheers !!

LOL . deprecating a person who challenges the undeniable facts of institutional racism and academic oppression as " hateful trash", I am sure CASW code of ethics love to hear that !!

You will receive an official letter in March if you get into one- year York MSW program Dear xxxx I want to be one of the first to congratulate you on being offered admission to Graduate Studies at York University. You will receive an email shortly outlining your next steps. You can accept your offer now via MyFile. Look for an official offer of admission package in the mail. You will also be receiving more information soon from your new graduate program, including details about potential funding support opportunities. In the meantime, to help you with any questions about your program or the University, visit your specific program website. I look forward to having you join the graduate community at York. Sincerely, Barbara Crow Dean, Graduate Studies York University

Don't get discouraged! I hope you will get into York this year

You will receive a funding package either says 9k or 15k ; you will get 3k each semester ( The school will deduct them directly from your tuition fees and give you whatever that left after your tuition payment) . 15k funding package includes 6k entrance scholarship in addition to the 9k program funding which everyone gets once they get into the program. York's tuition is about 6k in total in comparison to u of t's 12k for one year MSW program, but since u of t is an elite oriented school, high tuition fee should not be a challenging issue for most students there. Perhaps that is one important reason why this school severely lacks of racial diversity ( except some Chinese and Jewish women).

For all applicants to York MSW program, you will receive a confirmation email that tells you either you are accepted or on wait-list by Mid-February. Emma Pascal is usually the one sends that email and she will also tell you how much funding package you will get ( between 9k to 15k). Your online status wouldn't change until you accept the offer. If you application is unsuccessful, your status will change to " unsuccessful" before the end of June. If you have any question in regard to York's application, funding package or MSW courses/ research paper/placement, please feel free to chat with me Hoping only the best for you and your success at York MSW !!

lol. my comments aren't certainly not helpful to white nationalist/supremacists.

Hi, thanks for raising your concern. As the OP of this thread and a similar thread for 2016 MSW applicants, it was my intention to create an information exchange platform for people who are interested in MSW education. I firmly believe that every forum participant is entitled to freely express their authentic opinions, experiences and values in the context of MSW education. Understanding the foundational principles of social work disciplines ( such as bio-medical approach vs anti-oppressive practice) is deemed to be critical for MSW applicants to select a school that is most congruent to their learning objectives as well as their professional commitment. As I indicated earlier, U of T's MSW pedagogical approach and its Eurocentric, Neo-liberal and Elite- feminist institutional culture did not appeal to me at all. Nerveless, without spoke to my racialized friends who graduated from this school, I would not know about this. I was also misinformed that no hospitals in Toronto would give non U of T MSW students placement opportunities, and only found out this was completely false by reading some posts on this forum. All in all , I highly encourage people, especially those of us who already graduated from MSW, sharing our schooling experiences with new applicants in this profession. I know some people may feel uncomfortable when their racial/gender/social privileges have been critically challenged, in such case, you may want to attend schools that are focused on clinical teaching only, and may occasionally use " anti- racism" cliche as a narcissistic celebration of their white privileges.

The most informative posts from last year in regard to York vs U of T MSW Program On 3/16/2016 at 1:13 PM, serendipitous22 said: Hi everyone. I'm currently in the MSW program at York University. I remember very well what it was like to repeatedly check my email and the various online application systems, and my mailbox... for those of you who are still waiting, hang in there! I wanted to share some information about my program that I wish I had known when I was applying, and when I was making my decision. To be completely fair, here is a brief overview of the type of person that I think would be a good fit for the York MSW program: - You are very interested in critical social work theories, including Marxism, critical race theory, feminism, queer theory, critical disability studies, etc. (*York does not yet have a strong Indigenous component to the program. UVic is excellent at this if that's what you're looking for. Arguably we should all be looking for this, but I digress.) - You did a BSW that heavily focussed on clinical skills OR somehow have clinical skills already. In this instance, I actually think York would be a really good complement to your existing skills. - You want to do macro or meso level social work practice, such as: community work, grassroots activism/organizing, research, group work, programming. York is a good choice for this as it focuses on critical social work practice, which translates well into macro/meso social work practice. - You want to do a PhD and are very interested in theory and want to write a major research paper. U of T limits the number of students who can do a thesis, so York would be a good choice for you as every student needs to write a practice-based research paper (same as a major research paper; note that a PRP is shorter than a Master's thesis) and this is a requirement for many PhD programs. Unfortunately for me, I don't fall into any of these categories and I have been disappointed with the program. I'm writing this in the hopes that you will have a bit more information than I did when making an admissions decision. There are a total of 20 students in my cohort/class, and we have had many extensive discussions as a group about our shared frustration and disappointment with the curriculum, faculty, and department. I would estimate that: 3-4 students have seriously considered dropping out or transferring (including me), 10-12 actively and vocally dislike/resent/are disappointed with the program, and 5-6 aren't happy or satisfied but are committed to just getting it over with. There isn't a single person in my cohort that has expressed basic satisfaction - let alone enthusiasm - for any aspect of the program, aside from the funding package (more on that later). There were some 'rumours' that went around the forum during my application year that I can now comment on based on my own experience. York does not have established relationships with key clinical practicum agencies in the GTA. York has good relationships with a lot of agencies that would interest you if you're interested in community work, policy, research, or activism/organizing. U of T has exclusivity agreements with many clinical agencies, meaning that the agency agrees to only take on U of T students. These include many hospitals or clinical facilities such as Hincks-Dellcrest, CAMH, and the University Hospital Network. Aside from these exclusivity agreements, many clinical/counselling agencies will not accept placement applications from York students. There ARE some exceptions to this rule, but everyone at York who wants to go into clinical/counselling work then has to compete against each other (and students from other schools) to get those limited placement positions. Generally speaking it is true that U of T has a lockdown on key clinical placement sites. If you have ANY interest in doing clinical work (counselling, working in a hospital, crisis work, trauma work, individual/family/couples/group therapy), and you are seriously considering attending another program, go there instead of York. This is the bottom line. Secondly, even if you feel optimistic about securing one of the few clinical placements available, you should know that York does not teach any clinical or practical skills. I knew this when I was applying, but I didn't REALLY understand it. Examples of skills or clinical topics that you will not learn at York include: developing a therapeutic alliance (this term is never used at York), building trust and rapport, phases or stages of a counselling relationship, communication skills (open-ended questions, active listening, reframing, summarizing), assessment skills, documentation skills, treatment planning, crisis intervention, counselling theories, counselling methods, ANYTHING related to mental health conditions (signs, symptoms, therapies).... you get it. There is one class on group facilitation and one class on narrative therapy (the only counselling course); both are electives. This is because York's MSW programs draw on a wholly different knowledge base than U of T, or other clinical programs. Critical social work draws on critical social theories, like Marxism, feminism, critical race theory, queer theory, critical disability studies, etc. U of T's social work program primarily draws on psychology, the medical model, and psychotherapy as a knowledge base. This is why York's mission statement and admissions process emphasis anti-oppression and social justice, and U of T's mission statement and admissions process emphasize research, "clinical" practice, and evidence-based treatment. To illustrate this difference, U of T offers classes on Social Work Practice in Mental Health, Social Work Practice with Individuals and Families, Advanced Social Work Practice in Mental Health, and electives related to trauma, counselling theories, cyber-counselling, child and adolescent trauma.... etc. York offers classes called Critical Perspectives in Mental Health and Critical Social Work Theories and Practice Skills. In the latter, you will learn about how and why various therapies (e.g. CBT, solution-focussed, strengths approach) are inherently problematic. You will not learn how to practice any of these therapies, OR even learn how they are done. You will also not learn how to practice any alternative treatments (in fact, you would never ever say 'treatment' at York). York focuses on critical and structural social work, so their critique of CBT, for example, would be that CBT individualizes a person's symptoms (let's say anxiety) instead of looking at the structural and contextual factors (e.g. the person who feels anxious is a racialized person living in poverty and on the brink of homelessness, so York might say that instead of medication and CBT, we should advocate for affordable housing and a guaranteed annual income). This is IMPORTANT and I have valued this, but I am not better prepared to work with someone with anxiety (meaning I still have no clue what to do). (This is why I imagine that a clinical BSW + a York MSW could be a good combination). So, many of us are stuck and eager to wrap up the program. Some students are doing external training - which, by the way, is incredibly expensive (a one day workshop ranges from $300-$500 and a certificate course in CBT could be $2000). Don't bother thinking, "Oh I'll just take electives at U of T", because there is only a very, very, very miniscule chance that you will be allowed to do so. One redeeming aspect of the York MSW program is its generous funding package. If finances are an issue for you, then it's worth seriously considering attending York as the funding packages are generous. In the 2-year program everyone gets a $15,000 package ($9,000 in Year 1 through a graduate assistantship (which requires 5 hours work/week) and other money, and $6000 in Year 2 through a research assistantship which doesn't require any work). If you get a York Graduate Scholarship then you get $6000 on top of this package. You will get all of this information in your acceptance letter. York also has very low tuition at roughly $1800 per semester. By comparison, the tuition at U of T is TREMENDOUSLY higher and they don't offer any funding packages. ** This is not inconsequential and despite everything else I've said, the money makes a huge difference ** /end rant BEST OF LUCK to all of you. I know this is a stressful time -- hang in there! I hope you all end up at a school that is a good fit for you personally and professionally. As a master of social work student at York University, I feel compelled to comment on the quoted post. I feel that there are a lot of assumptions in this post that are in contradiction with social work values and demonstrate a lack of knowledge of the profession. First of all, I would like to state that, prior to commencing my MSW studies, I was highly suspicious of all two-year MSW programs and saw (and continue to see) them as an outgrowth of the neoliberal academy. I do not think two years of MSW education can adequately capture the rich learning that occurs during the years it takes to complete a BSW and gain practice experience. Through my work experience, I have encountered several graduates of two-year MSW programs and despite holding a higher-level social work degree, they seemed to lack social work knowledge and uncritically accepted medical knowledge (i.e. “clinical” knowledge) as superior to social justice perspectives, which is the heart of social work. I was pleasantly challenged by some of the 2-Year MSW cohort at York and found many of these students do share a similar knowledge and value base, such as that which is cultivated at the BSW level. That being said, I find that they tend to be self-conscious about not having enough practice experience and often express that they do not learn “clinical” skills (this word is thrown around a lot to discursively align social work with medicine). The skills discussed in the quoted post are fairly basic and although reviewed at the BSW program, they are acquired through direct practice.I continue to encounter many of the UFT 2 year MSW students and they are hopelessly ignorant and come from erroneous backgrounds (ex. Real estate, Business, Neuroscience, and Psychology). UFT 2 Year MSW students and graduates tend to uphold neoliberal values in their practice and tend to align with medical and business (cost-saving) models rather than social work. It's true that York does not have a lot of partnerships as UFT has unfairly made a market. That being said, as I am nearing the end of the MSW program, I find that when I am contacted by employers, they have told me that they were interested because I also hold a BSW and have some experience, and not necessarily because of my practicum or school. I do not really have any suggestions to offer. I think that although York University’s Two-Year MSW program fosters a critical foundation for students, many would benefit by completing a BSW first to gain some foundational skills. I don't think UFT's Two-Year MSW program fosters the foundation that a BSW programs would provide and they would benefit from a BSW as well. You also have to wonder about equity issues as well; the Two Year MSW programs at both UFT and York are dominated by white people; this is not the case in the 1 year MSW program at York and Ryerson. I am glad that York limits the number of 2 Year MSW students they accept; the situation at UFT is quite uncontrolled and this has implications on the social work profession itself as we are flooded by those who think more like real estate agents, entrepreneurs, neuroscientists, and psychologists rather than social workers. By the way, I am curious what program would constitute a “clinical BSW”? All accredited BSWs are regulated by the CASWE and from my conversation with other holders of BSWs, the programs are similar in structure. May 29, 2016 by cupcake

Not sure why this forum is so quiet this year... maybe more people decide go for medical school instead of doing MSW ? lol

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, I personally don't care much about U of T's MSW program since its pedagogical approach doesn't conform with my social work value and therefore I didn't want to attend that school anyway. I did, however, respect its clinical focused teaching and " traditional white elite" school culture. But the whole idea of marginalizing, silencing, deprecating, humiliating and patronizing social workers who come from a different school of thought is extremely repugnant to me. I had a firsthand experience while I was doing my MSW at a UHN hospital, some of my U of T MSW colleagues actually made a formal complaint to the field education office because I was the only non U of T MSW student there. According to them, all hospitals that are affiliated with U of T should ONLY accepting U of T MSW students and I had literally stolen a spot from them! This academic hegemonism and institutional departmentalism really worries me about the future of our social work profession.

" His racism against white people", lol, thanks for empowering a racialized person and placing me on a higher status. Pls, I did very well in my MSW and I just received a PHD offer from an Ivy League school. Thanks for asking.

I did my undergrad there, I took two clinical courses at Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work and I did one collaborative research project with a U of T professor . It was my personal impression that the school is not as racially/culturally diverse as it claimed to be . Having said that, I really don't care about U of T MSW 's dominant pedagogical approach or its hegemonic discourse of institutional Whiteness; I don't lecture people on which school is better for them and which one is not; after all, we are all adults and we use our subjective judgement to make the best choice. I am just sharing my experience on the topic of diversity to someone who is interested know, if you find this topic to be offensive, then please ignore my thread. Thanks and cheer

Based on my experience, U of T MSW is one of the whitest school in Ontario, and I am not just talking about ethnicity of the students there , but the school culture in general. I would be very cautious to answer the diversity questionnares and ensure they don't sound " too critical " or " too postmodern".

Do you have strong academic references?

Why so many applicants only want go to U of T ? You may think that U of T is affiliated with many hospitals in Toronto which can increase your chance of get a clinical placement in a health care institution; the truth is that hospital placement is highly competitive, and it is really not about which university you go to but the people you know from hospitals. Many of my York/Ryerson MSW friends, including myself didn't attend U of T, we were still able to secure our placement in some of the best hospitals in Toronto. While many of my U of T MSW friends ended up in shelters , food banks and storefront community agencies ( nothing wrong with these places, but you probably wouldn't get much clinical experiences from these places). My point is that schools don't guarantee you a good placement, you need to utilize your social capitals and make the best out of your field education experience. Pls, most employers do not care about which university you graduated from, but what skills you have developed via your work/placement experience.