MSW 2022 CANADA APPLICATION FORUM

[Pepsi0630]

Also, for everyone waiting on UVIC acceptance, I logged in today and it says "Recommended by Department". I have not received an official acceptance email yet.

[offergod]

congrats for everyone getting good news and fingercross for all the buddies who are still waiting
I have received updates from UBCV today.  They said the School of SW would like to recommend me for admission but they need me to provide some official document first.

[CaseyMSW]

Hi everyone, I'm an international applicant. To be honest my MSW application this year didn't turn out so well. I only got a waitlist letter til now though there are still three universities left without final decisions. And my only backup plan for MSW is the BSW of Dal.

I know some of you guys already have a BSW degree in Canada so I'm wondering if anyone could kindly share some information about it. Like, will salaries be so different between BSW and MSW? Will it be a "waste" to gain a BSW degree instead of going for MSW? (A friend of mine who already completed her MSW in the USA told me I should go straight to MSW.)

For my background, I have 2000h+ hours of volunteer/paid experience in the field of sex education and anti-gender-based violence, my GPA is 3.66/4.0. I know it is not as competitive as most of you guys especially I am still a graduating student. But I really need some advice on it since the situation in China is getting worse and worse. For people who don't know much about it: there is a bitter joke we know "the real social workers in China are in jail". So I need to get out of this place as soon as I can. 

Any advice would be great. Thanks so much for your time if you read here  Hopefully I have a chance to meet you guys in Canada.

[FingerCrossedMSW2022]

Hello everybody! I just found that I got waitlisted by King's.

Since I am an international student and the admission procedure for graduate students in my country is totally different from that of Canada (usually we have to pass an exam with satisfying score before getting into any graduate school. Also, there is no such thing like "waitlist" in my country, only "offer" and "rejection". So clearly we are not sharing the same application culture lol), I am wondering what I should do after receiving their email notifying the waitlist decision. Should I respond to their email telling them I would like to be on their waitlist? OR should I just wait for their further notification?

Any reply would be appreciated! Thxx! ?

Edited March 22, 2022 by FingerCrossedMSW2022

[SocialWorkingSarcasm]

1 hour ago, FingerCrossedMSW2022 said:

Hello everybody! I just found that I got waitlisted by King's.

Since I am an international student and the admission procedure for graduate students in my country is totally different from that of Canada (usually we have to pass an exam with satisfying score before getting into any graduate school. Also, there is no such thing like "waitlist" in my country, only "offer" and "rejection". So clearly we are not sharing the same application culture lol), I am wondering what I should do after receiving their email notifying the waitlist decision. Should I respond to their email telling them I would like to be on their waitlist? OR should I just wait for their further notification?

Any reply would be appreciated! Thxx! ?

I’m waitlisted there too, unfortunately we just have to wait.

[T.O.hopeful]

5 hours ago, CaseyMSW said:

Hi everyone, I'm an international applicant. To be honest my MSW application this year didn't turn out so well. I only got a waitlist letter til now though there are still three universities left without final decisions. And my only backup plan for MSW is the BSW of Dal.

I know some of you guys already have a BSW degree in Canada so I'm wondering if anyone could kindly share some information about it. Like, will salaries be so different between BSW and MSW? Will it be a "waste" to gain a BSW degree instead of going for MSW? (A friend of mine who already completed her MSW in the USA told me I should go straight to MSW.)

For my background, I have 2000h+ hours of volunteer/paid experience in the field of sex education and anti-gender-based violence, my GPA is 3.66/4.0. I know it is not as competitive as most of you guys especially I am still a graduating student. But I really need some advice on it since the situation in China is getting worse and worse. For people who don't know much about it: there is a bitter joke we know "the real social workers in China are in jail". So I need to get out of this place as soon as I can. 

Any advice would be great. Thanks so much for your time if you read here  Hopefully I have a chance to meet you guys in Canada.

I sympathize with your situation and hope you're able to achieve what you're looking for! If you go the BSW route, you do not have to stop there. You can then apply for advanced standing MSW programs and depending on how well you do in your BSW program (e.g., strong grades), it may make you a stronger candidate for MSW programs. So, I don't think doing a BSW is a bad idea. And of course, you can stop at the BSW level and work right away, but just wanted to let you know that you can apply for advanced standing MSWs after if your goal is still to receive the masters. 

[CaseyMSW]

4 minutes ago, T.O.hopeful said:

I sympathize with your situation and hope you're able to achieve what you're looking for! If you go the BSW route, you do not have to stop there. You can then apply for advanced standing MSW programs and depending on how well you do in your BSW program (e.g., strong grades), it may make you a stronger candidate for MSW programs. So, I don't think doing a BSW is a bad idea. And of course, you can stop at the BSW level and work right away, but just wanted to let you know that you can apply for advanced standing MSWs after if your goal is still to receive the masters. 

Thank you for your reply❤️ I know there are advanced stadning MSW programs but my situation is a little bit complicated. My mom, who provide me the money to study abroad, will not let me take another year in studying mostly because we don't have enough money. That's why I am in a dilemma: BSW spends more (around 10000 CA dollars a year than MSW for international student)with less pay, but relatively easy to apply for. It may helps me get out of here more quikily but I'm worried about if I could make a living with that pay(plus I have to pay my loan by then). Anyway, wish me lucky enough to receive a MSW offer. And thanks again for your kind reminding ; ) 

[J12345]

12 hours ago, Pepsi0630 said:

Hi! I was in the same boat as you - I had a degree in Crim and wanted to jump straight into a master's program but faced the same barriers.

I decided to complete the BSW at UVIC. It is entirely online and if you have a previous degree it's only 12 courses and 2 practicums. Because I already had experience in the field, I did the first practicum via PLA. I finished the program in four semesters and I've accepted an advanced standing position with Laurier. I worked full time and also volunteered on the side while taking 4 courses. The workload was not bad at all - most courses were two papers and weekly discussion posts.

All in all my journey will take 9 semesters, so about three years from BSW to ending the MSW. However, if I had chosen UVIC instead of Laurier, it would only be 7 semesters because UVIC only requires 6 courses plus a practicum for their MSW program. 

Hi , if you wouldn't mind sharing, does UVIC allow practicum to be in other provinces? And what was tuition?

[Pepsi0630]

6 minutes ago, J12345 said:

Hi , if you wouldn't mind sharing, does UVIC allow practicum to be in other provinces? And what was tuition?

Hi! Yes the only requirement is that you live in Canada - there were some exceptions during COVID for international students but I'm not sure about that now. We had lots of people from Ontario, Alberta and Newfoundland. The tricky part for them is that some schools have agreements with health authorities in their home province so it's tough for them to get those health-based practicums sometimes. 

Tuition was about 11k, I ended up paying only half out of pocket because UVIC is generous with scholarships. I also have my own health coverage so I opted out of that cost. I think that's an extra $360.

[J12345]

2 minutes ago, Pepsi0630 said:

Hi! Yes the only requirement is that you live in Canada - there were some exceptions during COVID for international students but I'm not sure about that now. We had lots of people from Ontario, Alberta and Newfoundland. The tricky part for them is that some schools have agreements with health authorities in their home province so it's tough for them to get those health-based practicums sometimes. 

Tuition was about 11k, I ended up paying only half out of pocket because UVIC is generous with scholarships. I also have my own health coverage so I opted out of that cost. I think that's an extra $360.

Oh awesome! Thanks so much for the info. I have a BSc in Mental Health Studies so hopefully that will let me qualify for just the one year program.

[Pepsi0630]

13 minutes ago, J12345 said:

Oh awesome! Thanks so much for the info. I have a BSc in Mental Health Studies so hopefully that will let me qualify for just the one year program.

Yes good luck! It'll just be 12 courses plus practicum for you. I loved UVIC, and would continue there for my masters, but I want to be able to do independent counselling so went with a school that has clinical coursework.

[Cyraaa]

Hi everyone,

Long time lurker first time user. I applied to UofT, uWindsor, UWO, and Lakehead for their 1 year BSW.

I got waitlisted for uWindsor and rejected from UWO sadly… is it easy to get off uWindsor’s waitlist? 

[Odyssey417]

Anyone waiting on the 1 year BSW at Waterloo check QUEST - admissions are listed but no emails have gone out yet.

[stack]

Hey everyone!

Sort of off topic but I would appreciate your opinions  

For those interested in the clinical side of social work and wanting to go into some sort of therapy setting, why did you chose a MSW over a Masters in counselling? My goal is private practice one day and I am just trying to weight my options because I can achieve my goal with both degrees but there are pros and cons to each. What are your thoughts?

Thanks

[SocialWorkingSarcasm]

1 minute ago, stack said:

Hey everyone!

Sort of off topic but I would appreciate your opinions  

For those interested in the clinical side of social work and wanting to go into some sort of therapy setting, why did you chose a MSW over a Masters in counselling? My goal is private practice one day and I am just trying to weight my options because I can achieve my goal with both degrees but there are pros and cons to each. What are your thoughts?

Thanks

For me is was versatility, I love doing clinical counselling but I wanted the option that if I ever need a break I can do resource social work or move into a network setting 

[T.O.hopeful]

59 minutes ago, stack said:

Hey everyone!

Sort of off topic but I would appreciate your opinions  

For those interested in the clinical side of social work and wanting to go into some sort of therapy setting, why did you chose a MSW over a Masters in counselling? My goal is private practice one day and I am just trying to weight my options because I can achieve my goal with both degrees but there are pros and cons to each. What are your thoughts?

Thanks

Agree with the last poster. I'm similarly interested in therapy and possibly working in private practice. Based on exploring jobs that I find interesting on Indeed, I basically got the impression that you can do clinical counselling/private practice work with both degrees (i.e., MSW or Masters Counselling); however, there's also a lot of other interesting jobs that ask for an MSW and don't necessarily ask for a degree in counselling. So, just feels like the MSW will diversify my job options. 

[rexwsc]

1 hour ago, stack said:

Hey everyone!

Sort of off topic but I would appreciate your opinions  

For those interested in the clinical side of social work and wanting to go into some sort of therapy setting, why did you chose a MSW over a Masters in counselling? My goal is private practice one day and I am just trying to weight my options because I can achieve my goal with both degrees but there are pros and cons to each. What are your thoughts?

Thanks

I just felt that no matter what degree you are pursuing, you have to continue taking courses and acquiring certificates/licenses of practice if you want to focus on private clinical practice. 

[hopelessbuthoping]

Hi friends! I am so excited! I just got accepted into the 1 year BSW program at Waterloo, but I am still waiting to hear back for the 2 year program at Laurier. My acceptance is due in a week and I have a feeling I won’t hear back from Laurier by then. If I accept the offer and in some very odd chance I then get accepted for the MSW am I able to take back my acceptance ?

[tturtle]

51 minutes ago, hopelessbuthoping said:

Hi friends! I am so excited! I just got accepted into the 1 year BSW program at Waterloo, but I am still waiting to hear back for the 2 year program at Laurier. My acceptance is due in a week and I have a feeling I won’t hear back from Laurier by then. If I accept the offer and in some very odd chance I then get accepted for the MSW am I able to take back my acceptance ?

When you say take your acceptance back, do you mean are you able to accept Waterloo and then accept Laurier and then go back and reject Waterloo?

[TherapyTT]

1 hour ago, hopelessbuthoping said:

Hi friends! I am so excited! I just got accepted into the 1 year BSW program at Waterloo, but I am still waiting to hear back for the 2 year program at Laurier. My acceptance is due in a week and I have a feeling I won’t hear back from Laurier by then. If I accept the offer and in some very odd chance I then get accepted for the MSW am I able to take back my acceptance ?

You can accept Waterloo, then later accept Laurier and tell Waterloo you won't be attending (Waterloo will then pull from their waitlist to fill your spot). You might lose your deposit if you have to make one. Alternatively, you can ask Waterloo for an extension, but I'm not sure how that works.

[veronica58]

13 hours ago, CaseyMSW said:

Hi everyone, I'm an international applicant. To be honest my MSW application this year didn't turn out so well. I only got a waitlist letter til now though there are still three universities left without final decisions. And my only backup plan for MSW is the BSW of Dal.

I know some of you guys already have a BSW degree in Canada so I'm wondering if anyone could kindly share some information about it. Like, will salaries be so different between BSW and MSW? Will it be a "waste" to gain a BSW degree instead of going for MSW? (A friend of mine who already completed her MSW in the USA told me I should go straight to MSW.)

For my background, I have 2000h+ hours of volunteer/paid experience in the field of sex education and anti-gender-based violence, my GPA is 3.66/4.0. I know it is not as competitive as most of you guys especially I am still a graduating student. But I really need some advice on it since the situation in China is getting worse and worse. For people who don't know much about it: there is a bitter joke we know "the real social workers in China are in jail". So I need to get out of this place as soon as I can. 

Any advice would be great. Thanks so much for your time if you read here  Hopefully I have a chance to meet you guys in Canada.

If it helps, I have my BSW currently, was hired fresh out of my practicum into a hospital and am now making 100k+ a year working regular full time hours, I also have full benefits a pension and health spending account. My advice would be to do your practicum in the setting where you want to get hired 

[J12345]

3 hours ago, veronica58 said:

If it helps, I have my BSW currently, was hired fresh out of my practicum into a hospital and am now making 100k+ a year working regular full time hours, I also have full benefits a pension and health spending account. My advice would be to do your practicum in the setting where you want to get hired 

wow that's incredible! What hospital do you work for and do you do clinical social work or another type?

[MSW-Advanced Standing]

3 hours ago, veronica58 said:

If it helps, I have my BSW currently, was hired fresh out of my practicum into a hospital and am now making 100k+ a year working regular full time hours, I also have full benefits a pension and health spending account. My advice would be to do your practicum in the setting where you want to get hired 

Nice job Veronica.

Will you be doing MSW at uoft as I remember ?? 

[veronica58]

1 hour ago, J12345 said:

wow that's incredible! What hospital do you work for and do you do clinical social work or another type?

I work for Alberta health services (regional health authority) doing SW on an inpatient unit. Discharge planning, resource connecting, disability benefits, keeping families in the loop and happy, problem solving etc. Not clinical work but lots of emotional labour. And lots of stirring up ? fighting systemic barriers in the health care system and government systems. They don’t pay me for that last part but as a heavily AOP SWer I have made it my responsibility

[CaseyMSW]

8 hours ago, veronica58 said:

If it helps, I have my BSW currently, was hired fresh out of my practicum into a hospital and am now making 100k+ a year working regular full time hours, I also have full benefits a pension and health spending account. My advice would be to do your practicum in the setting where you want to get hired 

Thank you for kindly sharing this! It is really helpful! Though I found from Indeed that social worker in Canada usually earn less than it, it is still good to know that what a BSW can lead to. I will keep your advice in mind and thanks again for your reply ❤️