Greater Toronto Area Universities, MSW

[MSW13]

Hello all,

As I read these forum threads I cant help but notice that there doesn't seem to be many advanced standing applicants.  Just wondering, are you out there?? I feel so alone!   haha

Anyone applying to U of T? Does anyone have any insight into their behind-the-scenes admissions process?

[teamsal]

Hi, Advanced standing at Ryerson, accepted yesterday. Sooo nervous!

[MSW13]

That's fantastic, congratulations!! Why so nervous?

 

Hi, Advanced standing at Ryerson, accepted yesterday. Sooo nervous!

[teamsal]

Hi, long story short, UK citizen with recent canadian pr status, so technically a domestic student. Currently working in UK as social worker. Canada seems so vast, I keep thinking i'll get lost in Toronto. I Will hopefully finish work in a few months and come over before uni starts. I've applied to York but have not heard back. In the unlikely event of them offering me a place, i will give up my place at ryerson and the deposit and take yorks offer. If you dont mind me asking which uni are you going to?

[MSW13]

I'll be going to UofT. Ryerson is actually my alma mater.  I can understand why you are concerned about getting lost in Toronto but honestly, you will do fine. The biggest adjustment for people (based on friends experiences who have moved here from small towns) is the 'noise'.  Lots of traffic, people, hustle and bustle etc. But if you can handle a place like say London England, you can handle Toronto.

York is at the north end of the city. It is pretty isolated since it is surrounded by industrial areas/residential areas. If you go to York, you will rely heavily on public transit since walking anywhere is pretty much impossible.  Personally, I don't really care for that campus because I find it so isolating. But if you do prefer a quieter setting, it is a good choice.

The other thing about Ryerson is that you are located right in the heart of downtown. It is great if you love that (which I did) but you do also get all of the 'flavours' of downtown (homelessness, panhandling, but also shopping, entertainment) which may or may not appeal to you. 

As far as placements go, you will likely have no problem getting there via public transit. Most big places are fairly accessible by subway/bus and our transit system is super simplistic.

As I said, I have no doubt that you will do fine

 

Hi, long story short, UK citizen with recent canadian pr status, so technically a domestic student. Currently working in UK as social worker. Canada seems so vast, I keep thinking i'll get lost in Toronto. I Will hopefully finish work in a few months and come over before uni starts. I've applied to York but have not heard back. In the unlikely event of them offering me a place, i will give up my place at ryerson and the deposit and take yorks offer. If you dont mind me asking which uni are you going to?

[teamsal]

Aww thanks for the reassurance. I'd be using public transport to get into Toronto from newmarket, bought a house there. Excellent news that you got in at UOfT, I missed the deadline for applying. I decideed on doing the msw late as CASW didn't recognise my UK social work degree, I recently submitted new evidence to them, so they may reconsider.

[teamsal]

Just googled 'panhandling', we have that here in the UK to in places like London and Manchester.

[MSW13]

No problem   The good thing about living in Newmarket is that you are well away from the big city but have a straight route downtown via train!  It sort of like having the best of both worlds, downtown excitement and the peacefulness of a small town.  Although York U is geographically closer to Newmarket, getting there is a bit more challenging than getting to Ryerson.  But since you've already bought a house, you must know all of this anyway! lol, sorry if I am repeating the obvious

Wow, I didn't realize that you have to get your degree recognized by CASW! What a pain.

I hope you enjoy the social work program at Ryerson!  It is an excellent school for social work.  Like I said, that was my alma mater and I did really enjoy it a lot when I was there (many, many years ago).   

Oh, I should mention that the panhandlers downtown aren't really aggressive so it isn't a safety issue for you as much as it is a reflection of how the different systems (social, mental health, etc) fail the most vulnerable people in society.. 

Aww thanks for the reassurance. I'd be using public transport to get into Toronto from newmarket, bought a house there. Excellent news that you got in at UOfT, I missed the deadline for applying. I decideed on doing the msw late as CASW didn't recognise my UK social work degree, I recently submitted new evidence to them, so they may reconsider.

[teamsal]

I'm doing the msw to improve job prospects as CASW don't recognize UK social work degree so I cant register with Ontario college of social work. I have been researching job prospects in Canada, but as a native, do you think employment chances in the profession are improved with obtaining a msw? Hope you don't mind me picking your brain.

[MSW13]

No, not at all, pick away  But please take whatever I say with a grain of salt. Obviously these are my opinions and they may not reflect the experiences of everyone.

Yes, having an MSW improves your employment chances enormously.  I've been working with my BSW for some time and I am constantly frustrated with the lack of upward mobility. You really need your MSW if you want to climb the employment ladder.  Of course you still have plenty of opportunities with a BSW, the only problem is that you are also limited with where you can work. If it is your interest to work in a school, government, or hospital setting, you will more likely than not require an MSW.  As well, there is also the bonus of being paid better. Anecdotally, I've seen an average of at least 10k difference in pay. For instance, in one of my previous places of employment, I was getting around 52K while my MSW counterpart was earning 60-65K. This was in a small not-for-profit. Your average hospital or government salary I believe is much better.

So basically, the benefits of an MSW include:

1. upward mobility

2. increased job versatility

3. better pay

It would be nice to hear more perspectives from others who are reading this.  Again, this is my general understanding...there are always exceptions   However, I should add that having an MSW doesn't guarantee employment. You still need to build your resume...I think this might be a surprise to some who are expecting to get hired right after graduation.

 

I'm doing the msw to improve job prospects as CASW don't recognize UK social work degree so I cant register with Ontario college of social work. I have been researching job prospects in Canada, but as a native, do you think employment chances in the profession are improved with obtaining a msw? Hope you don't mind me picking your brain.

[teamsal]

Completely agree with your point about building ones resume but its good to know that if one works hard, there are opportunities out there.

[teamsal]

Hi, any recommendations for any good Canadian social work books to read prior to starting the msw programme this fall, for example social work law etc. I know at undergrad level we did an open book social work law exam in the UK. Thanks in advance for any help.