Canadian Universities MSW. The waiting game 2015 admissions

[soapaddict]

Does anyone know if statistics is required upon admission for other MSW programs? UofT, York, Ryerson..?

[rachelmsw]

Does anyone know if statistics is required upon admission for other MSW programs? UofT, York, Ryerson..?

 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.

[msw22]

 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..?

 

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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!

Edited October 10, 2014 by blh22

[msw22]

Hi guys,

 

This is such a great thread and I am so glad that I stumbled upon it! I have just graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Arts, Major in Sociology, Minor Human Geo & Political Science from U of T. My gpa of my last 5.0 full credit or 10 half credit courses was 3.94 or 87.5% average, so I believe I am pretty competitive gpa wise but I am worried my volunteer/paid experience is lacking. I plan on applying to U of T, York, Laurier, and Lakehead HBSW. I think most other schools offering two years MSW's not only recommend 2+ years full-time experience, but require it. 

 

My volunteer experience includes:

-A summer f/t paid student support worker at a homeless/under-housed drop-in program 

-2 years volunteering with Red Cross- 3.5-4 hours per week at a meal program and I have worked on projects such as administering annual client & volunteer surveys, writing donor reports & making recommendations for community initiatives programs etc.)

-2 years part-time paid work with the U of T scribing/reading one-on-one for students with accessibility barriers/disabilities to complete their tests and examinations 

-2 years on a University global action commission where we focused on awareness and fund-raising for issues such as the HIV/AIDS epidemic, suicide & mental health, environmental responsibility etc.

 

 

These positions do not result in anything close to the 3500+ schools seem to be looking for, which is stressing me out!

 

I guess I am wondering if anyone has any advice as to how I can work to make by application more competitive, or if they know of anyone who has gained admission to any of these programs with similar credentials/experience. I am about to start a grief counselling position (volunteer), although I will only have about 1-2 months experience by the time applications are due! You guys are awesome and I am looking forward to exchanging advice, support, and positive vibes!

 

 

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!

[KL1]

Hi everyone! Thanks for starting this thread! I'm applying to University of Toronto, University of Calgary, Windsor and Laurier 2-year programs and McGill's Qualifying Year.

I have a pretty average GPA (3.1) from my BA at McGill University so I'm a bit worried about that. My final year is around 3.5.

I worked with the Canada Border Services Agency (Customs) as part of the FSWEP while in university, working directly with travelers, so I got to interact with a diverse range of people entering Canada and take on a lot of responsibility. Since graduating 3 years ago, I've been working abroad as an English, Geography and History teacher. I've lived in Ukraine, Turkey and now China. I'm also group leader of the History and Geo dept. at my current job. These were all full-time paid positions.

I'm worried that my work experience isn't that diverse plus I haven't done any recent volunteer work. I'm hoping my international experience and language skills (Eng, Fr, Mandarin) will help. I really have no idea what they're looking for. Part of me feels like I could be pretty unique and part of me feels like I don't have the right kind of experience or grades. I think I'd be a great fit for a MSW program but I'm not sure they'll agree with me!

I'm looking to specialize in work with children and families. I especially want to work with immigrants and refugees.

Anyway good luck to everyone

Edited October 11, 2014 by KL1

[LP3]

Hi everyone!

After a lot of ambivalence about whether or not to apply to my MSW or wait a year or so... I THINK I'M GOING TO DO IT!

 

I've worked at community centres for the past year, volunteered at a homeless shelter for a year prior to that, and am currently doing my BSW at Waterloo where I am gaining some practicum experience in a macro setting. I wrote my personal statement a few months ago so that I can continuously edit and tweak it as my experiences change. I have a lot of life experience from leaving home at age 16 and fighting through the system to make it to university, so I hope they look favourably on this.

 

My current top choice is Laurier's Advance Standing IFG program. I have heard that the acceptance statistics are very tough, you need a LOT of relevant experience as well as excellent grades. 

 

My second choice (still on the fence though) is U of T. I know someone who is doing her program full-time from KW and commutes to campus every Monday and Tuesday for class. I don't know yet at this time if this is something I could be capable of doing, as winters are tough and I'm a new driver. 

 

Lastly, I am considering the MA Theology and Psychotherapy from Waterloo Lutheran Seminary, as many have told me that it's a great way to get your foot in the door, and then you can apply to the MSW after a year or so there. 

 

Looking forward to this excruciatingly tense next few months with everyone!

[soapaddict]

Thank you Blh22 for all that information on the schools! it was very helpful:)

For the Postgraduate social work program at lakehead (1 year); and Dalhouse (15 months BSW) does anyone know if you have to take a statistics course during the program?

[msw22]

Thank you Blh22 for all that information on the schools! it was very helpful:)

For the Postgraduate social work program at lakehead (1 year); and Dalhouse (15 months BSW) does anyone know if you have to take a statistics course during the program?

 

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

[LP3]

Can anyone advise on how tough it actually is to get into Laurier's advance standing? I'm currently doing my online portion of the app and continuing to edit my personal statement, and I'll be approaching my references this week to ask if they will provide a good word for me. I'm feeling really nervous, almost like my life will be over and I will be living in a box if I don't get into my MSW, but scared that I'll get in and be too poor/tired/burnt out and feel uncomfortable throughout the program. Same with commuting to U of T, if that might be too exhausting. 

[smpalesh]

Laurier is insanely hard to get into.  I am not going to lie.  I applied for the advanced standing last year and was waitlisted.  I got into UofT (but had to defer).  They only accept 28 students so it is very competitive.  You also need to have at LEAST 3 years of experience, and they don't make exceptions for that.  I am applying again this year because I would like to stay local if I can, but I am not holding out too much hope.

[smpalesh]

Does anyone know if Dalhousie distance MSW ever makes exceptions for the experience part of the application?  I am interested in applying but I do not have full-time experience after my BSW.  I have a child with special needs and my path got a bit derailed so all I have is 5 years of volunteer experience and 1 year practicum from my BSW.  I don't want to waste time applying if is mandatory to have the 2 years work experience after the BSW.

[LP3]

Yikes . Laurier did a presentation at Renison during our first week of the BSW. I didn't attend, but a lot of students left discouraged. 

When you applied to U of T, did you intend on moving to Toronto or commuting? 

I'm still considering applying to Dal because it's strictly online and you can do your placement either part time or in 4-day blocks over a semester. I did see that they require 2 years of full-time experience, but they consider experience gained before and during the BSW. 

[soapaddict]

Dalhousie requires 2 years of full-time experience in social work services or human services/volunteering ?

[soapaddict]

does anyone know what is the median that social workers can make within workin in the field for many years?

[nugget]

Have you considered applying to U of Windsor as well? They have campuses closer to Waterloo than Toronto, such as Mississauga and perhaps elsewhere that would be worth looking into.

 

Laurier is insanely hard to get into.  I am not going to lie.  I applied for the advanced standing last year and was waitlisted.  I got into UofT (but had to defer).  They only accept 28 students so it is very competitive.  You also need to have at LEAST 3 years of experience, and they don't make exceptions for that.  I am applying again this year because I would like to stay local if I can, but I am not holding out too much hope.

[LP3]

I have looked into Windsor but I'm not interested in the MSWwp format- you have class every Friday night and Saturday, and it's very fast paced yet takes 3 years to complete with normal-priced tuition per semester. It's a pretty expensive program from what I saw. 

The full-time advanced standing MSW appeals to me at Windsor as well, but theirs starts in May and continues on for a year, so if you're applying right out of the BSW at Waterloo, the programs are impossible to do right after another as they overlap. I'm considering applying to Windsor for the following year if I don't get accepted elsewhere. 

[soapaddict]

does anyone know if the advanced standing MSW is more condense in workload and harder than the 2 year MSW program ?

[Jennbe]

Does anybody know how many part time and full time students Waterloo Msw accepts? Just curious how big the class is..

[Guest]

I applied last year to U of T and York and was rejected at York and waitlisted at U of T. I'm not too concerned about my academics and research experience, but I'm very concerned about my field experience, since almost all of my field experience was super short term summer jobs. I am graduating this Fall (this week actually!) with a Bachelor of Arts in Child and Youth Care.

 

-I don't know what it is for my last 20 credits, but my cumulative GPA is 4.17 (on a 4.33 scale, with 4.33 being an A+, Ryerson is a litle silly) and my last 20 credits is probably a hair higher

-I have a lot of research experience- I was a junior lit review writer on one project for a year just out of high school, was a research assistant for a year for one of my profs, did about 50 hours on another project as a placement, and did my own small project as my undergrad thesis

-2 months full-time coordinating the summer program at a residence for adolescent mothers and their babies

-2 months full-time doing outreach for a youth peer support line, which involved traveling around the city and doing workshops with primarily "at-risk" youth

-a 400-hour placement in a boys and girls club in their after school program and some youth programming

-3 months full-time as a residence counsellor in the residence of a boarding school doing social and emotional support for the students

-Tons and tons of tutoring and academic support. Did a lot of TAing while in high school and spent 3 years in student academic support at my university (learning success centre and the writing centre), then have been doing private tutoring ever since

-atm I am doing some personal support work for a friend while looking for a job in the field

 

I'm just really concerned because my experience seems kinda... patchwork? And realistically, the only major difference between last year's unsuccessful application and this year's is that this year I will have an actual professional reference (My boss at the writing centre was my professional reference last year, but now I can get my supervisor from my second placement), though I guess that probably makes a reasonably significant difference. It's just hard to know whether it's worth it to apply when not much has changed and money is super super tight until I find a job

[Social Work 93]

how many applicants does york accept for their 2 and 1 year advanced program?

Aswell a ryersons MSW program, do they look at grades or volunteer experience more?

 

20 students get accepted to the York MSW 2 year about 750 apply... 

[Social Work 93]

Hi everyone, 

 

Just wondering if anyone has tried to apply to York in the past week (the online application) because I have tried for a few days now and the only options for sessions are Spring/Summer 2015 or Winter(January) 2015. There is no Fall 2015, I'm wondering if this is just me?

 

Thanks !

It is opening the very end of OCTOBER i double checked in person today

[smpalesh]

LP3 - I was planning on commuting.  I had everything in place but then my health failed and I had to opt out 2 weeks before the semester started.  I had worked my schedule that I only had to go for classes 1 day a week and I was planning on taking the GO train.  I also opted out of their practicum matching system and worked with their practicum office to find a placement in Kitchener.  They say that is hard to do and discourage it but I know 3 people that did it for this year and we all found practicum in our area, it just took a little work.  So all in all I would have only have been in Toronto 1 day a week.  I am already accepted for the 2015 school year at UofT because they deferred my acceptance due to my health issues.  I am applying to Laurier anyways because I figured I might as well try and I am also looking into other options.  Likely, I will probably be at UofT next year (hopefully with some of you as classmates!) in the Social Justice and Diversity stream.

[smpalesh]

soapaddict - The advanced standing isn't condensed, it is only for people who already have a BSW.  The two year option is for those coming straight out of undergrad studies and is 2 years because the first year is the foundational year and then the 2nd year is the same as the advanced standing year.  For example at UofT the 2nd year of the 2 yr program and the advanced standing students have the same classes

[LP3]

LP3 - I was planning on commuting.  I had everything in place but then my health failed and I had to opt out 2 weeks before the semester started.  I had worked my schedule that I only had to go for classes 1 day a week and I was planning on taking the GO train.  I also opted out of their practicum matching system and worked with their practicum office to find a placement in Kitchener.  They say that is hard to do and discourage it but I know 3 people that did it for this year and we all found practicum in our area, it just took a little work.  So all in all I would have only have been in Toronto 1 day a week.  I am already accepted for the 2015 school year at UofT because they deferred my acceptance due to my health issues.  I am applying to Laurier anyways because I figured I might as well try and I am also looking into other options.  Likely, I will probably be at UofT next year (hopefully with some of you as classmates!) in the Social Justice and Diversity stream.

 Good advice I'm glad to hear it's doable. Where did you find a practicum btw? I'd assume it'd be really hard since Laurier and Waterloo have this place locked down like the Social Work school mafia

[LP3]

I've e-mailed both Laurier and Dal to ask about the experience recommendations upon applying. I've asked Dalhousie if they accept the equivalent of 2 years (say if someone has a few month stretches volunteering at various agencies) and asked Laurier if they even accept anyone straight out of their BSW or undergrad. 

Still awaiting answers on both!

Applying for my MSW feels like buying a very expensive lottery ticket...