Graduate Certificate Application Process
We are committed to offering advanced education, research and practices that embrace and celebrate diversity, facilitate inclusion, and work towards equity and social transformation. We are committed to graduating qualified and skilled practitioners, community leaders, social advocates and change agents who will challenge oppression and facilitate the transformation of our society through their practice.
Equity, Racial Justice, Diversity, Inclusion & Decolonization
We acknowledge the inequities experienced by visible minorities (racialized persons); Indigenous people; persons with disabilities, which may encompass physical, mobility, perceptual, illness related, mental health, developmental disabilities; people who self-identify as two spirit, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual, transgender or queer; as well as people who have experienced other barriers to their education (e.g. socioeconomic, caregiving, religious, cultural).
- A Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) from an accredited/recognized institution. Your degree must be awarded prior to the start of the program. We cannot accept a letter of completion as a replacement for degree award. Your final transcript noting your degree must be received by June 30.
If you completed your degree outside Canada, look up the grade equivalency for your country.
*We recognize BSW and BISW degrees accredited by the CASWE, CSWE and international credentials deemed equivalent to a Canadian BSW degree by the CASW. - A minimum of 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 point system, over the past two years of full-time study (a minimum of 60 units) of the undergraduate degree.
- The equivalent of two years of full-time paid work or a minimum of 3,000 hours of paid and/or volunteer work in the human services field by the application deadline.
What is relevant social work and human service experience? - English Language Proficiency
Dates and Deadlines
Apply early! Do not wait until the application deadline. You'll upload your documents after you submit your application.
Deadlines are firm. You are unable to upload or edit application materials after the deadline.
Our goal is to notify all applicants of the outcome of their application by the end of May. Admission results are sent by email.
Jan. 15, 2025
Applications open
For Fall 2025 admission
April 16, 2025
Application and document deadline - 11:59 pm MST
Deadline to submit your application, fee, resume and self-calculated GPA
April 16, 2025
Unofficial Transcript deadline
Deadline to submit unofficial transcripts and degree certificates required for admission
May 1, 2025
ELP Test Scores
Deadline to submit your English Language Proficiency (ELP) test score for admission
June 30, 2025
CASW Assessment Deadline
Deadline to submit your CASW assessment if you earned your social work degree in another country (outside Canada/USA)
Prepare your Certificate Application
Accepting applications for Fall 2025
- Advanced Social Work Practice (Online)
- Clinical SW Practice: Clinical Practice with Individuals, Families and Groups (Calgary residencies)
- Clinical SW Practice: Trauma-Informed Practice (Edmonton residencies)
- Leadership in the Human Services: Indigenous Ways of Knowing in Leadership (Calgary residencies)
In the 'Program Information' section of the application, select Advanced Social Work Practice, Clinical Social Work Practice or Leadership in the Human Services not MSW Laddering.
Getting started
Begin Your Application
Create an eID to log in. If you already have an eID, you can begin your online application.
Once you begin, remember to click 'Save & Continue' often to ensure your application is saved.
Answer Program Questions
Pay particular attention to your responses. They will be used in the review process, and are evaluated for clarity, content and writing ability.
Take your time, you can't make changes once you submit.
Submit your application
Pay your application fee:
$125 for Canadian or Permanent residents
$145 for International Students
To access the online application, an eID is required.
New applicants: you must create an eID before starting your application.
Current and former UCalgary students/applicants: You must use your previous eID to access the online application, which is typically firstname.lastname. Your eID is different from your IT username.
Confirm your eID | Reset your password
Clearing your cache often resolves many issues with accessing the online application.
Still experiencing issues? Contact the UCalgary IT Support Centre.
Submit Required Documents
You will upload your required documents through your Student Centre after you submit your application.
Your resume is an important part of your application. Make sure you fully capture your work and/or volunteer experience. Use three sections to describe your previous experience:
- employment experience in or related to social services,
- volunteer experience related to social services,
- employment and volunteer experience not related to social services.
Indicate the number of hours for all social service work and include a total number of hours.
Don’t forget to detail your educational history, awards, distinctions, publications, and presentations.
You need to upload unofficial transcripts from all post-secondary institutions you've attended (except for the University of Calgary) by the application deadline. If those institutions don't indicate the awarded degree on their transcripts, you will need your degree certificates as well.
IMPORTANT: Transcript file(s), including English translations and/or degree certificates (if applicable), must be amalgamated into one PDF file per institution, and clearly outline the following: terms, institution grading scale, course weight (units/credits), and grade.
If your application is successful, final official transcripts will be requested with your offer of admission. These must be sent in a sealed envelope directly from your previous post-secondary institution(s). If you have official transcripts in your possession, they need to remain in the original sealed envelope.
Do not submit official transcripts in advance of an offer of admission.
You're required to calculate your grade point average (GPA) for your previous degree and upload the calculation in your portal.
Click the link below for detailed instructions, GPA calculation worksheet, video tutorial, and FAQs.
Questions about your self-calculated GPA? Contact gradapp@ucalgary.ca.
English is the official language of instruction at the University of Calgary. We follow the Faculty of Graduate Studies policy for English Language Proficiency, and we are a Level 1 program.
You need to submit ELP test scores. If you have completed a baccalaureate degree or its equivalent from a recognized institution that teaches in English you may be exempt. List of eligible countries
In certain circumstances, you may request to waive the English Language Proficiency requirement.
Earned your BSW abroad?
If you completed an undergraduate degree in Social Work or equivalent in another country (outside Canada/USA), you must have your degree assessed by the Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW) as equivalent to a Canadian BSW, prior to applying to the Graduate Certificate program.
This assessment must be received by June 30. You can submit by email or mail.
After you apply
Apply early! Do not wait until the application deadline. You'll upload your documents after you submit your application.
Within a few days of submitting your application, you'll receive a confirmation email with your student identification number (UCID). This email will go to your UCalgary email address if you already have one. If you don’t see your email within a couple days, check your spam folder, in case your email account filtered the auto-generated email.
My application is complete - what happens next?
You’ve completed the application form, paid your application deposit, and submitted all your required documents. What happens next?
At this point your application is considered complete. It will be reviewed by the admission committee for a decision on your admission to the program.
Applications will start to be assessed following the application deadline.
Due to the nature of the assessment process, you'll be notified of the outcome of your application by the end of May - but you may receive a decision earlier.
All applicants will receive either an offer, regrets, or waitlist notification by email.
I've been admitted!
Congratulations on receiving an offer.
Review your offer of admission carefully. It outlines how to accept your offer and pay your non-refundable admission deposit, conditions of your admission (if applicable), critical deadlines, and required official transcripts.
Your deposit must be received to confirm your spot in the program. We'll send you detailed registration information after your deposit has been paid and posted to your account.
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Official Paper Transcripts
Transcripts must be sent directly from the Registrar’s Office of your institution/s to the Faculty of Social Work. Official transcripts must be sealed in an envelope with the institution’s official seal. If the transcripts are in a language other than English, official translated copies are also required. Address to: Faculty of Social Work - Graduate Admissions MacKimmie Tower, Room 301 University of Calgary 2500 University Drive NW Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4 Canada -
Official eTranscripts
The Registrar’s Office of your post-secondary institution/s can email transcripts to UCalgary’s Faculty of Graduate Studies at gradtranscripts@ucalgary.ca. Email transcripts must be sent directly from the issuing institution's transcript office. Transcripts received from individuals (e.g., students, faculty members) will not be accepted as official. The name of the transcript office varies between institutions. Common examples: Registrar’s Office, Controller of Examinations, Student Records, or Admissions Office.
Mailing address
Faculty of Social Work - Graduate Admissions
MacKimmie Tower, Room 301
University of Calgary
2500 University Drive NW
Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4
Canada
Waitlist
You are not given a number on the waitlist. The admission committee will consider everyone on the waitlist to determine who will receive an offer at the time a spot becomes available.
This means that we cannot estimate how long it will take for each waitlisted applicant to receive a final decision; waitlisted applicants may receive their final decision as late as orientation week.
