BSW FAQs

There is no requirement for human services related volunteer or work experience to apply to the program, but it is strongly recommended. Experience allows you to be more thorough in your answers to the Program Specific Questions in the online application.

You can take SOWK 201 as an Open Studies student any time before or during the application cycle. We offer SOWK 201 online every term. For more information on our current offerings and how to apply, click here.

Current UCalgary students: self-register through your Student Centre.

No. You can only apply to one program option: Blended or Online.
Within the blended option you can only choose one location*: Calgary, Edmonton or Lethbridge.

*University Transfer only

All dates and deadlines are firm. If your complete application is not received by the deadline, your file will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed.

March 1 is the deadline for to submit your online application to UCalgary, including your responses to the Program Specific Questions.

March 15 is the deadline for transcripts reporting all completed coursework up to and including Fall term, and any in-progress Winter/Spring/Summer courses. This deadline also pertains to official documents such as English test scores, if required.

GPA counts for 50 of the 100 points assessed by the Admissions Committee, the Program Specific Questions account for the other half. This means that what you share and how you share it are equally important as your grade point average (GPA).

Your GPA is calculated based on the most recently completed 30 units, starting with courses in the fall term of the year of application and working backwards chronologically (excluding graded practica).

Our goal is to submit all recommendations to the Admissions Office by early June.

Check your status in your Student Centre and monitor your emails for updates.

No, offers of admission are valid for the term to which you apply. You will need to re-apply next year.

No, you can't apply to the BSW directly from high school.

To apply as a University Transfer student, you'll need to complete 57 units of non-social work university transferable courses and SOWK 201.

Blended BSW: Expected completion time is 20 months.

Online BSW: Expected completion time is 24 months.

You can check which of your courses are transferable to UCalgary using:

• the Alberta Transfer Guide,
• our internal transfer credit database: UCalgary Transfer Credit Search Tool.

You must submit your request for advanced credit in writing when you apply by contacting our student advisors. You will not be given advanced credit for social work courses unless there is social work-specific content in that course.A maximum of 6 units of Social Work courses will be allowed for transfer credit.

Use the Undergraduate Student Cost Estimator to calculate your expenses for the year.

Student loans are available to Canadian citizens, permanent residents, protected persons and American citizens.

You can search for available awards, scholarships, and bursaries, and learn how to apply.

Questions about loans, awards, scholarships and bursaries?  Contact Enrolment Services

Field education is a critical part of your journey to become a social worker. See your route specific practicum schedule for more detail.