Master of Social Work Programs
Applications open Aug. 15, 2024
A Canadian leader in social work graduate education
Where do you want to go in your life? Our unique Master of Social Work is designed with working professionals in mind, and provides unique specializations you won't find anywhere else. As a Canadian leader in clinical social work education we provide a variety of topics, in areas most requested by social workers. Our International stream provides community development skills you can apply to working with diverse groups at home and abroad.
Choose your Specialization
Course- and thesis-based options are available for all our specializations.
Clinical Social Work Practice
Learn to provide critical, culturally appropriate, and therapeutic assessments and interventions with individuals, families, and groups in a range of settings. Learn to conceptualize client problems and solutions within a framework that values each client's life context.
Our innovative approach to clinical social work practice allows you to focus on an area of most interest to you and your practice. Different topics are available annually.
International & Community Development
Learn skills and knowledge needed to critically examine and engage with development policies and practices. You'll also learn ethical approaches to working with diverse populations in global and local contexts.
Learn community development and get ready for a global career. Or work with international communities and agencies right here in Canada. The only MSW of its kind in Canada.
No Bachelor of Social Work?
If you don't have a Bachelor of Social Work you'll begin your Master of Social Work with a year of foundational study.
The foundation year provides you with the crucial concepts, theory and knowledge you'll need to pursue graduate-level, social work education. Have a look at what your first year will look like.
Working full-time during the foundation year is not recommended.
"Social work came into my life when I really needed to learn the lessons it had to teach me."
A master of social work provides knowledge and skills you can apply to huge variety of careers. It also provides a perspective that lasts a lifetime.
Social work gave me a professional identity that is meaningful and worth bringing into medicine. Social work came into my life at a time when I really needed to learn the lessons it had to teach me. The people I met in my social work journey truly changed my life for the better and I will always be thankful for it.
Dr. Jamie Hickey
MSW '19
Is a BSW or MSW the Best Fit for Me? Compare our programs
"Nothing spoke to me louder than social work."
Many social workers view the profession as more a calling than a job. If you have a passion for helping others and making change, social work could be what you're looking for.
I read up on social work and I felt an affinity for it as a place to bring all of my previous experiences and training. You work with individuals, with families, you work with systems and organizations, and this really, really appealed to me. Then I read the values and ethics… nothing spoke to me louder than social work.
Garima Khatri
MSW '19
How do I get in?
- A Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree* or a four-year bachelor degree from an accredited/recognized institution. Your degree must be awarded by March 1. We cannot accept a letter of completion as a replacement for degree award.
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