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Social Work

Master of Social Work (MSW) admissions

We offer 3 Master of Social Work program streams—each accredited by the Canadian Association of Social Work Education (CASWE).

Learn more about each stream:

The School of Social Work welcomes and is actively recruiting applicants from communities that experience historical and present-day systemic discrimination and marginalization, and who are committed to social justice, equity, anti-racism and decolonization.

In our admissions decisions, we apply a decolonial equity framework which includes an intersectional lens and will prioritize applicants who are Indigenous, Black and people of colour.

Deadlines

The deadline to apply for all streams is Nov. 30, 11:59 p.m. PST for intake the following September.

Intake windows

  • MSWA: applications open early October 2026 for intake September 2027
  • MSWF: applications open early October 2026 for intake September 2027
  • MSWIS: applications open October 2027 for intake September 2028

Before you apply

At the graduate level, students are expected to take responsibility for their own learning and for planning their individual program of study.

We recommend that you take time to consider your readiness before you begin your application to the MSW program—specifically in relation to the following areas.

Time management

A general guideline for graduate education is that each course requires about 9–12 hours a week. Graduate course work cannot be done off the side of your desk as you will generally need approximately 3 hours of preparation time per course, per week, in addition to class participation.

Participation is either in person or through online learning modules, postings and discussions, as well as additional work related to course assignments. Scholarly practice requires that you set aside the time for reading and reflection on the course content.

Practicums

Undertaking a practicum requires readjusting your work and/or family schedule for at least 1 term. Practicums require 450 hours in a school-approved placement; these hours are about equivalent to a full-time job over the course of 3 to 4 months.

Learn more about field education (practicum).

Technology requirements

All students admitted to the MSW program must have regular and reliable access to a computer and high-speed internet to participate in online courses. Students also require a UVic Netlink ID; we strongly recommend you use a UVic email address.

Students who are used to an on-campus learning environment sometimes find online learning challenging. If this is true for you, consider whether you have the time to learn the technology, in addition to learning course content.

For more information about distance education, visit the UVic Learning Anywhere website.

On-campus institute attendance

All our programs have some mandatory on-campus time scheduled.

MSWA and MSWIS students must attend an on-campus institute for approximately 1 week at the beginning of their program. This is usually scheduled in August, and is an opportunity for you to visit campus, meet faculty, staff and other students face-to-face, and begin a SOCW course. Before you apply, confirm if you can attend.

The MSWF program requires full-time on-campus study for your first year. This requirement is non-negotiable; students move through their core course as a cohort.

Admission requirements

The MSWA/MSWI program streams require you to hold a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree from a CASWE-accredited social work program. The MSWF stream is for students not in possession of a BSW.

As part of your application, you must submit a series of supporting documents. When completing your statement of intent and experience summary, we recommend you use Adobe Acrobat to open the file and input your information. Using other programs can cause technical compatibility issues, which may prevent us from opening or downloading your file.

Statement of intent

The statement of intent is an opportunity for you to outline the compatibility of your background and interests with the MSW program.

To begin filling out your statement, download the file that matches your chosen stream:

To complete your statement, you must use the provided form-fillable PDF and ensure you do not exceed the 1,000-word limit.

Experience summary

The experience summary is an outline of your human services experience. Qualifying experience is defined as paid employment or volunteer work in organized activities, programs and/or interventions that respond to or improve conditions of inequality or disadvantage. This might include work in a government, non-profit or social service agency or involvement in social justice activism.

Do not include field placements, practicum placements, internships or co-op work terms in this document.

To complete the experience summary, download the file that matches your chosen stream:

Note the following requirements specific to the MSWI stream:

  • Indigenous applicants are required to have a minimum of 3,000 hours of human-services experience in an Indigenous social services setting, or a closely related field, as of the application deadline

  • non-Indigenous applicants are required to have a minimum of 6,000 hours of human-services experience in an Indigenous social services setting, or a closely related field, as of the application deadline

Resume

The Faculty of Graduate Studies requires an updated CV or resume. Make sure you outline your complete education, employment and volunteer history, along with any relevant accomplishments and initiatives.

References

At a minimum, you must include 2 references (assessment reports) with your application; these may be 2 academic references or 1 academic reference and 1 employer reference. MSWIS applicants must also include a third Indigenous community-based reference.

  • academic references must be from post-secondary instructors who have taught you in a graded course
    • please note that practicum or field education instructors do not qualify
  • employer references must be from an individual in a professional setting who holds or has held a supervisory relationship with you
  • community-based references should be able to speak to your experience creating culturally safe work environments and provide examples of ways that you have worked in solidarity with Indigenous people in your practice
    • the reference should provide examples of feedback or evaluations from Indigenous peoples or community that outline your experience

You will be asked to enter the names and email addresses of your referees as part of your online application. Once submitted, the Graduate Admissions and Records Office (GARO) will email each referee directly with instructions on how to complete the electronic form. Referees will also have the option to copy and paste a formal letter or additional comments.

Referees must submit their reference by the deadline. There is a 2-week grace period following the November 30 application deadline for referees to submit their online forms. References received after this date will not be considered during the department's evaluation process.

If a referee encounters technical difficulties, please ask them to contact GARO directly at 250-472-4657 or via email.

Learn more about submitting your references.

Post-secondary transcripts

Unofficial transcripts may be uploaded as PDF files at the time of application. If you are admitted, you will then be required to submit official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions to GARO.

Application process

Applications and all supporting materials must be submitted electronically through My UVic Application. Do not send any documents to the School of Social Work directly.

Note that you are not required to select or contact a supervisor before you apply to the MSW program. Please ignore the question on the My UVic Application portal that asks you to provide the name of a supervisor.

Learn more about how to apply to graduate studies. 

After you apply

Admission decisions for the MSW program are typically released by late March. A notification will be posted directly to your My UVic Application profile and emailed to the address provided on your application. Please wait until this window has passed before contacting us regarding your application status.

Note: we will notify newly admitted MSWA and MSWIS students via email of the exact dates they are required to attend the 1-week on-campus institute.

Program planning

Once you’ve been admitted to the MSW program and selected your specialization, we encourage you to refer to the appropriate program guide. These should be your first point of reference for any questions about your program:

Frequently asked questions

Because references are submitted via a standardized electronic form, some employers may feel the format does not fully capture their experience with you. In these cases, we recommend that your referee attach a separate letter to the electronic form detailing your suitability for graduate studies. Instructions for attaching additional letters are included in the email sent to each referee.

Please note that employment references must come from a current or former supervisor; references from colleagues are not accepted. We encourage you to contact prospective referees well in advance to ensure timely submission.

Finally, we suggest confirming in advance that a prospective referee is prepared to provide a positive recommendation.

We recommend you contact the department or institution where you completed your previous degree to find out which of your former instructors are still there. You can then reach out to them directly to request a reference. If an instructor has moved to another university, ask for their updated contact information.

When contacting former instructors, it is often helpful to remind them of the courses you took, when you took them, your final grades and any specific projects that might jog their memory.

As a final option, if no former instructor is available, you may ask the department's director or dean to provide a general reference based on your official academic file.

Need help?

If you have any questions regarding the MSW program, email our program assistant or call 250-472-5622. For questions regarding the online application process, please contact Graduate Admissions and Records.