Admissions

Take the next step in advancing the lives and wellbeing of individuals, families, and communities by applying to our Advanced Master of Social Work (MSW) or PhD in Social Work programs.


Advanced MSW Admission Requirements

Applicants to the Advanced Master’s of Social Work program must have an accredited Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree from an institution recognized by UBC’s Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

Undergraduate social work curriculum should include courses in social policy, social work practice, social work research, and a supervised practicum.

Applicants with Canadian and/or US credentials must meet the following minimum academic requirements in order to be considered for the program:

  • Hold an accredited Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree
  • Have a minimum B+ average in the 300-level and 400-level courses taken for their degree
  • Have at least 2+ years of years relevant post-BSW professional experience

The School reserves five seats for self-identified Indigenous applicants who meet minimum admission requirements.

Applicants with international academic credentials, whether Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or international students:

  • Must have a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree
  • Must meet the minimum academic requirements set by UBC’s Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies
  • Studies for the country from which the social work degree was obtained must meet the English language requirement. If the language of prior study is not English, an official Test of English is required: TOEFL score of at least 93, or Academic IELTS minimum overall band score of 6.5 with no other component less than 6.0. English language proficiency tests taken more than 2 years prior to application will not be considered. Exemptions are listed in the UBC Calendar.
  • Have at least 2+ years of relevant post-BSW professional experience


Advanced MSW Application Process

Admissions

The online application system is now CLOSED for September 2024 applications. Admission decisions for September 2024 entry will be finalized by April 2024.

APPLICATION PERIOD HAS CLOSED FOR 2024 ADMISSIONS.
The next application period will be for September 2025 admission and
will be available starting August 2024.

The UBC School of Social Work admits approximately 40 students per year into the Master of Social Work (MSW) program.

Although all applicants must meet UBC’s Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies’ minimum academic requirements, the admission process also considers factors such as the Learning Plan, social work experience, and letters of recommendation. Since the MSW is a professional qualification, relevant social work experience is a major consideration.

The UBC School of Social Work will begin to review applications in December 2023. Applicants are encouraged to apply well before the deadline in order to enable us to start the assessment process as early as possible.

Those who are selected will be contacted by the UBC School of Social Work’s Admissions Office by April 2024. Unsuccessful candidates will also be notified by email.

Since the number of qualified applicants normally exceeds the number of spaces available, fulfillment of the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission. The process is competitive and the School reserves the right of selection of all students for admission and re-admission to the School.

Application Process

Step 1: UBC Application for Graduate Admissions

Note the importance of uploading scans of OFFICIAL transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended, even if for just one course.  Our admissions system does not allow admission offers to be initiated with unofficial transcripts.

Step 2: Supplemental Application Materials

Please note that we do not require a statement of interest. Instead we require these supplemental application materials which must be uploaded in PDF format when you submit the online application. The system will not allow you to upload these files afterwards.

Please ensure you download the forms completely, open them with the appropriate application, complete them, and re-save them. If necessary, you may attach additional pages.

Additional application materials 


PhD Admission Requirements

Admission to the PhD in Social Work degree program is open to applicants with a degree in social work (either an MSW or a BSW and a related Master’s degree) and three years of relevant professional experience (post social work degree).

Part-time Doctoral Classification is available for domestic students.

Any applicant not meeting the minimum academic requirements is considered inadmissible to the program. However, meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee you a place in the program.

Applicants with Canadian or US credentials must meet the following minimum academic requirements in order to be considered for the program:

  • Hold a degree in social work (either an MSW or a BSW and a related Master’s degree)
  • Meet the academic requirements as prescribed by UBC’s Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies: “overall average of B+ (76% at UBC) in a Master’s degree program”
  • Have sufficient preparatory academic background to carry out graduate work including two 3-credit (or equivalent) graduate level courses in quantitative and/or qualitative research methods
  • Have a minimum of three years of relevant professional experience (post social work degree)

Applicants with international academic credentials, whether Canadian citizens, permanent residents or international students:

  • Must hold a social work degree from an accredited university-level institution
  • Must meet the minimum academic requirements as prescribed by UBC’s Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies for the country from which the master’s degree was obtained
  • Have sufficient preparatory academic background to carry out graduate work, including two 3-credit (or equivalent) graduate level courses in quantitative and/or qualitative research methods
  • Have a minimum of three years of relevant professional experience (post social work degree)
  • If the language of prior study is not English, the applicant must provide proof of English language proficiency in the form of a TOEFL score of at least 93 or an Academic (not general) IELTS minimum overall band score of 6.5 with no other component less than 6.0

Entry to the program is competitive and in some cases, highly qualified applicants may not be admitted due to a lack of appropriate supervision and/or limited space in the program. We do not at this time accept deferrals or offer places for future intakes. Unsuccessful applicants are welcome to reapply for future intakes at the appropriate time.

Minimum Funding Policy for PhD students

Effective September 2024 onward, all full-time students who are offered admission to begin a UBC Vancouver PhD program in September 2024 or later will be provided with a minimum funding package equal to $24,000 for each of the first four years of their PhD. The funding package may consist of any combination of internal or external awards, teaching-related work, research assistantships, and graduate academic assistantships.

Contacts

Christiana Bratiotis
PhD Program Chair
christiana.bratiotis@ubc.ca

Christine Graham
Program Advisor
sowk.advisor@ubc.ca


PhD Application Process

Applications

The online application system is now open for September 2024 admission. DEADLINE: January 1, 2024. Admission decisions for September 2024 entry will be finalized by April 2024.

Application Process

Step 1: UBC Application for Graduate Admissions

This is a vital step in the application process and should be confirmed before you submit the online application.

Carefully review faculty members’ profiles, identify those whom you consider to be the best match with your research interests, and contact them to see if they would be interested in your application.

Faculty members receive many inquiries, so generic emails may not receive a response. Tell potential supervisors about your background and interests and how it relates to their research area.

Your online application should only be submitted after a prospective supervisor has confirmed to you that they are interested in reviewing your application.

It is important to note that the “interest of a prospective supervisor” is in no way a commitment to accept a particular student.

Step 2: Supplemental Application Materials

Please note that we do not require a statement of interest. Instead we require the supplemental application materials below which must be uploaded in PDF format when you submit the online application. The system will not allow you to upload these files afterwards.

Please ensure you download the forms completely, open them with the appropriate application, complete them, and re-save them.

  • PhD supplemental application (also include an up-to-date resume) (Word document)
  • A copy of a publication, report, or other sample of professional writing done by the applicant

Additional application materials 

On this page