Social Work

Degrees offered

Application deadlines

January 15 (MSW applicants) for Fall admission
November 1 (PhD applicants) for Spring admission (in even numbered years)

Why Social Work at Memorial?

The School of Social Work's graduate programs enable professionally qualified social workers to undertake advanced study. The format and delivery modality of the MSW and PhD program components are designed in order to meet the needs of students, whether based in St. John’s or beyond. Local and distant students take the same program for both degrees. All graduate students in Social Work must have Internet access and be available for time-limited residential course components in St John’s.

Funding

Memorial University offers competitive funding packages to eligible Canadian and International graduate students. For more information, refer to Fees and Funding.

Tuition

We are proud to offer some of the lowest graduate tuition rates in Canada. The following are general program fees for graduate programs in Social Work. For more information on special fees, continuance fees, and related charges, refer to Graduate Tuition and Cost of Living.

Program	Program fee per semester		# of semesters
Program	Canadian Citizens and Permanent Residents	International Students	# of semesters
Master’s program
Plan A	$733	$953	6
Plan B	$486	$632	9
Plan C	$1,010	$1,312	3
PhD	$683	$887	12

Duration (for full-time students)

Master’s: 1 year | PhD: 4 years

Find a supervisor that meets your research needs

Visit the School of Social Work website for areas of research, or search Yaffle to find a supervisor you may wish to work with (for research programs).

Description of programs

Memorial offers the MSW degree with a focus on creative approaches to critical thinking for leadership in diverse social work practice. Both thesis and course route options are available. The MSW program is offered on a part-time basis (6 or 9 semesters over 2 or 3 academic years) and a full-time basis (3 consecutive semesters over 1 academic year.) MSW degree course route requirements consist of seven courses, a field internship, PATHWAY (a mandatory repeatable non-credit course) and Pathway Scholarship (completion of a scholarly product that reflects the student's learning). The thesis route consists of six courses, a field internship, PATHWAY and a thesis embodying original research. Course route students are required to attend 3 on-campus institute courses over 7–10 days; thesis route students must attend two-on campus institute courses. For detailed, current information, please refer to the MSW program website.

Memorial University's PhD program in Social Work, the only such program in Atlantic Canada, provides regionally relevant and accessible, advanced, and specialized education in social work. The program is research-based, stressing critical thinking and the production of original and significant scholarship. The program focuses on (1) advanced social work practice and (2) social work education, emphasizing commitment to people and social justice. The coursework period includes two spring semester residencies (which students must attend full-time on the St. John’s campus), as well as a fall reading course and an internship, both of which can be completed in students’ home communities. For detailed, current information, please refer to the PhD program website.

Admission requirements

For MSW: Bachelor's degree (second class) in Social Work and two years post-bachelor's experience
For PhD: Master's degree in Social Work and three years of professional practice

Important Note: The information provided on this website is subject to change. The University Calendar is the final authority on university regulations.