General Questions

When is the application deadline?

The deadline for application for admission/readmission to both the First and Second Degree programs is March 1 each year. The application deadline for Winter (readmission only) is September 15.

Will I be considered for admission if my application is late or partially complete?

Applications received after the deadline and incomplete applications will not be considered. Applications that do not meet the required minimum academic components will not be assessed for admission.

How are the applications scored?

The Admissions Committee scores applicants based on Admissions Criteria, which include an academic component (70%) and experience component (Personal Statement and Experience Form – 30%).

When are admissions decisions made and how will I be notified?

Applicants are notified of admission decisions by the end of June. All applicants will receive notification of a decision, whether they are offered a seat in the program or not. Notification will be sent to the applicant's @mun.ca e-mail address when a decision regarding their application is made. Readmission decisions for the winter semester will be communicated by the end of the fall semester.

When does the program start?

The BSW program (both as a first and as a second degree) begins in the Fall semester only.

Can I apply for both the BSW First Degree and BSW Second Degree programs?

Yes. If you wish to be considered for both programs, you must submit separate applications for each. Applying to one program does not automatically include consideration for the other. If you are admitted to both programs, you may choose which offer to accept.

What is the Educational Equity Initiative?

The School of Social Work strives to enrich its teaching, research and scholarship through the contributions of individuals from diverse backgrounds with different attributes. However, for many applicants, institutional processes and cultural and racial differences exist which have presented barriers to learning. In keeping with the Canadian Association for Social Work Education’s (CASWE) Standards for Accreditation, the mission of Memorial University, and the mission, vision, and values of the School of Social Work, we have developed our Educational Equity Initiative. The intent of this initiative is to encourage applicants with diverse identities, experiences, and backgrounds to apply. Further, the Educational Equity Initiative aims to correct conditions of disadvantage in professional education.

Therefore, the School offers a minimum of 20% of the seats in the BSW program to eligible applicants who have met the minimum requirements for admission and who identify as First Nations, Inuit, or Métis (5% of seats), identify as a member of a racialized group (5% of seats), identify as having a disability (5% of seats), and/or as members of another equity group (5% of seats).

All applicants who wish to be considered for the Educational Equity Initiative must complete the appropriate section on the School of Social Work First Degree or Second Degree Application form.

Academic Questions

What courses are required for admission?

The required courses for admission to the First and Second Degree BSW programs are outlined in the University Calendar, under Admissions Requirements.

Can I complete the required courses for admission online?

There is a year of required courses (10 courses or 30 credit hours) which must be completed prior to applying for admission to the BSW program. Those courses can be completed remotely, depending on course availability each year. You can check the course offerings on Memorial's Self Service platform. Once students are admitted to the BSW program, there is a residency requirement, meaning there is no online option for study.

What is the academic average required to be considered for admission?

For the First Degree program, applicants must achieve an average of at least 65% in the courses comprising the last 30 credit hours attempted by the end of the Winter semester for the year in which admission is being sought and for which a numeric grade has been assigned.

For the Second Degree program, applicants must achieve an average of at least 70% in the last 60 credit hours of undergraduate study attempted by the end of the Winter semester for the year in which admission is being sought and for which a numeric grade has been assigned.

Will my application be considered if I do not achieve the minimum required academic average and grades?

No. Applications that do not meet the required minimum academic components will not be assessed for admission.

Am I able to receive transfer credit for courses completed at other educational institutions?

To determine whether or not any of the credits attained previously from another educational institution can be credited towards your BSW degree, you will need to contact the Registrar's Office and request a transfer credit evaluation. Prior to requesting a transfer credit evaluation, students must first apply and be accepted for general admission to Memorial University. Questions regarding the transfer credit evaluation process should be directed to the Evaluations Officer in the Office of the Registrar by e-mail at transfer.credit@mun.ca or by phone at (709) 864-4423.

What types of undergraduate degrees are accepted for the Second Degree Program?

There is no area of study recommended or specified. However, prospective students must have completed a minimum of 45 credit hours from the following disciplines: Anthropology, Archaeology, Communication and Media Studies, Criminology, Economics, English, Environment and Sustainability, Folklore, Gender Studies, Geography, History, Humanities, Law and Public Policy, Law and Society, Linguistics, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Religion and Culture, Social/Cultural Studies, Sociology, Sustainable Rural Communities, or other humanities or social science discipline completed at another university that is deemed by the Undergraduate Studies Committee or its designee to prepare students for the BSW program.

Experience Questions

What types of volunteer, work or community involvement/experience is recommended?

We do not recommend a specific experience to applicants. Experience can include work/volunteer/community involvement experience in human services that relates to social work. It is the applicant’s responsibility to describe how their experience is relevant to social work and/or human service.

Does my experience have to be volunteer work?

No. Applicants can include experiences that are unpaid or paid.

How many verified hours are required for admission?

For the First Degree program, applicants must have a minimum of 60 hours of verified work/volunteer/community involvement experience in human services. For the Second Degree program, applicants must have a minimum of 300 hours of verified work/volunteer/community involvement experience in human services.

Do I need to have the required experience hours completed before applying?

Yes. The application deadline is March 1. All work, volunteer, and community experience must be completed by this date to be counted as part of your application.

Are there any timeline limits for the experience I include?

No, there are no specific timeline limits (e.g., you can include experience from high school or any relevant work, volunteer, or community involvement). However, all experience must be completed and submitted by the application deadline to be considered.

How does the Admissions Committee score my experience?

When assessing experience, the Committee considers a variety of factors, including relevance, number of hours, and diversity.

The minimum number of hours for the First degree program is 60 and for the Second degree it is 300, however the more hours you have, the more competitive your application will be. Your application is scored according to the number of hours, relevance of the activities, and diversity of experiences.

How are my hours verified and when is the deadline for verification?

For each experience, students must provide a current e-mail address and phone number of their Supervisor/Manager/Agency Representative/Mentor/Leader/Spiritual Leader. If correct contact information is not provided by March 1, this experience will not be considered. This person may be contacted for verification purposes.

Is there a personal statement or essay as part of the application?

As part of the application, you must prepare the required Personal Statement and Experience Form to indicate why you think you would be a suitable candidate for the BSW program and submit details of your work/volunteer experience and/or community involvement in human services. You may focus on your work experiences, volunteer experiences and/or community involvement; any training relevant to the field of social work, including awards or certificates earned; and your personal experiences, motivation, values, skills, interests, and critical reflection on your social location.

How do I submit relevant experience as part of my admission application?

All work experience, volunteer experience, and/or community involvement in human services should be summarized along with your personal statement in one document - the required Personal Statement and Experience Form.

In this document, you are required to include:

• Name of agency/organization/community project
• Name and title of supervisor/agency rep/mentor/spiritual leader
• E-mail and phone number for supervisor/agency rep/mentor/leader
• title/position/activity
• Start and end dates
• # of hours
• Brief description of duties/responsibilities

The Personal Statement and Experience Form must be uploaded under the Documents & Supplemental Items tab within the Admissions portal before submitting your application.

Can I submit the same Personal Statement and Experience Form for both applications if I apply for both Degrees?

Yes, you can submit the same Personal Statement and Experience Form for both the BSW First Degree and Second applications, provided they meet the minimum of 300 hours required for the Second Degree program.

Can I update my experience document after submitting my application?

No, once your application has been submitted, the Personal Statement and Experience Form cannot be updated. Please ensure that all relevant experience and your personal statement are complete and included in the form before submitting your application.

Where can I find experience opportunities if I need more hours?

Prospective applicants should think about which areas of social work they may be interested in and if they are a current Memorial student, they can reach out to the Student Volunteer Bureau for assistance connecting to the area or agency: https://www.mun.ca/volunteer/

Current Memorial students can also explore opportunities through Memorial’s Online Record of Experience (MORE), a platform that helps students find volunteer, leadership, and experiential learning activities both on and off campus.

If prospective applicants would like to look into which areas or populations they may be interested in working with, these are good resources – the provincial (NLCSW) and national (CASW) associations of social workers: Practice Areas (NLCSW); What is Social Work? (CASW).