Undergraduate Bachelor of Social Work Admission Overview
Our program conducts one admissions cycle per year for possible entry in the Fall term. Our next admissions cycle will be for possible entry in the Fall of 2026.
There are two main steps to applying to the Bachelor of Social Work program. For information on these components, please see the Application Deadline & Components below.
- Online Application Deadline; March 1, 2026
- Supplementary Application Components Deadline; March 5, 2026
All application materials must be submitted by these dates to be considered for admission to the program. Late applications are not accepted by the School of Social Work.
Please review the frequently asked questions page for BSW Admissions before contacting the School, as it contains very helpful information and many answers to your questions may be located on that page.
All questions concerning the application process or BSW program requirements must be referred to the School’s Undergraduate Administrator, Gabrielle Crete, at gabriellecrete@cunet.carleton.ca.
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BSW Applicant Evaluation Criteria
- All applicants must meet Carleton University’s minimum admission requirements. Please visit the Undergraduate Admissions website to review these requirements.
- All applicants should have a minimum average of 75% overall, whether applying from high school, college, or university (Carleton included).
- Amount and quality of human service/social change work or volunteer experience.
- Essay question response.
Please Note:
- Please review the Essential Requirements for BSW Program. Students are required to meet these requirements throughout their studies to remain in the BSW program.
- Please note the Bachelor of Social Work program is an in-person program and many of the core required courses involve compulsory attendance requirements to achieve the credit.
- Students must complete two placements in order to meet degree requirements for the BSW (some students may receive transfer credit for the first of these placements, depending on completed education). Please be advised that social work placements are unpaid. For more detail on current practicum policies, please visit the BSW Practicum Hub;
- While a police records check is not requested as part of the application to the program, it may be required for current BSW students for the practicum components of the program. Check our policy for more information on the School’s police record check;
Application Components & Steps
Initial Step: Online Application
Current or previous Carleton University students (in any program) must apply online through the Internal Application through Carleton360.
All other applicants must apply online through the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC). *International applicants have the alternate option to apply directly to Carleton University by completing our International Student Application, available through your Carleton360 account. Learn more about the process for international applicants here.
Please navigate to your specific educational background on the Social Work Admissions website to receive instructions on how to apply.
It is important to note that your online application may take a few business days to process before you receive your Carleton student ID number and are able to submit your supplementary application. We recommend submitting your online application well in advance of the application deadline of March 1, 2026 to submit your Supplementary Application Components before the final deadline.
Additional Requirements: Supplementary Application
You will be able to access the supplementary application once Carleton has received your application to the Bachelor of Social Work.
To access the supplementary application:
- Log in to Carleton360 using your MyCarletonOne (MC1) credentials. Instructions for setting up your MC1 account are available on the I’ve Applied to Carleton: Applicant Information page.
- Select Applications from the left-hand menu.
- Locate your Bachelor of Social Work application under Submitted Applications and click the + sign.
- Scroll down to the application checklist and click Supplementary App.
Please take note of the following:
- You can only submit the supplementary application once.
- Applicants must complete all the sections as per the instructions.
- You can save your work and return later to complete your submission.
- After you submit the supplementary application, a copy will be emailed to you.
Supplementary Application requirements
An applicant’s supplementary application includes:
- Admissions essay (500 words max.)
How do your life experiences connect to society at large and how have they shaped your interest in studying social work at Carleton University? - Optional essay submission (250-500 words max.)
Explaining any circumstances that may have impacted your academic performance or work experience. This section is for applicants to identify if there were any extenuating circumstances that impacted their grades (GPA) or work experience. This is not for continuing to expand on the response from the essay questions above. - Resume
You may include relevant:- Paid work experience*
- Unpaid/volunteer experience*
- Supervised placements, co-ops or practicums*
- Certificates, licenses and trainings
- Other community or school involvement*You will be asked to include the dates worked and number of hours and/or number of weeks worked.
- Self-Identification form (optional)
You will have the opportunity to self-identify as a member of an equity-deserving group.- If you select that you identify as Indigenous, you must provide proof of Indigenous Identity. Applicants can view the list of accepted documents that can be used for this verification here: https://admissions.carleton.ca/indigenousdocuments.
Rubric for scoring of essay question answer
Below you will find the rubric for scoring of the Supplementary Application essay question answer.
| Unacceptable | Acceptable | Good | Excellent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Experiences and connection to society | Does not describe relevant life experiences appropriately. No relationship made to society generally. Response raises concerns about professional appropriateness. |
Experiences described are somewhat vague or explicit and are not clearly linked to society and societal issues. | Describes relevant experiences in a clear, thoughtful manner with some good linkages to society at large. | Describes relevant and substantive experiences and relates own experience to literature, broader society, and the profession. Shows knowledge of and passion for learning and social work. |
| Understanding and goals related to the social work profession | No awareness, or poor awareness of social work. Goals are absent and/or in opposition to Carleton’s Social Work program. | Little understanding of social work. Goals are unclear and/or not appropriate for Carleton’s Social Work program. | Good understanding of social work. Articulates goals that are relevant to the program and appropriate for the individual. | Strong understanding of social work. Well-articulated goals that suggest attending Carleton’s School of Social Work is part of a clearly thought out career plan. |
| Points | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
Admission Decisions
You are able to track your application status in Carleton360. Questions about transcripts should be directed to the Undergraduate Admissions Office at admissions@carleton.ca.
Admission decisions typically begin to appear in late April, however timing may vary from year to year.
All admission decisions are final. The School of Social Work does not have an appeal process for unsuccessful applicants, however we do encourage all interested applicants to apply again the next year.
Year of Entry
Each year, we admit students into the first, second, and third year entry of our program, depending on what, if any, transfer credit(s) are awarded from applicants’ previous post-secondary studies. An applicant’s year of entry or transfer credit cannot be guaranteed or confirmed before this process occurs as transfer credit can vary depending on the availability of inforamtion about your completed courses (i.e. course syllabi), the existence of equivalents at Carleton, and other factors. Information on frequently asked questions about transfer credits can be found on our BSW FAQ page, please review this information prior to contacting the School of Social Work.
Information on suggested course sequencing by year of entry can be found on our Current Students page.