MSW Admissions

1. Master of Social Work Admissions Overview
2. Social Work Professional Suitability Policy
3. Essential Requirements for Students in the MSW Program
4. Admission Requirements
5. The MSW Application & Required Document Details 
   1. Transcript(s)
   2. References
   3. MSW Statement of Intent
   4. CV/Resumé
   5. MSW Portfolio (Work Hours Summary Document)
   6. Application Notes
6. Financial Assistance
7. Admission Decisions
8. Have Questions?

Master of Social Work Admissions Overview

Our current admission cycle is for September 2026 with an application completion deadline of December 1, 2025 at midnight.
All applications are reviewed after December 1, and final admissions decisions are typically entered by the end of February each year.
The MSW application in Carleton 360 is open, and closes December 1, 2025.
Late applications are not possible and Fall is our only term of admission.

MSW Admissions Information Sessions:

Wednesday, October 8, 2025 from 4:30-5:30 pm
Thursday, October 16, 2025 from 4:30-5:30 pm: for Indigenous, Black, racialized and equity seeking applicants although all are welcome to attend.

Both sessions were held over zoom.

Slides from our MSW Admissions Information Session October 8 2025

Social Work Professional Suitability Policy

Before you apply, please review and understand the Policy on Social Work Professional Suitability

Essential Requirements for Students in the MSW Program

Ensure you review the Essential Requirements for Students in the MSW program before you apply.

Admission Requirements

The MSW Application & Required Document Details 

The application process to graduate studies at Carleton for all prospective students is the same and must be completed online.  Complete information regarding the application process is found on Carleton’s Graduate Admissions website, while MSW specific information is below.

Transcript(s)

Electronic pdf versions of all your post-secondary transcripts or academic histories (including Carleton) are uploaded to your application under the “Academic History” tab of Carleton 360. Official Transcripts are not required, and document must include current course registrations (if applicable), and the grading scale or legend if your university is outside of Ontario.  Upload multi-page transcripts as one document.

References

Two references are required for your MSW application.
One Academic Reference:  Please try to get a reference from your most recently attended academic program.  Even though it may have been some time since you were last in school, we encourage you to contact previous instructors/professors with a reminder of the class you took, when you took it, any specific assignments or presentations you did, and your final grade. This may help them to write a strong reference for you. If you need to use a TA for an academic reference, that is fine although professors are preferred.
***If you are unable to secure an academic reference, include a detailed rationale to the admissions committee with your statement document, and add a second professional reference.
One Professional Reference:  One referee must be provided who can comment on your social work related experience.

Once you submit your application and your fee payment is processed, your referees will receive an automated email from graduate_studies@carleton.ca with the subject line “Carleton Referee for Admission”. (Referees may need to check their spam or junk mail folders.)  This email will have a link to an academic referee form which asks how long they have known you; in what capacity; would they recommend the applicant to a grad program at their own university; and aptitude for advanced research.  It asks them to rate the applicant on: academic achievement, research potential, originality, judgement, motivation, ability to work independently, oral communication, written communication, and potential as a research assistant.
Some of the questions would not be relevant to professional references so they would indicate “Not applicable”.
The form follows up with an area where the referee would further describe the applicant’s abilities, or insert their reference letter.
Once your referee completes and submits the reference, it will take 1-2 business days before you see this reflected in your application in Carleton Central.
Ensure you give your referees plenty of time to complete the form by the December 1st deadline.

MSW Statement of Intent

Answer the following two questions in one statement document using approximately 750 words per question, excluding references.
Upload under the “Experience & Interests” tab of Carleton 360 application; OR to your application in Carleton Central once payment is processed and you receive your Carleton ID # and instructions for accessing Carleton Central.
Question 1 – How have your life, work and educational experiences contributed to your understanding of yourself and others in relation to the society in which we live? (You may wish to reflect on various aspects of your identity such as gender and sexual orientation, economic/class status, life as an Indigenous person, racial and cultural background, or abilities or          disabilities.)  How do you see your personal narrative contributing to your educational and professional goals. How will Carleton’s School of Social Work program help you address these goals.
Question 2 – Write a scholarly essay (i.e. with citations and references) addressing a social problem you might want to engage with as a social worker. What are the theories, concepts,  factors that contribute to or cause this problem.

CV/Resumé

One (1) is required. Please provide a detailed CV/Resume, organized chronologically beginning with your most recent experience. Please use your CV to describe the work you list in the      Portfolio-Work Summary Document (described below).  There is no minimum or maximum limit to the pages in the CV, and applicants are welcome to submit any style of CV or Resume.
Upload under the “Experience & Interests” tab of Carleton 360 application; OR to your application in Carleton Central once payment is processed and you receive your Carleton ID # and instructions for accessing Carleton Central.

MSW Portfolio (Work Hours Summary Document)

Prepare a document containing all social work-related hours of experience.  This document should contain 3 tables: Paid Work Experience, Volunteer Work Experience, and Placement/Co-op Experience (if applicable).  Total the hours in each table and provide a Grand Total of Paid and Unpaid hours.  Do not include Placement/Co-op Hours in the Grand Total. Describe your experiences in your CV/Resume, not in these tables.
Use hours completed up to the time this document is uploaded to your application. Enter continuing (cont.) in the end date column for any work that will continue past the date this document is added to your application.  (If you wish to include hours you expect to complete between the time of document upload and December 1, list them in a separate table, or wait until December 1 to upload the document with all completed hours to your application in Carleton Central.)
Convert the document to a pdf and upload under the “Experience and Interests” tab of Carleton 360 application, or in Carleton Central once your payment is processed and you receive an email from graduate.studies@carleton.ca which contains your 9-digit Carleton User ID number (10XXXXXXX).
A Portfolio example is below.  Applicants can create their own version of these tables.

Application Notes

***Application documents can be uploaded before you submit your application and make fee payment; OR after payment is processed and you receive your Carleton ID # and instructions for accessing Carleton Central.
***If you feel you have something important to bring to the attention of the Admissions Committee that is not addressed in the rest of the application (e.g. reason for low or failed grade/year, absence of academic or work reference etc.), then include a brief letter to the Admissions Committee identifying this. Include it with your CV or Statement of Intent document.
Please refer to the Application FAQs webpage if you have an issue with your application.
General details for required documents is found on Carleton’s Graduate Admissions website under Required Documents.

Financial Assistance

All successful full-time applicants are considered for admissions funding which may be scholarships or teaching assistantships.  A separate application is not required.  Should you be awarded admissions funding, you will be notified on your offer of admission. Successful part-time applicants are not eligible for this funding.
Additionally, you should consider applying for an external financial award. These awards are provided by an organization, agency or council outside of Carleton and require a separate application — often one full year before the award begins.  More information is available at https://graduate.carleton.ca/financial-assistance/ 

International Student Funding
Funding for International applicants is extremely limited. International applicants should ensure personal or external funding and financial aid as needed.
For more information on awards and funding, visit the Graduate Admissions website.

Admission Decisions

The School of Social Work typically submits admission decisions by the end of February.

We will not be confirming receipt of your completed application. To check on your application, enter Carleton Central to see what documents have been uploaded (yours and your referees). Successful applicants will be notified by email from Graduate Studies. You can check your application status in Carleton Central.
If an applicant is Not Recommended for Assessment and therefore not offered admission into the program, there is no appeal process available. Please note that this communication from the School, or from one of its faculty or staff, does not constitute approval for admission.
Upon receiving an Offer of Admission, you will have 21 days to indicate acceptance. An offer of admission may include conditions that must be met before you will be admitted to the MSW program.  Successful applicants are responsible for meeting the conditions and any ensuing late registration fees.

Have Questions?

Please see Frequently Asked Questions at the following links MSW FAQs, and General Application FAQs  Still have questions?  Email  swgrad@cunet.carleton.ca.

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