Earn your MSW
Program details
The Master of Social Work degree is fully accredited and recognized internationally as both a professional and academic qualification.
Expected duration: 2-4 years
The MSW program provides two entry routes:
- Foundation level for students who have completed a four-year undergraduate degree, but do not have a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree from an accredited program or its equivalent;
- Advanced level for students with a BSW degree from an accredited program.
If you have a BSW then you go into year 2 advanced level and if you do not have a BSW you will have to take year 1 foundation level.
Year 1 foundation level
Students who have completed a four-year undergraduate degree, but do not have a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree from an accredited program or its equivalent, will be offered admission into the first and foundation year of the MSW program. This first year will be 18 credit hours of foundation level courses and 6 credit hours of field work.
All courses and the field component of the foundation year must be successfully completed before students register into the year two advanced level courses. In order to complete and receive the MSW degree, students admitted into the Foundation MSW program must complete both the year one foundation level and the year two advanced level courses of the MSW Program. The program requires at least one year of full time study to complete the foundation level courses and at least another 12-18 months of full-time study for the advanced level courses of the MSW Program. Once students are ready to progress into the Advanced Level of the MSW program, they choose either the course-based or thesis option.
Foundational level course offerings:
- SWRK 7002: Foundation in Social Work Practice and the Profession
- SWRK 7004: Social Work Practice Seminar
- SWRK 7008: Social Work and Indigenous People
- SWRK 7006: Field Practice
- SWRK 6030: Canadian Social Welfare Policy
For full course descriptions, please visit the Academic Calendar.
Year 2 advanced level
Students with a BSW degree from an accredited program will be admitted directly into the second and advanced year of the MSW program. The program requires at least 12-18 months of full-time study (students who choose the thesis option may require more time depending on the nature of their research)
The second year and advanced level courses includes required and specialized courses. The program offers students flexibility in designing a program that meets their learning objectives. The credit hour requirement is 27 credit hours in the course-based option and 24 credit hours in the thesis option. All students must complete four required courses (12 credit hours), 9 credit hours of specialized courses from within Social Work, and an additional 3 credit hours of electives, which may be taken within Social Work or other departments.
Students may take the MSW program on a full-time or part-time basis. There is a four-year time limit to complete the MSW program on a full-time basis and up to a six-year time limit to complete the MSW program on a part-time basis.
Tuition and fees:
Full-time students - Program fees are assessed in the first two terms of study, followed by a continuing fee in the third and any subsequent terms.
Part-time students - Program fee assessed at 50% in year 1 and year 2 (terms 1 and 2, and 4 and 5), and then continuing fees in term 3 until the student completes the program.
For more information, please refer to Graduate tuition and fees.
Students choose either the course-based option or the thesis option.
- Course-based option: 27 credit hours, which includes SWRK 7180: Advance Field Practice 450 hours of advanced field practice experience (0 credit hours) and SWRK 7190: Integrating Theory and Research in Advanced Field Practice (3 credit hours).
- Thesis option: 24 credit hours, including GRAD 7000 Master's Thesis (0 credit hours) in addition to the mandatory Master of Social Work courses.
For more info on the MSW program, please review the MSW FAQs.
Sample course offerings
- SWRK 7600: Critical Perspectives and Social Work (3 credit hours)
- SWRK 7620: Paradigms, Methodologies and Methods for Social Work Research (3 credit hours)
- SWRK 7012: Quantitative Data Analysis for Social Work Research (3 credit hours)
- SWRK 7014: Qualitative Research in Social Work (3 credit hours)
- SWRK 7300: Clinical Evaluation of Social Work Interventions (3 credit hours)
- SWRK 7440: Policy Analysis in Social Work Practice (3 credit hours)
- SWRK 7630: Advanced Social Work Practice with Individuals and Families (3 credit hours)
- SWRK 7660: Social Work Perspectives on Practice with Networks, Neighbourhoods, and Communities (3 credit hours)
- SWRK 7670: Community Mobilization: Application of Concepts in Social Work Practice with Groups, Networks, and Communities (3 credit hours)
- SWRK 7690: Leadership, Strategic Program Planning, and Financial Management in Social Service Organizations (3 credit hours)
This program is only available through in-person instruction. We do not offer graduate programs through distance delivery or online learning.
Our commitment to educational equity
Every effort is made to ensure that people from marginalized groups have access to the Master of Social Work program. Our Educational Equity Initiative aims to correct the conditions of disadvantage in professional education experienced by Indigenous peoples in Canada, persons with disabilities, immigrants and permanent residents to Canada, 2SLGBTQ+ people, refugees and persons who are members of racialized groups in Canada.
Flexible program options
- Full Time: take up to four years to complete the program
- Part Time: take up to six years to complete the program
Occasional student in Social Work
An occasional student is a student choosing to take graduate courses with no intention of proceeding towards an advanced degree at the University of Manitoba at the present time. Occasional student status is not advised for international students due to study permit limitations.
For more information on occasional student in the Faculty of Social Work, please contact Karen Singleton, Graduate Student Advisor, at karen.singleton@umanitoba.ca.
General information about occasional student status and the on-line application is available on the Faculty of Graduate Studies website.
Admission requirements
To qualify for admission to the Master of Social Work program, you must have a minimum of:
- A Bachelor of Social Work degree or other 4-year undergraduate degree (by June 30 of the application year) from an accredited university recognized by the University of Manitoba,
- With a minimum GPA of 3.0 (B) in the last 60 credit hours of university study.
If you have taken courses subsequent to the degree as a Special Student and/or Occasional Student and/or in a subsequent degree or a Pre-Master program, they will be calculated into the GPA as part of the last 60 credit hours.
Applicants who self-identify as members of one or more of the Educational Equity priority groups and who possess a GPA between 2.5 and 2.99 will be reviewed for special consideration. Applicants with adjusted GPAs below 2.5 will not be considered.
Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee acceptance into the program. Admission into the MSW programs are highly competitive.
In addition to the admission requirements described here, all applicants must meet the minimum admission and English language proficiency requirements of the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
How to apply
The MSW program has only one application deadline per year, and applications are accepted for September entry only. Applications must be completed online and include several parts:
- Application fee (non-refundable)
- Unofficial copies of transcripts
- Two letters of recommendation (must be requested from within the application)
- Paid and volunteer work history (must be completed within application)
- Area of specialization statement (must be completed within application)
- Proof of English language proficiency, if required
Please read the Faculty of Graduate Studies online application instructions before beginning your application.
Application deadline
Learn more
Contact us
Admission and application inquiries
Faculty of Graduate Studies
Room 500 UMSU University Centre
65 Chancellors Circle
University of Manitoba (Fort Garry campus)
Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 Canada
graduate.admissions@umanitoba.ca
Phone: 204-474-9377
Monday to Friday
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Program inquiries
Faculty of Social Work
Room 521 Tier Building
173 Dafoe Rd. W
University of Manitoba (Fort Garry campus)
Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 Canada
social_work@umanitoba.ca
Phone: 204-474-7050
Fax: 204-474-7594