BSW - How To Apply to our Full-Time Program

Applications for fall 2025 will OPEN September 19, 2024.

Step 1: Complete your Bachelor of Social Work and pay a non-refundable application fee of $130 CAD. (CODE = WSW). Complete your online application using  the following program code: WSW – Bachelor of Social Work (Honours). Please note that the application can only be accessed through the above link, not from the OUAC home page.  

You will receive an acknowledgement e-mail from Undergraduate Admissions within 10 business days of submitting your on-line application to OUAC, with instructions for logging in to QUEST to complete your Admission Information Form (AIF), upload your application materials and supporting documentation. Your Waterloo ID (identification) number will be assigned and sent to you in this e-mail. You should check your junk mail folder for these e-mails as many e-mail programs put mass mailings in junk mail folders. The due date for your OUAC application is December 18, 2024.

Step 2: Upon receipt of your acknowledgement e-mail, your next step is to log in to QUEST to submit* your Social Work Admission Information Form (AIF), including contact details for your THREE referees** (1 academic and 2 professional). This should be done by the AIF deadline, but we encourage applicants to submit their AIF as early as they can in order to give their referees as much time as possible. The Social Work AIF form is due January 6, 2025.

• Note: you do not have to upload any documents when you submit your AIF.
• Note: The academic reference must be a post secondary instructor who has taught you in one or more courses. The professional references can be sought from any of the following: an employment supervisor; a volunteer supervisor; a helping professional (eg, social worker, religious leader, doctor, psychiatrist or similar community-based professional).

Step 3:Personal Statement for BSW Admission Application

Please tell us about your interest in social work (Required)

Social work practice is guided by seven values found in The Guidelines for Ethical Practice and Code of Ethics. We encourage you to review these documents to familiarize yourself with these values prior to answering these questions below. Please note that the information you provide will be confidential.

Central to social work practice is the pursuit of social justice for individuals, families, groups, and communities. Social workers promote social fairness and the equitable distribution of resources, and act to reduce barriers and expand choice for all persons, with special regard for those who are marginalized, disadvantaged, or vulnerable. Social workers oppose prejudice and discrimination against any person or group of persons, on any grounds, and specifically challenge views and actions that stereotype particular persons or groups (CASW, 2015).

The School of Social Work values diverse experiences, knowledges, and perspectives and recognizes that one’s passion for social work may be influenced by life experiences that are shaped by racism, anti-Black racism, xenophobia, anti-Indigenous racism and colonization, sexism and cissexism, homophobia and transphobia, classism, and ableism, among other forms of discrimination. In the questions below, we offer you the opportunity to tell us about yourself, your lived experiences, and interest in social work and social justice.

1. Tell us how your own strengths and skills will impact your Social Work learning and practise? (approximately 250 words)

2. What are some of the systemic obstacles that you have faced? What are some of the ways you have you overcome these obstacles? (approximately 250 words)

3.  How have you been a leader? What did you learn from this experience? (approximately 250 words)

4.  Who is/are your community/ies? How do you give and receive support in this/these community/ies? (approximately 250 words)

Your personal statement must be uploaded on Quest and saved as a PDF and be no larger than 3000KB*

For information on how to upload your documents. 

Step 4: Upload your application materials and supporting documentation including:

• Unofficial transcripts* (post-secondary) 
• Personal statement
• Resume

*If you requested your transcripts via OUAC, you do not have to upload additional copies. Check Quest to ensure we have received all your supporting documents.

• All supporting documentation including unofficial transcripts, personal statement, and resume are due by January 20, 2025
• Important note about transcripts*: University of Waterloo/Renison students do not have to submit their Waterloo transcripts, and high school transcripts are NOT required.

Helpful information can be found at Undergraduate Admissions.

For all other BSW application enquiries, please contact  BSW admissions