Other application pieces

Transcripts, Reference Letters, Resumé, and Supplementary Information Form

The application process, for entry into the MSW program in fall 2025, for both full-time and part-time applicants, will open on September 1, and close on November 15, 2024.

Applications to our Master of Social Work program, for entry in fall 2025, must be submitted online through the University of Waterloo's Graduate Studies & Postdoctoral Affairs online submission system, by November 15, 2024. 

Supporting documents must be uploaded into your QUEST account by the deadline of December 1, 2024, 11.59pm (Eastern), to complete applications which have been submitted by the OUAC deadline.

Transcripts

Reference letters

Curriculum vitae/resumé

Supplementary information form

Evaluation Criteria

Other Application Pieces

Transcripts:

  • Unnofficial transcripts (including awarding of degree/degree certificate) are accepted at the application stage. These can be scans of your official paper transcript(s) or a PDF of your academic record. Applicants are required to upload a copy of their transcript(s) in their Quest Student Centre. Unofficial transcripts must be current dated. Should you receive an offer of admission, official final transcripts will be requested. 
  • All post-secondary education (universities and colleges, including incomplete studies) must be declared on your online application. NOTE for University of Waterloo students/graduates: University of Waterloo transcripts are not required but all other transcripts must be uploaded. You must declare your University of Waterloo studies in the academic background section of the application and any studies you have completed in other institutions.

  • Academic transcripts and degree certificates (if obtained) from each post-secondary institution attended (past or current) showing your name, the institution's name, all courses and marks AND INCLUDING the transcript legends/keys/grading scales must be uploaded using Quest.

  • Transcripts must be in the original language and include a certified translation if the transcript is not in English.
  • Waterloo will accept transcripts issued in both English or French from Canadian Institutions. A translation is not required.
    • We are an English teaching/speaking institution.
  • Only one PDF file per institution can be uploaded (if you completed more than one degree at the same institution, both transcripts must be in a single file).
  • Transcripts generated from a self-service/web information system must display your full name, academic program and the university's name along with transcript legends/keys/grading scales.
  • Do not use brackets ( ), quotations ' ' or any special characters in the file name, and keep the file name short.
  • A full set of materials must be submitted.
  • Once you upload a document, you cannot go back and replace it with an updated version.
  • If you uploaded an incorrect document (ex. a test score instead of a transcript), send an email to gradapp@uwaterloo.ca.
  • Further details may be found on the Graduate Studies Applications webpages

If you receive an Offer of Admission:

  • Final Official academic transcripts (received in a closed university envelope) sent directly from your home institution to the Graduate Studies Office, University of Waterloo, are only required if you are offered admission.
  • Transcript must be in the original language and include a certified translation if the transcript is not in English.
  • Waterloo will accept transcripts issued in both English or French from Canadian Institutions. A translation is not required.
    • We are an English teaching/speaking institution.

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Reference letters:

Three letters of reference are required: One Academic and Two Professional.  

If your degree was completed three or more years ago, and you are having difficulty obtaining an academic reference, you may submit a third professional reference.

An applicant selects three individuals who have current knowledge (preferably within the last two years) of the candidate’s potential for undertaking graduate studies in Social Work.

Academic Reference: must be from a course instructor with whom you have taken a class/classes within the last three to four years.

Professional Reference: must be from any of the following three sources:

  • Work source: Director, employment supervisor, practicum supervisor.
  • Voluntary source: A representative from a voluntary board, organization, or group with whom the applicant has volunteered
  • Professional source (from a professional perspective): Social worker, physician, nurse, psychologist, psychiatrist, chaplain, or similar community-based professional

While we would like to have professional references from individuals in different organizations, we understand that many applicants many only have worked in one agency/organization or it may be many years since you have worked in another agency/organization.

If you do get your professional references from individuals within the same agency/organization, please try to have them speak to different aspects of your suitability and capacity to undertake graduate level social work education. You will not be penalized in the application process for having references from individuals in the same agency/organization.

References are confidential, not available to applicants, used only for admission purposes, and are kept on file for those accepted.

  • Contact your referees before you apply online to confirm their availability and email address.
  • Your referees will receive an email from the Graduate Studies & Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA) within two to three business days after your application has been submitted
  • GSPA will send your referees two email reminders to complete the form within 14 days of the due date listed on the form.
  • Reference forms do not expire but they are required to complete your application, and should be submitted by the application deadline for your program.
  • GSPA only accept references submitted using their electronic form.

To change a referee, send an email to gradapply@uwaterloo.ca with the following information: 

Subject Line: Referee change
Waterloo ID number:
Applicant name:
Program and application term:
Previous referee name:
New referee name:
New referee title:
New referee Institution:
Institution address (include city/country):
New referee telephone:
New referee email address:

Please include an explanation about why you wish to change your referee.

To change a referee email address, send an email to gradapply@uwaterloo.ca with the following information:

Subject Line: Referee email address change
Waterloo ID number:
Applicant name:
Program and application term:
Referee name:
Previous referee email address:
New referee email address:

To have the reference email re-sent to your referee, send an email to gradapply@uwaterloo.ca with the following information:

Subject Line: Re-send referee email
Waterloo ID number:
Applicant name:
Program and application term:
Referee name:
Referee email address:

Need to add a referee at the admission stage?

If the department or Faculty require an admissible applicant to submit an additional reference letter at the admission stage (due to an unacceptable reference letter – i.e., colleague or relative - or an incorrect combination of professional/academic), you should send an email to gradapply@uwaterloo.ca, along with the email trail from the department, with the following Information:

  • Subject line: "additional reference required by the University of Waterloo"
  • Waterloo student ID number:
  • Program and application term:
  • New referee name:
  • New referee title:
  • New referee institution:
  • Institution address (include street/city/country)
  • New referee telephone:
  • New referee email address:

*NOTE: If an applicant changes a referee, the new referee is not listed in the applicant’s Student Center in Quest, nor will the new referee be listed in the Referees data extract, which picks up only the originally listed referees from the graduate online application. Thus, you should assume that, if there is an alternate reference, then gradapply@uwaterloo.ca changed/added the referee at the applicant’s request.

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Curriculum vitae/​resumé:

In PDF Format.

The School of Social Work is interested in the experiences of applicants in any or all of the following areas: educational qualifications, practica, employment experience, volunteer experience, membership in volunteer associations, membership in professional associations, supervisory experience, research activities, presentations given, publications, and additional skills, attributes or other information. 

Content of res​umé

Social work practice experience, paid and unpaid, is considered in the admission process. The School of Social Work is interested in the experiences of applicants in any or all of the following areas: educational qualifications, practica, employment experience, volunteer experience, social action and activism, membership in volunteer associations, membership in professional associations, supervisory experience, research activities, presentations given, publications, and additional skills, attributes or other information

Applicants will be required to submit a detailed resumé, which lists separately, under the headings provided, and chronologically beginning with the most recent, their experiences in these areas: 

Employment experience: 

Under the following three sub-headings 'pre-BSW', 'during BSW', 'post- BSW', indicate clearly:

Dates, agencies/organizations, positions held, whether the positions were full-time or part-time, and a brief description of roles, duties and responsibilities. 

Volunteer exper​ience: 

Under the following three sub-headings 'pre-BSW', 'during BSW', 'post- BSW', indicate clearly:

Dates, agencies/organizations, positions held, and a brief description of roles, duties and responsibilities. 

Practica:

Indicate clearly:
Dates, agency/organization, field instructor’s name and title, and a brief description of roles, duties and responsibilities. 

Membership in professional associations: 

Indicate clearly:
Dates, associations and, if applicable, a brief description of roles, duties and responsibilities. Please include the specific professional and/or regulatory provincial/Canadian associations, or related organizations.

Community recognition:

Awards and other forms of recognition by the community.

Education and professional development: 

Degrees, certificates, diplomas, academic awards, workshops and conferences attended, ongoing professional development activities, and language skills (including sign language). 

Additional skills, attributes and information relevant to the Master of Social Work program:

These may include such things as research activities, presentations (conferences, workshops, staff development and training) and publications (both refereed and non-refereed).

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Supplementary information form: 

Please tell us about your interest in graduate studies in social work.

Social work practice is guided by six values found in the CASW Guidelines for Ethical Practice and OCSWSSW Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice. We encourage you to review these documents to familiarize yourself with these values prior to completing the Supplementary Information Form. 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, vulnerable, and/or have exceptional needs. 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.

Question #1

Thinking about social work’s commitment to the pursuit of social justice and the health-focus of the MSW Program, please outline a relevant contemporary social justice issue of interest to you. Please consider the following in your response:

  1. What is the specific social justice issue of interest to you and why is it an important topic?
  2. What factors/forces contribute to the social justice issue?

(Maximum 500 words)

Question #2

Considering the contemporary social justice issue explored in Question 1:

  1. How might social work contribute to a response to this social issue?
  2. What ethical issues surround this social concern?

 (Maximum 300 words)

Question #3

Tell us how your work and volunteer experiences, strengths, skills, and lived experiences influence your interest and participation in the profession of social work and/or pursuit of social change.

(Maximum 500 words)

Question #4

What are your expectations, goals and learning needs?  Please consider the following in your response:

  1. Your practicum interests and learning needs.
  2. Your professional reasons for pursuing a graduate degree in a health-focused social work program;
  3. How your experiences, skills, and attributes will contribute to the learning environment;
  4. Why you have chosen an online program of study.

(Maximum 300 words)

Question #5

Is there anything else that you think is important for the Admissions Committee to know when reviewing your application that you haven’t yet had the opportunity to share?

(Maximum 300 words)

Finally, You will also be required to give details about your Research Methods course/s. 

  • Research Methods Course number, Course Name, University, Year, Length of course (eg 1 term), Credit rating (eg 0.5credit).

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Supplementary Information Form evaluation criteria

The supplementary Information Form of all applicants who meet the standard admission criteria will be rated by two independent assessors. This provides consistency in the evaluation process and provides an effective way to evaluate a large number of applications.

Each answer will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

  • Writing style: the ability to communicate clearly, including use of language, organization and comprehensibility
  • Demonstrated analytic ability: including evidence of scholarship
  • Creativity and originality
  • Completeness of answers​

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Other application pieces

  • Proof of Permanent Resident/Landed Immigrant status if necessary
  • If English is not your first language you may need to include official English proficiency test scores with your application. Go to the English Language Proficiency Certification website to find out the criteria for exemptions, and which tests and scores are acceptable for admission (note: not the "Alternative" scores). French-Canadian citizens whose earlier degrees are from French-Canadian universities do not need to take an English Language Proficiency test. However, please be aware that we are an English-speaking University and all the courses are taught in English.  Applicants must ensure that their level of spoken and written English is high enough to allow them to understand the course material and communicate fluently.

Graduate Studies accepted examinations and required scores

Table of Graduate Studies accepted examinations and required scores
Internet-based 
TOEFL (iBT)		 IELTS 
(Academic)		 Cambridge English test
(C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency)		 CAEL PTE 
(Academic)		 EFAS
90;
writing 25;
speaking 25		 7.0;
writing 6.5;
speaking 6.5		 185;
minimum 176 in each area		 70;
60 per band;
70 writing;
70 speaking		 63;
writing 65;
speaking 65		 75%
overall in level 400 with at least 75% in writing, oral and academic skills

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Information from the Graduate Studies & Post-Doctoral Affairs regarding types of acceptable documents which can be uploaded into QUEST 

All applications are submitted online so you will not be able to include any additional materials with your submission.

For more information, please contact:

Keri Raif Sura, Administration and Student Services Manager
School of Social Work, Renison University College
519-884-4404, ext. 28698
renison.socialwork@uwaterloo.ca

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