McGill University MSW Application Guide
The Master of Social Work (MSW) application process can be complex, especially given that many students apply to multiple programs and each application differs! When I applied to my MSW, I remember feeling shocked by the time commitment required when applying to various schools. We at MSW Helper hope to help you streamline this process by providing guides so that you can easily understand the requirements for different MSW programs. This application guide will highlight the program types, minimum requirements and application steps for the McGill University Master of Social Work program.
McGill MSW Program Options
Qualifying Year program - McGill MSW without a BSW
Historically, McGill University has only offered an Advanced program option for the MSW degree. This meant an undergraduate student could only enter this program if they held a Bachelor of Social Work degree (BSW). However, if you are interested in McGill and are looking to apply to MSW programs with an undergraduate degree outside of social work, you’re in luck! Starting in fall 2025, McGill will offer a unique Qualifying Year program, where students with undergraduate degrees outside of a BSW can apply. The Qualifying year requires students to complete 30 credits over two terms, where upon completion, students will be eligible to enter the 1-year Advanced McGill MSW program. This new program parallels the Advanced and Foundational programs typically offered at other universities.
Advanced Program - BSW students only
The MSW program at McGill prepares students to enter one of two areas of practice: Practice with Individuals and Families and International, Community and Policy Practice. In the application, students select their area of interest and throughout the program then have the flexibility to take electives in either specialty. The McGill MSW program can be completed on a full-time or part-time basis. The school does not offer online or remote options and all programs are completed in-person at the McGill downtown campus.
Non-Thesis and Thesis Streams
The MSW Non-Thesis stream requires students to complete 45 credits over a fall, winter and summer term. In addition to this course requirement, students complete a 420-hour field placement. McGill offers students the choice to complete this field placement concurrently with coursework over the academic year or throughout the summer when the course load is lighter.
The Thesis stream is typically completed over two years and requires students to complete a thesis paper. If you are interested in research but unsure of committing to the Thesis program, students can complete an Independent Study Plan (ISP) throughout their Non-Thesis program. During the ISP students work alongside a professor writing a research paper on their area of interest. Currently, the Non-Thesis option is more popular among MSW students.
Related: What I Wish I Knew Before Starting a Thesis-Based MSW Program
Extension Program: MSc.A Couple and Family Therapy
McGill offers a very unique Master of Science, Applied in Couple and Family Therapy program. For McGill MSW graduates, this program is condensed from two-years into one-year and can be completed upon graduation of the MSW. If you are interested in working in clinical practice from a systems lens, this program might be an interesting option to explore. This is one of two family therapy specialty programs in Canada, with many others offered in the United States.
Application Process
McGill MSW Requirements
GPA: McGill requires MSW applicants to have a GPA of 3.2 on the 4.0 GPA scale.
Prerequisites: McGill also requires applicants to have completed a 3 credit statistics couse and 3 credits in human development accross the lifespan. These prerequisites must be completed no later than July 15 for a September start date. See specific course requirements here
Key Dates:
September 15: Application opens
December 15: Application and CV form, Statement of Interest, Prerequisite form and unofficial copies of all transcripts are due
January 15: All three references and the unofficial copies of all transcripts for the fall term are due
*Note: You must insert the names and contact information of your references by the Dec 15 date, so it’s still helpful to ask your references well in advance! References will then have until Jan 15 to submit the confidential reference form to the McGill portal.
References
McGill requires 3 references for the MSW application. This must include two academic references and one professional, work, internship or volunteer reference.
More on this topic: Your Guide to Graduate School References
MSW Program CV Form
The CV process differs slightly at McGill, so this is an area prospective applicants might need to pay close attention to and dedicate a little bit more time on! McGill requires students to submit their CV through a specific fillable form. This CV form can be found on the MSW program site
This form requires students to fill out the following sections:
Name and address of organization
Name of supervisor/employer and their phone number
Position held
Three main responsibilities
Start date
End date
Hours worked/week
Whether the position was Paid (P), Volunteer (V), or Field Placement (FP)
Total hours worked in this role
This information might take a little bit of time to find and collect, which is why I recommend starting this process early!
McGill MSW Personal Statement
Similar to many schools, McGill requires students to submit a personal statement as a part of their application to the MSW program. The McGill application includes 3 questions that must be answered in a maximum of 1250 words. Pay special attention though, as there is a per-question word count, as opposed to a maximum for the entire statement!
The prompts included in the McGill MSW Personal Statement are:
1. How have your life, work, and educational experiences contributed to your interest in becoming a social worker? (500 words maximum)
In this section, it’s important not to just reiterate components of your resume but to speak to relevant experiences that have influenced your desire to pursue social work education in one of the McGill specialties. For this question, I recommend choosing a couple of experiences from different areas and then merging them to highlight a gap you observed and how you will fill this gap as a future social worker.
More on this topic: How to Start Your Personal Statement
2. Identify a social problem that you might want to address as a social worker. Discuss possible causes of this social problem. Please cite 3-5 references in APA style when answering this question and specify up to 5 keywords that best describe your area of interest.
Identifying a social problem that you might want to address as a social worker is a common question in Master of Social Work personal statements. For this prompt, it’s important to choose a social problem that aligns with your experience and future social work goals. I recommend spending some time researching the roots of your social problem so that you can highlight your critical thinking skills when speaking about the issue. From here, you might identify how a social worker (a.k.a., you!) could address this gap in the future. Try highlighting social work terms here, how might a social worker implement change on the micro, mezzo and macro levels?
More on this topic: How to Choose A Social Justice Issue
3. How does studying Social Work at McGill fit with your career goals? What stream have you chosen? Which McGill Professor would you like to work with?
For this question, the school wants students to highlight why they are choosing the McGill School of Social Work to further (or start) their social work education. It’s useful to spend some time looking into the McGill School of Social Work website when answering this question. Notice what key terms they use and consistently highlight, as well as the areas of interest and specialties they offer. Further, you might look into the faculty and their research interests or even specific courses that will prepare you to fill your identified gap as a future social worker. In this section, it’s helpful to be specific! I also like to encourage applicants to include a brief note of the unique perspective that they will bring to their MSW cohort.
Note: If you are applying to the Thesis stream you will swap this section for a Research Proposal.
More on this topic: Why Are You Interested in Our MSW Program?
Final Tips for McGill’s MSW Application
When applying to various MSW programs, it’s useful to familiarize yourself with the school’s specialty and area of interest. The MSW degree at McGill University states that the school appreciates candidates with an interest in theory, research and policy that will contribute to their areas of focus: Individuals, Families, and Groups or International, Community, and Policy Practice. When responding to the personal statement prompts, it will be useful to align your paper with one of these areas.
I encourage students to start their applications as far in advance as possible. It can be helpful to have time to think about who you want to ask as a reference and possible answers to the personal statement prompts.
Remember, coming from a social work or non-social work background, you have valuable experiences and knowledge to share. When writing your personal statement, try not to shy away from clearly stating some of your achievements!
Good luck, you got this!
Applying to another MSW program in Canada? Check out our other school specific guides here.
