BSW Admission Requirements

Interested in the Bachelor of Social Work? We know BSW students come from all backgrounds and take many paths to the field of social work. Find information about the admissions requirements for the BSW here. 

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Requirements

The Bachelor of Social Work is a post-degree program which requires all students have a Bachelor of Arts degree or equivalent to be eligible for the program. If you are interested in pursuing the BSW, you may satisfy that requirement by completing the Social Development Studies (SDS) program at Renison University College. Offered in either a 3- or 4-year General, or a 4-year Honours format, this program also allows you to take all of the prerequisite courses required for the BSW by including them in your coursework.

You can also complete the Social Development Studies program entirely online, though the BSW program does require on-campus attendance. More information about online admissions.

Please contact us for inquiries regarding Social Development Studies.

The Bachelor of Social Work is a post-degree program which requires all students have a Bachelor of Arts degree or equivalent to be eligible for the program. If you are interested in pursuing the BSW, you may satisfy that requirement by completing the Social Development Studies (SDS) program at Renison University College. Offered in either a 3 or 4 year General, or a 4 year Honours format, this program also allows you to take all of the prerequisite courses required for the BSW by including them in your coursework. 

You can also complete the Social Development Studies program part-time or entirely online, though please note that the BSW program does require on-campus attendance. More information about part-time and online admissions

Please contact us for inquiries regarding Social Development Studies.

The Bachelor of Social Work is a post-degree program which requires all students have a Bachelor of Arts degree or equivalent to be eligible for the program. Prospective students who have a diploma from a college may satisfy that requirement by completing the Social Development Studies (SDS) program at Renison University College. Offered in either a 3- or 4-year General, or a 4-year Honours format, this program also allows you to take all of the prerequisite courses required for the BSW by including them in your coursework. 

College diploma holders may also be eligible for transfer credit towards the SDS degree. 

Transfer credits will only be assessed once a formal application for admission has been submitted and official transcripts from your previous school have been received.  The Admissions Committee will evaluate your transcripts, and upon admission, transfer credits may be awarded.  A maximum of 5.0 units (equal to 10 term courses) may be granted for a 2-year diploma; a maximum of 7.5 units (equal to 15 term courses) may be granted for a 3-year diploma. Please refer to the Faculty of Arts guidelines for college transfer students for more information.

You can also complete the Social Development Studies program entirely online, though the BSW program does require on-campus attendance. More information about online admissions.

Please contact us for inquiries regarding Social Development Studies.


Graduates of 4-year college degree programs will be considered for admission to the BSW program on a case-by-case basis. Please refer to the BSW admission guidelines for university students for more information and contact us with questions. 

The Bachelor of Social Work is a post-degree program which requires all students have a Bachelor's degree in order to be eligible for the program. Prospective students who have a diploma from a college may satisfy that requirement by completing the Social Development Studies (SDS) program at Renison University College. Offered in either a 3- or 4-year General, or a 4-year Honours format, this program also allows you to take all of the prerequisite courses required for the BSW by including them in your coursework.

College diploma holders may also be eligible for transfer credit towards the SDS degree. 

Transfer credits will only be assessed once a formal application for admission has been submitted and official transcripts from your previous school have been received.  The Admissions Committee will evaluate your transcripts, and upon admission, transfer credits may be awarded.  A maximum of 5.0 units (equal to 10 term courses) may be granted for a 2-year diploma; a maximum of 7.5 units may be granted for a 3-year diploma. Please refer to the Faculty of Arts guidelines for college transfer students for more information.

You can also complete the Social Development Studies program part-time or entirely online, though the BSW program does require on-campus attendance. More information about online and part-time admissions.

Please contact us for inquiries regarding Social Development Studies.


Graduates of 4-year college degree programs will be considered for admission to the BSW program on a case-by-case basis. Please refer to the BSW admission guidelines for university students for more information and contact contact us with questions. 

The Bachelor of Social Work is a post-degree program which requires all students have a Bachelor's degree in order to be eligible for the program. Ideal applicants will have at least a 75% undergraduate average.

Students who have a Bachelor's degree must also make sure they have completed all of the BSW prerequisites required for the program: 

  1. SOCWK 120R   Introduction to Social Work
     
  2. SOCWK 220R  Social Work with Individuals - Theory and Practice 1
     
  3. SDS 251R (formerly ISS 251R)   Social Research
     
  4. SOC 224R  Poverty in Canada and its Social Consequences OR SDS 312R (formerly ISS 312R)  Homelessness & Public Policy OR SDS 331R Social Inequality, Social Justice, and Social Action 
     
  5. SOCWK 300R  Canadian Social Welfare Policy
     
  6. SOCWK 301R   Understanding Diversity in Canada OR PSYCH 349R (formerly PSYCH 222R) Cross-Cultural Psychology OR SDS 311R Indigenous Peoples and Canadian Public Policy 
     
  7. SOCWK 321R   Social Work with Families

SDS students can confirm they have completed the prerequisites through Quest. We are happy to assess previous coursework from other institutions for equivalency. You can request an equivalency assessment by emailing a copy of your transcript (unofficial is fine) to BSW Admissions

Once your prerequisite status has been assessed, we can move to next steps. If you still have prerequisites to do, you can complete them at Renison by applying as a post-degree student. If you have completed all of the prerequisites, the next step will be applying.

Please contact us for inquiries about the BSW program. 

Just want to learn more about the Bachelor of Social Work? Check out the School of Social Work website!

The Bachelor of Social Work is a post-degree program which requires all students have a Bachelor's degree in order to be eligible for the program. Ideal applicants will have at least a 75% undergraduate average.

Students who have a Bachelor's degree must also make sure they have completed all of the BSW prerequisites required for the program: 

  1. SOCWK 120R   Introduction to Social Work
     
  2. SOCWK 220R  Social Work with Individuals - Theory and Practice 1
     
  3. SDS 251R (formerly ISS 251R)   Social Research
     
  4. SOC 224R  Poverty in Canada and its Social Consequences OR SDS 312R (formerly ISS 312R)  Homelessness & Public Policy OR SDS 331R Social Inequality, Social Justice, and Social Action 
     
  5. SOCWK 300R  Canadian Social Welfare Policy
     
  6. SOCWK 301R   Understanding Diversity in Canada OR PSYCH 349R (formerly PSYCH 222R) Cross-Cultural Psychology OR SDS 311R Indigenous Peoples and Canadian Public Policy 
     
  7. SOCWK 321R   Social Work with Families

SDS students can confirm they have completed the prerequisites through Quest. We are happy to assess previous coursework from other institutions for equivalency. You can request an equivalency assessment by emailing a copy of your transcript (unofficial is fine) to BSW Admissions

Once your prerequisite status has been assessed, we can move to next steps. If you still have prerequisites to do, you can complete them at Renison by applying as a post-degree student. If you have completed all of the prerequisites, the next step will be applying.

Please contact us for inquiries about the BSW program. 

Just want to learn more about the Bachelor of Social Work? Check out the School of Social Work website!