Tips for your University of British Columbia - Okanagan MSW Application
When applying for your MSW, it is important to keep in mind that although there is some overlap, each program has their own unique application requirements. To help make that application process as smooth as possible, I’ve broken down the application requirements for The University of British Columbia’s MSW programs below!
University of British Columbia MSW Programs
The University of British Columbia - Okanagan MSW programs are unique because they are clinically-focused, meaning the curriculum is tailored towards skills for clinical practice as a social worker (for more information on what clinical social work is and general advice for clinical MSW application, check out our post here!)
As with many schools, UBCO offers two streams for applicants: Foundational and Advanced. Both programs are completed on a full-time basis. These programs are course-based, but there is also the option to complete a thesis which adds an additional 12 months to the program duration. When applying for the program, all applicants will first be admitted to the course-based program. If you are interested in completing a thesis, this can be discussed with the school once you have entered the program!
Foundational MSW Program: For MSW applicants with a non-social work bachelors degree, UBCO offers a two-year foundational MSW program. This program includes coursework on topics including human development, mental health, counselling skills, and social work theories, in addition to two 450 hour practicum placements (one per year).
Advanced MSW Program: Applicants with a BSW are able to apply to the advanced MSW program, which is a one-year program. Similarly, this program will include a mix of coursework, including a few electives, as well as a clinically-focused practicum.
For more information on both of these programs, you can explore UBCO’s School of Social Work website here!
Application Process
Similar to most MSW programs, UBCO’s MSW application has a few different components to be aware of. Applicants will need to complete the online application form through the website and pay the application fee. In addition, applicants will need to provide the contact information for three references. As well, you will need to provide unofficial transcripts, along with a resume and a statement of purpose. I’ll discuss the main components of the application more below!
Related: UBC MSW Acceptance Rates (includes all Canadian MSW programs)
References
When applying to UBCO, you will be required to provide three references. The program requests that at least one of your references be from an academic setting, and the other two can be professional references. In addition, they mention on their website that references with a master’s degree are preferred, although this is not a requirement. You can find more details on reference requirements within their FAQ page here!
References can be a tricky part of the application process, but we’ve got you covered! To help you along in the process of finding and contacting references, check out our guide to grad school references.
Resume
For both the Foundational and Advanced programs at UBCO, you will need to upload your resume with your application. There is no specific formatting that UBCO requires for your resume, although they do request that you include the number of hours you worked/volunteered in each role! For more tips on creating a social work specific resume, you can check out our blog post here!
Personal Statement Prompts for the University of British Columbia
UBCO asks 5 questions as part of their MSW personal statement. Here is the advice we share with applicants who use our personal statement editing services:
Get a FREE copy of our MSW personal statement template to guide you in answering the following prompts.
What motivates you to want to enter the profession of Social Work and complete a clinically-oriented MSW program? Please explain why you chose an MSW Program over a degree in a related field, such as counselling, clinical psychology, educational psychology, etc.
This answer is worded slightly differently for applicants to the foundational and advanced programs, but in both cases this question is asking you to explain your motivation for pursuing this program. When answering this question, especially within the context of a clinical program, it will be important to distinguish why you are interested in clinical social work particularly, as they highlight in the question.
For this prompt, creating your “mission statement” or “thesis” for your personal statement will help narrow down your answer here. To do this, it will be helpful to consider what experiences you have had up to this point which have inspired you to pursue social work, as well as what your future goals are in the field. In addition, it may be helpful when answering this question to consider any gaps that might exist in your current knowledge or skillset, and how you think the program will help you to do this. For example, perhaps you have experience with diverse populations but feel you lack experience and knowledge for working with people experiencing mental health challenges. Generally speaking, understanding your “why” will really help you make an impact with the first prompt of your statement. For more support with this, we have an entire post that you can check out here to help you get started!
What specific client population(s) and related social issues would you like to learn to professionally address at the clinical graduate level? Explain.
This question is very direct in what it is asking, and giving a direct answer here is probably the best way to answer it (and will help you save on your word count too!) Depending on your past experience and future goals, you may or may not have experience working with your population of interest, which is okay! The main thing here is briefly discussing why you are interested in working with this group.
The other aspect of this question is getting at what social issues interest you. Again, these may be related to your personal or professional experience, but it doesn’t have to be. Ideally, it is best if your social issue is related to the population you would like to work with in the future because this will help make the statement overall more cohesive. For example, it wouldn’t make as much sense if your population of interest was infants and young children, but the issue you are interested in is something related to international social policy. On the other hand, if you want to work with youths and young adults and your issue of interest is something related to mental health and addiction, it will be easier to connect these ideas and explain how it is related to your career goals.
Based on academic literature, what makes the above social issue(s) important to social work?
This question is more or less asking you to analyze the social issue you are interested in. As mentioned above, discussing an issue related to your population of interest, or even your past experience can help strengthen your statement! As well, making sure you narrow down your area of interest enough will be helpful because it will make it easier to discuss the issue at a detailed enough level, without going over the limited word count.
This section is important for demonstrating your academic abilities because it is an opportunity to not only demonstrate your research skills, but your ability to think critically as well. I would highly recommend including a few academic references in this section to back up what you are discussing here. The social issue question of your personal statement can be a tricky one to answer well, but for further guidance you can check out this post on the topic for more tips and examples!
How will the MSW program benefit you, and what do you see as your contribution to the program?
For this question, your job is to highlight why you have chosen UBCO’s MSW program in particular. In this case, it might be appropriate to once again highlight your interest in gaining clinical skills and experience. In addition, you can set yourself apart and demonstrate genuine interest in the program by finding a class or two that they offer which you are particularly interested in taking. Similarly, if you are interested in doing any research during your MSW, mentioning a professor or two that you are interested in working with can also show the admissions committee your commitment to this specific program.
As far as your contribution to the program, you may want to touch on any unique skills, professional experiences, or personal experiences that give you a unique lens which you will be able to share with your classmates in the future.
Describe a situation in which you disagreed with the actions taken by a colleague or a supervisor. Describe the way(s) in which you managed or resolved the situation. Looking back on this situation, is there anything you would do differently?
This question is asking you to describe a specific scenario. I would suggest thinking back to your professional experience, whether it has been related to social work or not. Ultimately, this question is about demonstrating your ability to resolve conflict and communicate in a professional manner. When answering this question, I would briefly describe the issue, and then discuss how you handled it. Depending on whether the situation was resolved effectively, you may or may not have done anything differently, which is okay! The important thing will be briefly justifying why or why not. For example, if the situation was resolved smoothly and with minimal conflict and supervisor involvement, perhaps you wouldn’t do anything differently next time. However, you could also use this opportunity to reflect on anything you may have learned from the situation which would demonstrate personal growth and self-awareness, two important qualities in a good social worker.
Tell us about a time you had an idea to improve a process at work/school. How did you go about making the improvement and what was the result? Would you do anything differently next time?
Again, this question is straightforward in what it is asking, but ultimately there are a few main points they are trying to get at here. One main aspect that should be represented in your answer is your ability to see issues within organizations or systems for example, and come up with solutions to change them for the better. As social workers, our job is to advocate for and support clients, while also working to promote social justice more broadly, so your ability to work to make positive changes will be important in the future. In addition, similar to the previous question, making sure you discuss whether or not you would do anything differently next time is important. As I said above, this is an opportunity to demonstrate your self-awareness and capacity for growth which are key to have as social workers.
Final Tips for your UBCO MSW Application
As mentioned above, the word count limit for your UBCO MSW statement of purpose is 1000 words, excluding in-text citations, footnotes, or headings. This means you will need to be extremely concise in answering each question. To help with this, I would suggest creating a rough outline with the major points you want to include for each question before writing, and then ensure that you stay on track with your answers as you write your statement. Also, as you are editing, see if there are any extra details you may have included in your answers that could be omitted, such as details about an organization you volunteered with. Although these details do help give some more context to your answers, they ultimately don’t help the admissions committee understand why you would be an amazing social worker.
Remember, the programs offered at UBCO are clinically-focused programs. With this in mind, you should do your best to make sure that personal statement is tailored towards this (not just the questions specifically asking about it!) For example, this could mean emphasizing your professional skills and experience relevant to clinical social work, or even discussing a social issue related to clinical practice.
Make sure you include the personal statement questions as headings when you submit your personal statement with your application – this is preferred by UBCO according to their FAQs!
Although getting started on your MSW applications can feel overwhelming, the entire process can be boiled down into just a few main steps: the application form and fee, the resume, the references, and the personal statement. By following the tips I’ve suggested above, you’ll be well on your way to submitting a strong application!
Looking for more resources for getting started on your personal statement? Check out our free 10 day mini-course for writing your personal statement!
