Please review all the information below before applying to the MSW Critical Leadership in Social Services & Communities.
Eligibility
To be eligible for admission to the MSW: Critical Leadership in Social Services and Communities stream, applicants are required to hold a BSW degree from an accredited social work program. In addition, admission requirements are:
- Half course in introductory social research methods;
- B+ standing in senior-level social work courses;
- The equivalent of an accumulated three years of experience working in social services or communities/community services.
Applications should demonstrate the capacity to: Rationalize experience and its link to leadership; Contextualize the experience to lead in a critical and complex way.
Applicants should have the equivalent of an accumulated three years (minimum 5000 hrs. at time of application) of experience to be accepted into the program. This experience needs to be demonstrated to inform their leadership activities and to support analysis of organizational and systemic processes that inform leadership, and may in some contexts limit/shape the nature of leadership practice. The point of this experience level is not to meet a technical requirement, but rather to ensure that students have particular kinds of experience and have the capacity to process their knowledge in a critical way in the classroom and placement setting.
Application Materials
In order for your application to be considered complete, it must include the following items:
- Online Application Form and Fee
- Statement of Interest (applicant uploads pdf directly)
- Resumé (applicant uploads pdf directly)
- Work Experience Template using the template below (applicant uploads pdf directly)
- Referee Reports (referees complete online report directly using e-referencing system – due by February 5th at 11:59pm.
- Transcripts (applicant uploads unofficial transcript directly). Original transcripts must be sent directly from issuing institution*.
- English proficiency requirements, if applicable (applicant uploads unofficial copy directly). Original documents must be sent directly from issuing institution*.
*Note: Original Transcripts and English Proficiency documents must be sent directly from issuing institution(s) to:
Darlene Savoy, Director’s/Graduate Administrative Assistant
School of Social Work, McMaster University
1280 Main Street West, Kenneth Taylor Hall, Room 322
Hamilton ON L8S 4M4
dsavoy@mcmaster.ca
Timelines for Application
Review of applications will be considered until all positions have been filled. Applicants will upload an unofficial copy of their transcript(s) and English Language Proficiency (if applicable) by the deadline date so that we may expedite the assessment of their qualifications. The deadline for MSW (Critical Leadership) applications is January 31st (11:59pm). The admissions system will remain open until all positions have been filled. Offers of admission and financial support are normally sent out from early March to late July.
Application Form & Fee
The portal for September 2027 admissions will open on September 1, 2026. Application forms must be completed online. Please read this webpage thoroughly before proceeding to the How to Apply instructions on the School of Graduate Studies website.
On the application portal, first review the “Prepare your Application for September 2027” tab before proceeding to the “Application Instructions for September 2027” tab with detailed guide which will lead you though the online application process. Then proceed to the Start Your Application page. Please note the search criteria on application portal for “Filter by Faculty” is “Social Sciences”; then scroll down list of “Programs Open for Application” and click “Apply Now” button beside description “Social Work – Critical Leadership in Social Services and Communities MSW”, then click on “Create an Account” link if you are a first time user OR separate link for returning user. For “Course Type” you may choose “full-time” or “part-time” studies. In the “Upload Documents” section, in addition to your CV & Statement of Interest, please also upload Unofficial Transcript(s) and TOEFL (if applicable).
A non-refundable $150 (CAN) application fee is applied to all applications. The fee can be paid online by valid debit or credit card.
Transcripts
Applicants must provide one electronic (or scanned) copy of ALL post-secondary academic transcripts (completed or in progress) and uploaded through your online application by the deadline date. Official transcripts (hard copy or electronic) sent directly from the issuing institution to the School of Social Work (address above) will be required only if an applicant is offered successful admission.
Resumé
Relevant work/practicum experience should be included using this work experience template, which must be uploaded separately from your resumé.
Applicants should have the equivalent of an accumulated three years of experience (minimum 5000 hrs. at time of application) to be accepted into the program. Applicants are not required to have paid experience specifically, but they do need to have substantive experience. For example, two weeks running a community program as a volunteer or paid staff three years in a row would not be considered “substantive”. Placement hours do not count towards the three years – all students apply with placement experience as this is a standardized requirement for completion of a BSW. Student’s placement experience may enhance their statement related to the hoped-for placement or leadership project.
Employment:
Paid work activities which include part-time, full-time, contract and on-call work.
Experience:
Activities that contribute to your knowledge/capacity for MSW study.
Unpaid work activities:
This work can include volunteer work undertaken in form organizations/institutions, informal organizations or within the context of your own personal life, such as caregiving activities or other personal, familial labour and other kinds of social navigation such as such as self-advocacy, accessing services.
Placement and Practicum (service learning, experiential education):
Work activities are undertaken as experiential education activities, such as field education, service learning activities. Student receives educational credit for this kind of work.
Statement of Interest
All applicants must provide a Statement of Interest, maximum of five typed double-spaced pages, expanding on your resumé, covering the following areas:
- Describe a situation in which you have offered (or tried to offer) leadership?
- Within this situation what was possible to achieve (and why), and what constraints did you face in attempting to act in a leadership capacity?
- Discuss how your employment, experience, and practicum have shaped your understanding of leadership and your desire to participate in the MSW in Critical Leadership in Social Services and Communities.
- This program requires students to undertake a leadership project within the context of a field placement. Describe your proposed leadership project with reference to published literature (and include a reference list). Describe some of the experience[s] you hope to have in the course of completing the project. If you have ideas about a context, sector, setting, or have a mentor with whom you’d like to complete the project, please describe.
The supplementary statement is assessed based on comprehensiveness, clarity of presentation, capacity for critical thinking, and capacity for critical reflection based on experience. The declaration of your career goals and your ability to connect these with the specific focus of this program is important.
The use of generative AI to create your statement of interest is not permitted.
Letters of Reference
A complete application includes three* confidential letters of recommendation – one academic, and two from work colleagues. Referees will be asked to describe work that you have been involved in that they have direct knowledge of, and to comment on a) your understanding and analysis of the organizational, community or activist contexts in which you work, and b) your potential for justice-oriented leadership in social services or communities. McMaster University uses the Electronic Referencing System. You must enter the email addresses of your referees as part of the online application form. Your referees will receive an email message asking them to complete an eReference immediately after the ‘Send to Recommender’ button is clicked. You may wish to click on this button just before you submit the application. If you need to change your reference or referee email address after submitting your application, you may do so through the Applicant Portal. Referees complete online report directly using e-referencing system – deadline is February 5th at 11:59pm.
*Note: Before you submit the invitation to your Referees, please check that you have chosen ONE as Reference Type “Academic”, and TWO as Reference Type “Professional” or you will receive an error message at point of application submission.
English Proficiency Requirements
If applicable, an official copy of your TOEFL score, or other evidence of competency in English is required. A minimum TOEFL score of 580 (or 237 on the computer-based TOEFL test) is needed.
Additional Information
Please complete our Pre-Application form so that we can verify your academic qualifications before you send a full application.
The School of Graduate Studies policy with regard to students with disabilities can be found in section 5.5: McMaster University’s Policy for Academic Accommodation of Students with Disabilities in the School of Graduate Studies Calendar. The full policy and further information may be obtained from the School of Graduate Studies or Student Accessibility Services (905) 525-9140 ext. 28652 or e-mail sas@mcmaster.ca. The complete Academic Accommodation of Student with Disabilities Policy, which includes Roles & Responsibilities, Guidelines and Procedures, Appeals and related legislation can be found here.
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