In some parts of Canada where I live there is an abundance of social work schools. Some offer four year, three year or two year undergrad programs while masters programs range from one year to more depending on if you are attending in class or by distance.
To start off, the first question you need to ask yourself is if you have done enough research about the field. Perhaps you worked as a support worker and saw first hand what social workers do, or you have a family member or friend who is a social worker, or you have had direct experience with receiving assistance from a social worker and feel that you want to help others too or that you can do the job much better!
You have to carefully examine your reasons for entering the field. Do you want to save everyone (which is highly unrealistic) or do you want to work in a helping profession whereby you feel like you will not get too emotionally involved (which is very hard to do)?
Talk to people who know you best, like friends, family members and former teachers. Where do your talents naturally lie? Do you usually volunteer and like helping others? Do you enjoy social sciences and writing reports? I am asking these questions because some people eventually find out that they would rather not work one on one with clients for forty hours a week, or they hate all the writing involved etc. If this is the case then it is more challenging to find a social work job that will be a good fit for you. Actually in this case you might do best by skipping social work school altogether and say, volunteer instead. Your family members might also be able to point out personality or value conflicts which might make studying and then succeeding at social work difficult. Some people cannot handle constant stress, multi-tasking and occasionally being abused which unfortunately can happen with this job.
Moving on, after you have done enough research to determine that this is the right fit for you, you have to find a school to attend. You can attend a local university or university college that offers a social work program, or you can look to ones that are further away. Some people want to remain at home to save money while others see going away to school as an adventure.
Checking the application dates is important as many applications are due in the Fall/early Winter. There are grade point cut offs, or certain courses you may need to take as prerequisites. Also, some schools have an educational equity component to their admissions while others operate more like a lottery.
Then, depending on how much schooling you already have, you could qualify for various points of entry into a social work program. Here are some examples:
One year of general university study - Need to complete three years of social work studies for your social work degree
General or Honours degree - Need to complete two to three years of social work studies for your social work degree
Honours degree - Need to complete two years of social work studies for undergraduate social work degree or complete a pre-masters program in social work to be able to qualify for a Masters degree in social work
When I applied for my undergrad degree in social work, no two universities across the country were alike in their admission requirements. How I made my decision was to apply to schools were I already had all the requirements since I did not want to take addition courses (I know, how lazy of me!). But I was flexible about where I wanted to go to school so it worked out for me. I have known other people who have one local school in mind and do everything they need to do to get into that school. I have seen people apply many times to the social work program (where they had all the admission requirements but there were a lot of applicants) until they finally got in. It just might take some persistence.
Also, take a look at the courses that each of the different schools offer. Do some seem better suited to you? What about internship opportunities? The more internship hours the better! Also, what about the school's and faculty's reputation? Are there any open houses you can attend? What about when you contact the faculty, are they friendly and helpful when answering your questions? What about opportunities to get involved in the faculty, are there student organisations which you can participate in or opportunities to find part time work in the faculty?
Lastly, choose a school that YOU feel good about. Can you truly imagine yourself attending? If you change your mind about the school or the program, that's ok too. Overall, it's better to listen to your instincts and if it's meant to work out, it will!
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