Social Work

York’s School of Social Work is recognized as having one of the most progressive and socially responsive Social Work programs in Canada.

Social workers are concerned with how to make the world a fairer and more humane place for people. They strive to change social and economic systems that create injustice and take steps to reduce the marginalization experienced by people and communities. They usually work with, and for, vulnerable groups, intervening at a variety of levels: from working directly with individuals or families to developing policies that will impact entire communities nationwide.

York's program focuses on examining how social problems are constructed in ways that blame individuals for their difficulties and how people's social locations—race, class or gender, for example—interact with those constructions to generate and reinforce inequity.

 Careers with a Social Work (MSW) degree

Social work is a professional discipline and, upon graduation, MSWs can be hired into a variety of different settings including youth work, senior services, child protection, primary and secondary education, immigration and settlement or health care.

In Ontario, the profession is regulated by the Social Work and Social Service Work Act (1998). Many employers require membership in the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW), which legally allows graduates to refer to themselves as Social Workers, practice social work and use the designation Registered Social Worker (RSW).

Other useful resources for those with a degree in Social Work include:

To learn about our recent grads’ research and careers, check out the MSW Students & Alumni page.