Social Work (PhD)

Frequently asked questions

• How much does Social Work (PhD) cost?

  CAD 30,340 / year.

• What English score does it need?

  IELTS 7.0 overall is the score listed for this programme.

• How long is it?

  4 years, as listed by the university.

• What are the entry requirements?

  School of Graduate Studies minimum: for master's programs, an appropriate bachelor's degree, or its equivalent, with a final-year average of at least mid-B from a recognized university; for doctoral programs, an appropriate master's degree, or its equivalent, with an average of at least B+, or demonstrated comparable research competence. Some departments admit directly to the doctoral program from a bachelor's degree for highly qualified candidates (minimum average A- required). "Many graduate units have higher minimum requirements than the minimum SGS requirements." Source: https://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/future-students/admission-application-requirements/ || Graduate-unit requirement for this degree, from the SGS Graduate Calendar 2026-27 ("Social Work: Social Work PhD"): • Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Applicants must also satisfy the graduate unit's additional admission requirements stated below. • Master of Social Work degree or an equivalent master's degree with at least a B+ standing from an accredited program in a recognized university. • Competency in basic statistical methods at an introductory level. • Educational and professional experience that indicates a capacity to undertake research-oriented post-graduate work. • Applicants whose primary language is not English and who graduated from a university where the language of instruction and examination was not English must demonstrate proficiency in English. See General Regulations section 4.3 for requirements. • Initial admission inquiries should be made directly to the Faculty of Social Work. Selected applicants will be asked to complete an admissions interview in person or virtually as part of the application process. • The application deadline for the PhD program is in early January. The Faculty of Social Work does not guarantee admission to all applicants who meet its minimum requirements. || Minimum admission average published for international applicants: MSW: mid-B in the final year of full-time study PhD: B+ || Is a supervisor identified before or after admission? PhD: After || Is a supervisor assigned by the graduate unit or secured by the applicant? PhD: Secured by the applicant, after first year, typically by June 1st || If a supervisor is identified after admission (as per question above), is admission conditional upon securing a supervisor? PhD: No || International credentials: U of T publishes the degree it requires from each country through the SGS international degree equivalencies tool at https://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/future-students/admission-application-requirements/international-credentials-equivalencies/ · English: IELTS 7.0 (no band below 6.5); TOEFL iBT 93 · English test waiver: Normally not required if: your native language is English (first learned and still used daily); you are a Canadian citizen who studied at a Canadian university where the language of instruction is French; you obtained your admitting degree from an institution recognised by U of T where the language of instruction and examination is uniformly English; or you completed your admitting degree in Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Botswana, Ghana, Guyana, Hong Kong, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Malta, Namibia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, the United Kingdom, the United States, Zambia or Zimbabwe. Some applicants from those countries may still be asked for proof. Tests must have been taken within the last 24 months. Source: https://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/future-students/admission-application-requirements/english-language-proficiency-testing/ · GRE/GMAT: MSW, MSW (ITR), PhD: not stated (School of Graduate Studies programme page; SGS also states "Some graduate units require a Graduate Records Examination (GRE). Check with your graduate unit.") · Application fee: CDN $130, non-refundable and non-transferable. "A supplementary application fee may be assessed depending upon the program to which you are applying." Source: https://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/future-students/admission-application-requirements/ · Deposit: University of Toronto does not publish a single admission-deposit amount. Its published rule is: "Review your offer letter if it indicates that you need to make a non-refundable admission deposit. You will pay your admission deposit through ACORN... Your Offer Letter has more information about the admission deposit." Refunds are "granted only in exceptional circumstances, such as the denial of a study permit". Source: https://future.utoronto.ca/fees and https://www.registrar.utoronto.ca/fees-payments/understanding-your-fees/

• Is there a scholarship?

  U of T publishes graduate award and funding information through the School of Graduate Studies at. Many research-stream graduate programmes at U of T are funded; funding arrangements are set by the graduate unit, not by SGS, and U of T does not publish a single figure. International doctoral students are charged the DOMESTIC tuition rate (see fee_basis) View scholarship page