No Social Work Degree or Non-Accredited Social Work Degree

What is the equivalency application stream?

The equivalency application stream is for those who do not have a degree in social work or have a non-accredited degree in social work, as well as for those who have a degree related to the practice of social work. The College will review an applicant’s education to see if it matches (is equivalent to) the content of a social work degree from a program accredited by the Canadian Association for Social Work Education (CASWE). An applicant’s work experience will also be considered, but it cannot replace the required education.

The College does not provide a list of required courses or recommend specific post-secondary institutions. Applicants who want to take courses to meet the College’s education requirements can contact an academic advisor at an accredited Canadian or U.S. university of their choice. The academic advisor can help them with course selection. Applicants should take courses from a university that offers an accredited social work degree program.

Please note: Beginning in the fall of 2027, those applying through the equivalency stream will be required to successfully complete an entry-to-practice exam as a registration requirement.

  • Only equivalency applicants approved in principle for registration will be asked to complete the exam – this will be the last step of the registration process.
  • Equivalency applicants who do not meet educational and/or work experience requirements will not be asked to take the exam.

More information about the implementation of exams can be found on the entry-to-practice exams webpage.

Who should apply as an equivalency applicant?

The equivalency application applies to you if you have:

          OR

  • A social work degree from a country other than Canada or the United States that was evaluated by the Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW) as not being equivalent to the minimum of a bachelor of social work degree from a social work program accredited by the CASWE;

        OR

  • A degree related to the practice of social work or a closely associated field of study. 

Note: Programs from career colleges do not meet the education requirements for registration with the College. Getting more work experience after graduation does not change this rule.

Before starting the application process

  • Read the Equivalency Policy – Social Work to understand the academic, experience and supervised practice requirements and the College’s review process.
  • Read the Registration Requirements webpage to make sure you understand all registration requirements.
  • Review the documents you will need to provide as part of your application.

The College evaluates an applicant’s qualifications and experience through the formal application process described below. If you have any questions or need clarification regarding the equivalency requirements and process, contact the College at equivalency@ocswssw.org.

Academic and experience requirements

An equivalency applicant must meet the following academic and experience requirements:

Education

  • Hold a minimum of a four-year program university-level bachelor’s degree (or a three-year bachelor’s degree from Quebec), covering 20 full courses or 120 credits.
  • Have a  degree related to the practice of social work or a closely associated field of study. The degree must be granted by a university recognized in its own jurisdiction and authorized to grant degrees.
  • Demonstrate a balance of general and professional education, including:
    • at least 40% of course credits in liberal arts, humanities or social sciences; and
    • at least 50% of course credits in professional education.
    • a field practicum of at least 700 hours.
  • Demonstrate, through university-level academic course credits,  social work content equivalent to at least 10 undergraduate university-level courses in 12 specific subject areas. A list of the specific subject areas required are in the Equivalency Policy – Social Work.

Note: The content areas cannot be demonstrated through work experience, non-university-level courses, non-credit university courses or professional development courses.

Experience performing the role of a social worker

  • Have at least one year of experience performing the role of a social worker, providing direct social work services to individuals, groups and/or communities. The experience can be paid work, an internship or practicum, but cannot be volunteer work.  

Supervision

  • While performing the role of a social worker, you must have been supervised for a minimum of 700 hours by a person holding an accredited degree in social work, and/or is a registered social worker in Ontario (RSW) or another Canadian or international jurisdiction where the profession of social work is regulated.  In cases where the profession of social work is not regulated in the jurisdiction where supervision takes place, the Supervisor must provide evidence that they obtained a social work degree from a recognized post-secondary institution in their jurisdiction.

Note: Supervision by another professional does not meet this requirement.

Currency of Practice

  • Engaged in the practice of social work within the five years  before applying to the College or demonstrate that you are competent to perform the role of a social worker.

Application Process

Apply online through the College’s Online Portal

  • If you are applying for registration with the College for the first time, create an online account. You will need an active email address to create the account. We recommend using a personal (non-work) email address as all future College correspondence will be sent to this email address.
  • If you are a previous applicant or current registrant applying for the other certificate of registration, access the Online Portal with the preferred email address on file at the College
  • Visit the Online Portal webpage for more information on how to create or access your account.

Complete the online application and pay the application fee

  • Once you have created or accessed your Online Portal account, click on the “Apply” tab at the top of the screen and select “Register as a Social Worker” then select the “Social Work Equivalency Application”.
  • After you submit your application and pay the application fee, you will receive an email acknowledging receipt of the application.

Required Documents

The “Documents” section of the online application and the Online Portal Hub have all of the documents you need to complete or request.

Transcripts

If you completed your education in Canada or the USA, arrange for your academic institution to send an official transcript directly to the College. Please note:

  • The transcript must have your name as it appears on the College’s application form. If the name on your application is different from the name on your transcripts, you must provide proof of name change (e.g. copy of marriage certificate, change of name certificate or other evidence of legal name change).
  • The College will only accept transcripts sent directly from the academic institution. They can send it by mail, email (equivalency@ocswssw.org) or through third party platforms such as MyCreds™ or Parchment. More information on how transcripts must be sent to the College can be found on the Transcript Requirements webpage.

AND/OR

Third-party credential evaluation report

If you completed your degree(s) outside Canada or the U.S., you must have your transcripts sent to the World Education Services Canada (WES Canada) or the International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (ICAS Canada) to be evaluated. Review the Third-Party Credential Assessment Partners Guidance Resource for additional information.

Course descriptions

Applicants must provide  course descriptions, outlines or syllabi for each academic qualification or individual course submitted for evaluation. The College evaluates each course against the applicable CASWE content requirements, and each course may be applied to fulfill the requirements of only one sub-area.

  • Applicants must prove that the course descriptions are from the academic institution. For example: copies of academic calendars that include the front cover, copies downloaded from the academic institution’s website where the URL link is visible, course syllabi. The course descriptions must also confirm the name of the academic institution and the year for which they are valid.
  • Applicants will upload course descriptions as part of their application in the Online Portal in PDF format. If you have multiple PDF files, they must be combined into one file. You can combine PDF files using Adobe Acrobat. If you are unable to combine the files, please email them to equivalency@ocswssw.org.   

Length of practice and supervision confirmation form

This form must be completed by the applicant’s social work supervisor. If the applicant has had more than one social work supervisor, each supervisor must fill out a separate form.

  • Forward the Length of Practice and Supervision Confirmation Form to the individual(s) who will provide information about your experience in performing the role of a social worker. The form can be downloaded in the Documents section of the online application.
  • The completed form(s) must be sent directly to the College, not to the applicant. The supervisor can send the form to the College by mail or email equivalency@ocswssw.org.

Evidence of name change

  • Copy of your Change of Name Certificate, Marriage Certificate or other evidence of legal name change (only required if the name you are applying under is different than the name on your supporting documents). If the name on your documents differs from your Legal Name because you use a Chosen Name you have not legally adopted, you do not need to provide evidence of a legal name change. Please refer to the College’s Chosen Name Recognition Policy for guidance on how to proceed.

Acceptable Alternatives Documentation Policy

If you are unable to provide the required documents for reasons beyond your control, please review the Acceptable Alternatives to Official Documents Policy. It defines the circumstances in which alternative documents may be considered and outlines the process for requesting consideration under this policy.

Translation of Documents

Documents that are not in English or French must be translated into English or French before they are submitted to the College. Visit the Translation of Documents webpage for more information. Before arranging for translation services for documents, we encourage applicants to contact the College at equivalency@ocswssw.org. We can help applicants ensure they only translate documents that are required for their application.

The College’s review

The College will conduct the equivalency assessment after you have submitted a completed application and paid the $100 application fee. If your application is incomplete or is missing any necessary information or documents, you will be contacted by email.

The review process consists of two phases:

  1. Threshold Assessment Review

After an application is submitted, the College will review your academic information and experience to determine whether:

  • your degree program is related to the practice of social work or a closely associated field of study;
  • your degree was conferred by a recognized post-secondary institution; and
  • you have performed the role of a social worker under the supervision of a supervisor.

The College will review the application, supporting documentation and relevant information provided by you or third parties. The College will notify you in writing of the outcome of the Threshold Assessment Review.

The outcome may be:

  1. Eligibility to advance to the Secondary Review Phase

You will be notified in writing whether your application is eligible to proceed to the Secondary Review Phase.

  1. Application is not approved to advance to the Secondary Review Phase

If the College determines that the application does not meet the academic and experience requirements, the applicant will be informed in writing why they have not met the criteria. Unsuccessful applicants may request a review of this decision. Reviews are conducted by the Registration Appeal Committee.

Visit Requests for Review by the Registration Appeals Committee webpage to learn more about the review process.

  1. Secondary Review Phase

If your application is eligible to advance to this phase, you will be required to provide additional information or any other documentation required by the College.

At this stage, the College will conduct a comprehensive assessment of:

  • the content of your academic qualifications;
  • your experience performing the role of a social worker;
  • your supervised practice.

The College will determine whether the combination of academic qualifications and professional experience is substantially equivalent to the content of a Bachelor of Social Work accredited by CASWE.

The College will notify you in writing of the outcome of the Secondary Review.

The outcome may be:

  1. Issuance of a certificate of registration, provided that all other registration requirements have been met;
  2. Proposal to issue a certificate of registration with Terms, Conditions or Limitations, for example, a period of supervised practice. –;

or

  1. Proposal to refuse to issue a certificate of registration and reasons – if the College determines that the requirements for registration have not been met.

An applicant who receives a Proposal to issue a certificate of registration with Terms, Conditions or Limitations or a Proposal to refuse to issue a certificate of registration and reasons has the option to request a review by the Registration Appeals Committee.

Visit the Requests for Review by the Registration Appeals Committee webpage to learn more about the review process.

Note: Applicants whose application was unsuccessful and who have new or additional relevant information that was not included in their original application should contact the College for guidance on how to proceed before requesting a review by the Registration Appeals Committee.

Processing Times

Applications from internationally trained applicants

Applications from internationally trained applicants are evaluated within three months after the College has received all the required documents. This is in accordance with the Fair Access to Regulated Professions and Compulsory Trades Act (FARPACTA). More information can be found on the FARPACTA webpage.

Applications from applicants trained in Canada and USA

The evaluation of applications from those who completed their education in Canada or the USA will take a minimum of eight months after the College has received all the required documents. Please note that the College is experiencing a high volume of applications, which may impact the timelines for evaluation.

The application process can be delayed if the College has not received all of the required documents from you or from a third party on your behalf (e.g. academic institution, employer, etc.). Visit the Factors That Can Potentially Delay Application Processing Times webpage for more information.

QUESTIONS?  

Contact the College’s Registration and Renewals Department:

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