Field of Study (FoS) Selections Frequently Asked Questions
Updated January 22, 2026
This page is specifically for students in the Two-Year MSW program. Students in the Advanced standing programs choose their Field of Study when applying to the program.
The Selections Form will open at 3pm on February 27, 2026
Please complete by 10am on February 2, 2026.
FoS is a requirement for the MSW degree. It will give you the priority access to designated FoS required courses during course enrolment periods. It will also filter practicum opportunities on the PAS system.
FoS is not listed in your transcript or diploma, so will not restrict your career opportunities.
Our website provides info for each field:
- Children and their Families
- Human Services Management & Leadership
- Mental Health & Health
- Social Justice & Diversity
- Social Work in Gerontology
FoS Q & A Session
This in person session will be structured into segments, giving students the opportunity to ask FoS coordinators questions specific to each field.
Date: Tuesday January 27, 2026
Time: 12 PM – 1:45 PM
Location: Room 548
If you have any questions about the session, please contact the ADA office: associate.deanfifsw@utoronto.ca.Time Field of Study Coordinator 12:00 PM – 12:25 PM Mental Health & Health Professor Keith Adamson 12:25 PM – 12:45 PM Social Justice & Diversity Professor Izumi Sakamoto 12:45 PM – 01:05 PM Gerontology Professor Esme Fuller-Thomson 01:05 PM – 01:25 PM Human Services Management & Leadership Professor Tin Vo 01:25 PM – 01:45 PM Children & Their Families Professor Bryn King If you are unable to attend an information session, or if you need information that was not covered in an information session, feel free to reach out to the Field of Study Coordinator listed above.
Selections are submitted in late January each year for the Two-Year MSW students using an MS Office Form. For 2026, the 2026 Field of Study Selection Form will open on Wednesday, January 27, 2026 at 3:00pm and close on Monday, February 2, 2026 at 10:00am. Utoronto credentials will be required to access the form.
There are no caps during the selection period, and it is not done as a first-come, first-served basis. Therefore, you will have until February 2, 2026 to make your decision. However, after that time, once the allocations are made and recorded on ACORN, space does become limited as we begin admitting students for the 2026 intake who also have FoS allocations.
Students who wish to request a change in Field of Study after the selection period may do so by emailing the Registrar’s Office after April 15, 2026 to access a separate form. Students must provide an acceptable rationale for this change. Field of Study change requests will only be accepted after April 15, 2026 . Students who request a change in Field of Study will be placed on a waiting list, which will remain active until June 30, 2025.
Admittance to a new Field of Study from the waitlist will be determined based on availability and waitlist order at the time of initial request. It is the student’s responsibility to check with the Practicum Office to verify alignment between their desired Field of Study and practicum prior to requesting a change.
Students in Children and their Families, Human Services Management & Leadership, Mental Health & Health, Social Justice & Diversity require TWO elective courses. These can be taken from:
- MSW elective courses (those not designated for any specific FoS requirement)
- FoS required courses, that have space remaining after the courtesy period of enrolment
- Other Master-Level course within University of Toronto with permission from the instructor of the course, the unit and from our FIFSW registrar’s office. Undergraduate courses are not permissible.
Students in Gerontology require ONE elective course, that must be from the collaborative Specialization in Aging, Palliative and Supportive Care Across the Life Course list of approved electives
Course descriptions can be found on our website.
The Summer 2026 Timetable is also currently available on our website. While the Fall/Winter timetables will be posted later in the spring, you can refer to the 2025-26 ones as a general guideline of when and what courses are offered. Please note that all required courses in each MSW Field of Study are offered each year, although the session in which a given course is offered may vary from year to year. Individual elective courses are offered based on instructor availability and may not be offered each year.
Course syllabi are intellectual property and thus not widely shared online or by email. However, we do retain physical copies in the Main Office for in-person viewing. Students are welcome to come by the office during our regular business hours to view the syllabi. Keep in mind that the syllabi are to remain in the Main Office, and photographs or copies are prohibited.
As long as all prerequisites are met (such as completing first year courses), you can begin taking electives and FoS courses as early at Summer 2026, for which course selections will open in mid-March. Fall and Winter course selections will open in June.
Student Ambassadors
Students may directly reach out to the following Ambassadors by logging into FIFSW Peerpal and sending a question through the platform’s messaging system.
- Mathilde Beauvais
- Ella Gomes
- Aiisha Rishi
- Sofia Rojas
- Yixi Yang
Ambassador Office Hours
Beginning January each Ambassador will hold regular “office hours” via Zoom. The schedule will be posted on Connect shortly.