Social Services

Overview

Do you want to make a difference and pursue a career that values diversity, empathy, collaboration and inclusiveness? Social Services professionals dedicate themselves to helping people live better lives and build stronger communities.

The Social Services diploma program at Vancouver Island University gives you a strong foundation in developmental psychology, adolescent and child development, trauma resiliency and conflict resolution. With a social services diploma you become an advocate for human rights and social justice, helping to protect vulnerable people.

The program provides advanced-level training for working in the social services field and is available on a full-time or a part-time basis. 

The program includes the following components: 

• courses in addictions and addiction treatment, conflict resolution, leadership and supervision, community development, interpersonal skills, and special topics;

• elective courses drawn from a wide-ranging selection of elective options in many different disciplines relevant to the human services field.

Career Opportunities

Graduates of the diploma program will gain skills to prepare them for work in a broad range of social services positions, including supervisory/administrative roles and more specialized direct service roles with community agencies, private service providers, and some government services.