COURSE CURRICULUM

Sheridan’s Gerontology-focused Social Service Worker diploma offers a comprehensive curriculum designed to equip students with the knowledge and practical skills needed to support older adults effectively. In Semester 1, students build foundational skills through courses such as Working with Older Adults and Care Partners, Social Diversity in Contemporary Canada, Activation Techniques with Older Adults, and an Introduction to Gerontology Field Practicum, alongside essential communication and psychology courses, totaling 18 credits. Semester 2 deepens this knowledge with Interventions for Older Adults and Care Partners, Death, Dying and Bereavement, Group Work with Older Adults, and a nine-credit Foundations of Field Practicum, complemented by Introduction to Applied Research in Social Services, totaling 21 credits. Semester 3 focuses on Aging, Mental Health and Substance Use, Resource Development in the Older Adult Sector, Assessment with Older Adults, and an Intermediate Field Practicum, alongside a General Education elective, totaling 21 credits. In the final semester, students engage in Aging, Wellness and Health Promotion, Policy and Justice in an Aging Society, Case Management, and an Advanced Field Practicum, again with a General Education elective, totaling 21 credits. Throughout the program, students gain hands-on experience through structured field practicums, apply evidence-based interventions, develop case management and assessment skills, and learn to advocate for older adults, preparing graduates to enter the workforce as competent, compassionate, and highly skilled gerontology-focused social service workers.