COURSE CURRICULUM

Sheridan’s Social Service Worker program combines theoretical knowledge with practical experience to prepare students for effective work in diverse social service settings. In the first semester, students develop foundational skills in community development, fundraising, social service practice, and an introduction to field practicum, while also studying psychology, social diversity, and communication, totaling 18 credits. The second semester builds on this foundation with courses in the helping process, human development across the lifespan, applied research in social services, field preparation, social policy, social justice, and migration and settlement studies, totaling 21 credits. Semester three emphasizes applied skills, including crisis intervention, trauma-informed practice, and group methods and facilitation, complemented by the first professional practice placement and a general education elective, totaling 20 credits. In the fourth semester, students complete a second professional practice placement, continue with general education, and choose advanced courses such as settlement counselling or advanced helping skills, alongside program electives like Indigenous ways of knowing, engaging and promoting healthy families, youth justice and social service practice, or non-profit services and grant writing, culminating in a total of 20 credits. This structured combination of classroom instruction, field placements, and elective specialization ensures graduates are well-prepared to support individuals, families, and communities, and equips them with the knowledge, practical skills, and professional experience necessary for registration as a Social Service Worker and success in the social service sector.