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 VIU 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.

A diploma of social work can lead to a satisfying career as a human service assistant, probation officer, rehabilitation counsellor, school counselor, or marriage and family therapist to name just a few of the occupations in this growing field of work.

The Social Services Diploma Program
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.
The program uses workplace-based projects and assignments to help students integrate and apply classroom learning in practice.

Students who successfully complete the program will receive a Vancouver Island University diploma. Completion of the program also earns credit towards VIU's Bachelor of Social Work and Bachelor of Arts in Child and Youth Care degrees.

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.