Do you think about changing the world and making it a better place, but you aren’t sure where to start? Do you want to empower people and enrich the lives of others? If you have a passion for social issues and want to advocate for social justice, then the Social Welfare and Social Development program at Nipissing University is the right home for you.
Our interdisciplinary program is unique in Canada in both name and content. It focuses on inequality and the groups that have been underrepresented in the distribution of resources, opportunities, and power. Our students graduate with a thorough understanding of the causes and consequences of inequality in global, national, and local contexts, and an ability to formulate options for improving collective well-being.
Collaborative Degree-Diploma Program
Once you have registered with us, you will have the option of applying for entry into our collaborative program with Canadore College (conveniently located next door). In just four years, you can earn an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Welfare and Social Development as well as a Social Service Worker diploma.
You will attend Nipissing in your first, second, and fourth years. In your third-year, at Canadore, you will receive training in the practical knowledge and skills of the Social Service Worker profession. In your final semester (April-June) at Canadore, you will complete a 350-hour fieldwork placement at a human service agency, enabling you to acquire valuable skills in a workplace setting.
Advanced Standing: Social Service Worker Diploma
Have you earned a two-year Social Service Worker diploma from an Ontario college? If you have, you can receive up to two full years
(60 credits) of advanced standing toward a 4-year Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in our program.
For further information, email admissions@nipissingu.ca or call 705.474.3450 ext. 4600.
Considering Social Work?
If you are considering taking Nipissing’s Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree, you will first have to complete two years of general, liberal arts studies. If this is your plan, we offer many courses that will provide you with excellent preparation for the BSW.
Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Social Welfare and Social Development
- Admission Requirements
- Advanced Standing for SSW Graduates
- Tuition Fees
- How to Apply
- Program Requirements
- Available Social Welfare and Social Development (SWLF) courses
- Cross-listed courses for Social Welfare and Social Development
- Complete listing of all courses
- Bachelor of Education option with Honours Specialization in SWLF
Social Welfare and Social Development at Nipissing University
SWLF 2995 Community Service-learning for Social Development
In recent years, students in SWLF 2995 (Community Service-learning for Social Development) have undertaken placements at a number of local agencies. Click here to view the complete list.
Graduate Studies Workshops
Academic Support Services
Our goal is to support your academic and personal development. Look for assistance with accessibility services, learning style assessments, writing skills, writing formats, study strategies, time management, note-taking skills, academic resources, group seminars, peer support, career development activities, and more. Learn More...
Financial Support Services
Achieve your goals on time and on budget. We’ll help you fund your education through scholarships, awards, bursaries, government assistance, and work study programs. Learn More...
Scholarships, awards and bursaries for students in the Social Welfare and Social Development program
Internationalize your Degree
If you want to experience a year or a semester at one of our partner schools across the globe, we have support services and programs to help you get there. If you want to assist International students with adjusting to life in Canada, we’ll connect you. Check out your options...
Personal Counselling Services
Our registered counsellors offer free, year-round personal counselling services, specialized therapeutic groups, referral services and a host of wellness, educational and awareness events to all full- and part-time undergraduate and graduate students. Learn More...
Residences
Our top-rated residences will make you feel right at home. You will make fast friends with your residence community. Our student leaders, Residence Dons, and award winning residence staff give tutorials on everything from the basics of laundry and cooking to making connections within the community. Learn More...
Social Welfare And Social Development Student Club
Social Welfare and Social Development has an active and engaged Student Club. The Club is a way for students to get to know each other socially and help each other academically. Check out one of the activities of our Club, as covered in the local media.
Would you like to hear a student perspective on some of your questions about SWLF? If so, just drop the Club a line at: nuswlfclub@gmail.com
You can find further information on the Student Club on the department’s Facebook page.
Leadership and Community Engagement
If you are eager to get involved beyond the classroom, take part in the annual Undergraduate Research Conference, which gives you the opportunity to present your work to peers, professors, and family members. You may also have opportunity to work as a Research Assistant to help a professor conduct research and gain valuable experience at the same time.
Record of Student Development
Your experience at Nipissing University is more than just the time spent learning great things in lectures, labs, and seminars. It’s also about the activities you are involved in outside of the classroom, the causes you champion to make change on campus, the clubs you organize, the awards you receive, the workshops you participate in, the volunteering you do, and all the learning that occurs outside of the classroom.
The Record of Student Development (RSD) is Nipissing University's way of recognizing that learning is happening everywhere on campus. It is a formal record, otherwise known as a co-curricular transcript, where you can include workshops, volunteer experiences, awards, activities, and on campus employment experiences that you participate in throughout your degree.
Each RSD Approved activity in our database is linked to competency areas employers are looking for such as:
- Critical Thinking
- Leadership
- Digital Literacy
- Equity and Diversity
- Emotional and Interpersonal Intelligence
- & more!
To see the full list of competencies and get started building your Record of Student Development go to: rsd.nipissingu.ca
Nipissing University Student Union (NUSU)
Students attending Nipissing University in North Bay and long distance students are members of the Nipissing University Student Union. Our organization strives to represent students democratically, provide a communication framework, and lobby for legislative change on issues that affect students.
Athletics
Exercise and healthy competition always help to clear the mind.
INTRAMURAL SPORTS
Nipissing’s Athletics Department offers a wide range of intramural activities to keep you on your game
LAKERS CLUB SPORTS
Club sports are available to all Nipissing students and are both recreational and competitive.
VARSITY SPORTS
Go Lakers! Our varsity athletes always bring their “A” game. Get your friends together and come out to cheer on your favourite teams.
STUDENT ATHLETICS CENTRE
Whether you are a gym enthusiast or a weekend warrior, Nipissing has just what you need.
Acting Chair
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Program Representative
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Full-time Faculty
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Part-time Faculty
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Career Options
After you graduate, you could be employed in a variety of occupations, mostly in the public sector at the federal, provincial, and municipal levels.
You might find yourself in departments like education, health, housing, immigration and citizenship, international development, labour, social services, or veterans’ affairs, working perhaps as a claims adjudicator, employment planning officer, housing management officer, immigration officer, public affairs officer, or policy analyst.
Furthermore, you could be employed in government-funded institutions such as hospitals, human service organizations, prisons, or universities. You might also find yourself working for foundations, advocacy associations, interest groups, charities, trade unions, religious institutions, Aboriginal organizations, political parties, or global non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
These examples demonstrate the range of potential employers for whom you might begin your career as a researcher, media relations officer, legislative assistant, fundraising officer, intake worker, grants administrator, or volunteer coordinator – and these are just a handful of possible job titles.
In addition, if you complete our Honours Specialization with a Social Service Worker diploma, you might find employment as a case manager, child and youth worker, client support worker, crisis intervention worker, day program facilitator, employment counselor, intake worker, intellectual disability support worker, outreach worker, trauma counselor, or youth worker.
Academic Options
Many of our students have gone on to pursue careers in social work, after earning a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) or a Master of Social Work (MSW); and teaching, after completing a Bachelor of Education (BEd).
There are also many more opportunities for higher education at the graduate level. See the following selected list of Canadian MA programs, chosen specifically for their relevance to students in Social Welfare and Social Development.