Diploma in Developmental Services Worker is a diploma in Social & Cultural Studies programme offered by Centennial College in Toronto, Canada. The programme runs for 4 semesters, delivered on campus. Teaching is in English. Tuition for international students is CAD 18,005 per year (CAD 2,775 per year for local students).
The two-year diploma, delivered via Centennial's School of Community Care and Public Safety, provides a foundation in supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Its curriculum builds understanding of disability, developmental conditions and autism, valued social roles and advocacy, alongside practical skills in communication, teamwork, time management and personal support techniques, supported by critical and reflective thinking applied to problem solving and positive change, with learning applied through virtual experiential practice and field placements. Graduates support individuals of all ages with intellectual or developmental disabilities in their homes, workplaces, schools and with their families, working to build their capacity for community living and social inclusion. Training covers conducting oneself ethically and accountably in professional relationships, delivering person-directed support that respects self-determination, meeting safety obligations under relevant legislation, adapting strategies to support learning, and applying leadership skills to build inclusive communities.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: An OSSD or equivalent, or mature-student status at 19 or older, with Grade 12 English (C or U) at the stated minimum grade, or Centennial's English Admission Test; no other Grade 12 subject is listed. English language proficiency applies. The clearances attach to placement rather than to admission: most agencies ask for a police reference check covering the vulnerable sector, a standard first aid certificate, and a medical certificate attesting to good health, and Centennial warns that certain criminal convictions can bar placement, in which case completing the program may not be possible. Ashtonbee Campus, 2 years over 4 semesters, September start, open to domestic and international applicants.
Application Details
Start Date:September
Application Deadline:Centennial publishes no application deadline for this program; what follows is the Ontario college cycle that governs it. Domestic applicants apply through ontariocolleges.ca: for a program starting in Fall 2027 the equal-consideration date is 1 February 2027, and applications arriving after it are still assessed, but first-come first-served while places remain. Across the Ontario college system the application opened on 26 September 2026, offers may be issued from 1 November 2026, and an offer must be accepted by 1 May 2027. One $150 fee covers up to five program choices. International applicants apply directly to Centennial through its own international application process and are assessed on a rolling basis across the Fall, Winter and Summer intakes; the college publishes no fixed international closing date. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
