Diploma in Developmental Services Worker is a diploma in Social & Cultural Studies programme offered by Fanshawe College in London, Canada. The programme runs for 60 weeks, delivered on campus. Teaching is in English. Tuition for international students is CAD 35,398 per total (CAD 7,193 per total for local students).
At a glance
Degree:Diploma
Field:Social & Cultural Studies
Duration: 60 weeks
Delivery: On Campus
Language: English
Local tuition: CAD 7,193 / total
International tuition: CAD 35,398 / total
Last checked September 2026 · Source: fanshawec.ca ·
Program details
Overview
This two-year diploma prepares graduates to work as specialists supporting children and adults with developmental disabilities, including as direct support professionals, case managers or service coordinators, or as educational assistants within a school board. Coursework addresses disabilities and dual diagnosis, counselling, health and pharmacology, interpersonal skills, person-directed support and community-resource navigation, inclusion, and strategies for development, teaching and intervention, alongside building the collaboration skills needed to work with people with developmental disabilities, their families, and members of inter-professional teams. Field placements take place in community agencies or schools, with students on placement covering their own preparation costs and sometimes working evening shifts. Graduates transferring to another Community Studies program at the college may qualify for internal credit.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: Admission requires an Ontario Secondary School Diploma or equivalent, or admission as a mature applicant, with Grade 12 English (C or U); applicants short of this standard may pursue academic upgrading or the Human Services Foundation preparatory program. International applicants must present one of: TOEFL iBT overall 4.5 with no band below 4 (79 under the pre-2026 scale); IELTS Academic overall 6.0 with no band below 5.5; CAEL overall 60 with no band below 50; PTE Academic 53 with no band below 45; Cambridge English 169 overall with no skill below 162; or Duolingo overall 105 with no component below 95. Admitted students must also complete First Aid and CPR certification and a Police Record Check with Vulnerable Sector Screening, and are required to have a laptop with webcam, microphone, and MS Office.
Application Details
Start Date:September, January and May
Application Deadline:Domestic applicants apply through ontariocolleges.ca: for Fall 2027 entry, applications open in early October 2026 and the equal-consideration date is 1 February 2027, after which later applications are assessed on a first-come basis until seats fill; non-competitive programs begin receiving offers from 1 November 2026, competitive-program offers go out by 30 March 2027, and 1 May 2027 is the usual deadline to accept an offer. International applicants apply directly to Fanshawe (CAD 100 fee) and face fixed document deadlines rather than a single closing date: for the current intakes, study-permit and conditions-met documents are due 10/15 August 2026 (Fall), 9/15 December 2026 (Winter) and 5/15 April 2027 (Summer); missing a deadline can mean deferral to the next intake. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
