Diploma in Developmental Services Worker is a diploma in Social Work programme offered by Georgian College in Barrie, Canada. The programme runs for 2 years, delivered on campus. Teaching is in English. Tuition for international students is CAD 7,619 per semester (CAD 1,387 per semester for local students).
At a glance
Degree:Diploma
Field:Social Work
Duration: 2 years
Delivery: On Campus
Language: English
Local tuition: CAD 1,387 / semester
International tuition: CAD 7,619 / semester
Information for the 2027/28 academic year · Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
Students develop the knowledge and skills to support children, youth and adults who have a developmental disability in all aspects of life across the lifespan. Respecting an individual’s right to direct their life, students develop advocacy skills that promote self-determination and assist individuals in the development of skills that encourage independence, community engagement, and citizenship. In the counselling and apartment labs, students practice sign language, medication administration, health care skills, counselling supports, and use of assistive devices and technology. In collaboration with community partners, students plan and implement activities that promote inclusion and self-determination. Other areas of study include intellectual, physical and mental disabilities, autism and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, support options, health and well-being, social relationships, and teaching strategies. Students consolidate this learning in fourteen weeks of supervised field placements in their preferred geographical location.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: Georgian College's own admission-requirements page for Developmental Services Worker asks for an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent, or mature-student status, with Grade 12 English at the C or U level. Mature applicants 19 or older without an OSSD, non-secondary-school applicants, and home-schooled applicants can also be considered, meeting eligibility through equivalent courses, upgrading, a completed GED, or equivalency testing. The page states no standardized English-language test scores (IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, Duolingo or CAEL) for admission. Ahead of the programme's field placement, students must obtain a clear criminal reference check and vulnerable sector check at least three months before the placement start, an up-to-date immunization record, and Standard First Aid with CPR Level C or HCP certification; an unpardoned criminal record may prevent a student from completing the placement and graduating.
Application Details
Start Date:Intakes Georgian lists on this program's own page (checked 6 September 2026): Fall 2026 at Barrie; Fall 2027 at Barrie. Campus names are the ones Georgian gives for each start; not every campus runs every intake. On Georgian's academic calendar for standard 14-week programs, the fall term opens with orientation on 8 September 2026 and classes on 9 September 2026; the fall term opens with orientation on 7 September 2027 and classes on 8 September 2027. Individual programs vary from that pattern.
Application Deadline:Georgian publishes no deadline unique to this program, and it is not on the college's highly competitive list for Fall 2026 entry. The dates below are the college-wide ones.
DOMESTIC APPLICANTS (Canadian citizens and permanent residents) apply through ontariocolleges.ca. 1 February is the equal consideration date: an application received on or before it is weighed alongside every other application received by then, while later ones are handled in the order they arrive for as long as seats last. Georgian's own worked example ties each 1 February to the fall, winter and summer that follow, so the date now in force is 1 February 2027 for entry in Fall 2027, Winter 2028 or Summer 2028. Letters of acceptance for most programs start going out on 1 November (1 November 2026 in the current cycle) and keep going until a program fills; an offer is confirmed back through ontariocolleges.ca by the deadline printed on it, normally 1 May (1 May 2027 this cycle), and only one offer may be held at a time. Late applicants can still receive an offer as far as the fifth day of the term. For a program in this category Georgian normally keeps accepting applicants after 1 February — check ontariocolleges.ca for current availability.
INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS have no fixed cut-off. They apply directly to Georgian through its own applicant portal, which is also where a program's availability to international students is shown, and applications are taken year-round subject to that availability — Georgian warns that a program open when you apply can be closed by the time your file is assessed, and urges applying early enough to leave time for a study permit. A CAD 100 application fee applies, and a seat is only held once the pre-admission invoice is accepted and the non-refundable CAD 2,500 deposit is paid.
