Diploma in Social Service 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
In this program, students develop the knowledge and skills required to effectively assume the role of a helping professional in the diverse and complex field of social services. Students are challenged to examine their beliefs and values and to promote social justice, human dignity, and equity when working with individuals, families, groups, and communities. Through the use of counselling labs, students practice communication skills and develop practical skills in assessment, interviewing, relationship building, group facilitation, and the use of various therapeutic approaches. Students gain knowledge about their role as social service workers through the study and application of the code of ethics and standards of practice, and evidenced-based decision-making in the field of social service work. Faculty are committed to a teaching and learning practice that embraces and promotes equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging, with an emphasis on Indigenous knowledge and learning. Other areas of study include mental health, trauma-informed practice, crisis intervention, community development, anti-oppressive practice, advocacy, social change, and social innovation. Students have the opportunity to engage with the community through experiential learning, social change initiatives and two field placements.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: Admission requires an Ontario Secondary School Diploma or equivalent (mature-student status accepted), including Grade 12 English at the C or U level; mature applicants without a diploma, non-secondary-school applicants aged 19 or older, and home-schooled applicants may qualify through equivalent coursework, upgrading, GED completion or equivalency testing, and prior post-secondary study or relevant life experience may earn credit through Georgian's Credit for Prior Learning process. The programme page sets no English-language score of its own and defers to Georgian's institution-wide English Language Proficiency Requirement, which for a diploma is IELTS Academic 6.0 overall, TOEFL iBT 79, PTE Academic 58, or Duolingo English Test 110. Before starting field placement, students must submit a clear, up-to-date criminal reference and vulnerable sector check (recommended three months ahead; an unpardoned record can bar placement and therefore graduation), proof of the Ontario Ministry of Labour's Health and Safety Awareness training, and placement-agency-required certifications such as Standard First Aid, CPR Level C, and current immunization records including a two-step TB test.
Application Details
Start Date:Intakes Georgian lists on this program's own page (checked 6 September 2026): Fall 2026 at Barrie, Orangeville, Owen Sound; Winter 2027 at Barrie; Summer 2027 at Barrie; Fall 2027 at Barrie, Orangeville, Owen Sound; Winter 2028 at Barrie; Summer 2028 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 winter term opens with orientation on 11 January 2027 and classes on 12 January 2027; the summer term and its classes both begin on 10 May 2027; the fall term opens with orientation on 7 September 2027 and classes on 8 September 2027. Individual programs vary from that pattern. Georgian has not yet published term dates for Summer 2028 or Winter 2028; its calendar currently runs only to Fall 2027.
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.
