Social Services Worker Diploma is a diploma in Social Work programme taught at Northern Lights College in Dawson Creek, Canada. The programme runs for 2 years, delivered on campus. Teaching is in English. Tuition for international students is CAD 13,561 per year (CAD 3,912 per year for local students).
This diploma builds the knowledge, skills, and qualifications needed to work in the human services field, over two years of full-time study that combines practice, theory, and academic coursework. It aims to develop critical practitioners with an emphasis on social change, social justice, and advocacy, and includes a hands-on practicum that applies classroom learning in the real world.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: Domestic applicants and those from standard-written-English countries meet the English requirement with a 'C' grade or higher in English 12, English Literature 12, English First Peoples 12, ENGL 050, ENGL 099, or a university-level English course, or by completing the NLC Writing Assessment for course placement. Social Services is one of the programmes covered by NLC's published English Language Requirement for international applicants: Academic IELTS 6.0 overall with no band below 5.5, TOEFL iBT 78 with Speaking 19/Listening 19/Reading 18/Writing 23, CAEL 60, PTE Academic 57, or Duolingo 110 overall, with a first-semester English 099 requirement for borderline writing scores. Admitted students must attend a programme orientation, typically during their first SSWD 110 class, and must obtain a Criminal Records Review Program Schedule 'B' clearance letter showing 'Works With Children and Vulnerable Adults' before entering the programme. The Diploma runs Fall, Winter, and Spring intakes at Dawson Creek and Fort St. John as full-time, part-time, or extended full-time study; the Winter intake is restricted to domestic students.
Application Details
Start Date:Fall, Winter, and Spring
Application Deadline:Northern Lights College uses one admissions calendar for domestic and international applicants alike, applying through EducationPlannerBC or in person. Applications open about eleven months before each intake: 1 October for the following Fall, 1 February for the following Winter, and 1 June for the following Spring. For the 2027 cycle the priority deadline is 30 September 2026 for Winter 2027 entry, 31 January 2027 for Spring 2027 entry, and 31 May 2027 for Fall 2027 entry (dual-credit applicants get until 24 October 2026 and 23 June 2027 respectively), with a tuition deposit due about a month after each priority date. NLC states international applicants already in Canada on a valid visa follow the same domestic deadlines; after the priority date, seats remain open, on a rolling basis, until each term's add/drop date. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
