At the School of Social and Community Services, learning happens in these three zones:
- in the classroom
- during local field placements
- during international field placements
1. In the classroom
During your time in-class you’ll have the chance to build a foundation of knowledge that will help prepare you for working in the real world.
What have students told us about their learning in the classroom?
- A dedicated faculty accompanied them on their learning journey.
- Engaging classes led to opportunities for deep, transformational learning.
- A diverse student body prepared them for their work in the field.
- Learning to think critically assisted them in finding problems and solving them.
- Relationships with students, faculty, and field supervisors enhanced their learning and employment network.
- A certificate or diploma put the finishing touches to their resume.
2. Local field placements
After successfully completing pre-requisite courses and providing a clear Vulnerable Sector Police Reference Check, you’ll have the opportunity to apply what you’ve learned in the classroom during a field placement.
Field placements not only provide invaluable on-the-job work experience, but they give you the opportunity to develop relationships within your sector and network with potential employers.
Depending on the program, field placements are secured either by the Field Placement Liaison department at the College, or by the student themselves.
Our downtown location provides us with access to a number of community agencies that serve Toronto’s diverse population. Students who have studied with us have had field placements with agencies such as:
3. International field placements
If you have dreams of studying abroad and meet the necessary requirements, you can consider applying to do your field placement in an international setting. Students from the School of Social & Community Services have done a field placement in Cuba, Jamaica and India. Please note that requirements for each project vary. To be eligible, you’ll need to:
- participate in information sessions when they are announced by faculty
- submit an application in response to a posting for an international field experience
- be in the final year of your program
- earn strong academic standing
- take part in a preparatory course prior to the trip
- participate in an interview conducted by the faculty who are involved with the project
- make a personal contribution to the costs of the experience, including airfare, housing and food