Social Work and Human Services
ufv.ca/swhsNote: This program was changed from the School and Community Support Worker certificate effective Fall 2025. Earlier academic calendars are available here.
This one-year, 30-credit program prepares students to work with school-aged children and youth in schools. Under the direction of classroom teachers and learning support specialists, inclusive education assistants provide personal care, behavioural, and learning support. They facilitate meaningful inclusion, communication, and social interaction. Inclusive education assistants can support students with diverse abilities in elementary, middle, and high schools in a variety of settings, including regular classrooms, learning support rooms, work experience sites, or in life-training settings.
Graduates of the Inclusive Education Assistant certificate can choose to continue their careers and use their credits toward completing a degree at UFV and eventually become teachers themselves. Graduates can also consider continuing their studies in the area of community support or social services.
The program can be taken on a full- or part-time basis. Part-time students may enrol in any available program course provided they meet the stated prerequisites. Part-time students may not be able to access all required courses in sequence. Qualifying Studies students and students in other programs may be able to enrol in some required courses if they meet the stated prerequisites and there is space.
Assessment of prior learning is available for qualified students.
Note: Admission to the program does not guarantee placement in a practicum. Please see the Practicum regulations section below.
Students who do not meet these requirements might consider Qualifying Studies.
Applications are accepted for entrance to the Fall semester only. For application deadlines, see Specific intake application process.
Apply online at ufv.ca/admissions/apply.
Upon admission to the program applicants will be provided with registration information for their first semester in early June.
See the Fees and Other Costs section. In addition to tuition and required textbooks, other expenses include criminal record checks, first aid training (see Criminal Record Check section below), and travel to and from practicum sites.
Students may elect to take this program on either a full- or part-time basis. Students have a maximum of four consecutive years to complete the program under the requirements that were in place at the time they were admitted to the program.
Course | Title | Credits |
CMNS 125 | Introduction to Professional Communication | 3 |
or ENGL 105 | Academic Writing | |
EDAS 181 | Supporting the Autonomy, Belonging, and Competence of Students with Complex Needs | 3 |
EDAS 190 | An Overview of Inclusive Schooling (formerly HSER 190) | 3 |
EDAS 192 | Strategies to Support Students in Schools (formerly HSER 192) | 3 |
HSER 120 | Interpersonal Communications for Human Services | 3 |
Course | Title | Credits |
EDAS 131 | Education Assistant Practicum (formerly HSER 131) | 6 |
EDAS 182 | Social Emotional Learning and Mental Health in Schools | 3 |
EDAS 194 | The Role of the Education Assistant in Inclusive Schools (formerly HSER 194) | 3 |
SOWK 225 | Human Behaviour and the Social Environment | 3 |
or EDUC 200 | Educational Psychology |
Admission to the program does not guarantee placement in a practicum; students must be in good standing in their program to enrol in a practicum. A program GPA (PGPA) of 2.00 is required for practicum placement. Students who are on Academic Warning or Academic Probation or subject to academic or non-academic student misconduct proceedings will not be permitted to register in a practicum. Students are not guaranteed the practicum of their choice. Students are required to register for the practicum course on the campus closest to their practicum.
The Field Experience Coordinator will assess students’ readiness for practicum on their knowledge, skills, and professionalism based on their performance in EDAS courses. Each practicum requires a minimum of 200 hours (two to four days per week for 13 to 15 weeks). Students can take the practica as EDAS 131A and EDAS 131B, if they prefer to take the practicum on a part-time basis. Concurrent with the practicum, students attend mandatory seminar classes.
Under the Criminal Records Review Act, students in a professional post-secondary program with a practicum component involving work with children and/or vulnerable adults must undergo a criminal record check (CRC). This is a requirement before students can participate in any practicum placements. Upon admission to the program, directions will be provided for admitted students to initiate and pay for the CRC, so that the clearance letter can be received at least one month before starting the practicum.
Record checks completed through the RCMP or local police detachments do not meet B.C. government requirements.
Prior to being hired by a school district, a valid first aid certificate (Red Cross Basic Life Support, Occupational First Aid Level 1, or St. John Ambulance Standard First Aid) will be required.
Students must maintain a PGPA of 2.00 to be considered for practicum placement and graduation.
All EDAS courses must be completed with a grade of C (2.00) or better. Students who are not making satisfactory progress will be required to withdraw from the program. Unsatisfactory progress includes but is not limited to:
See the Academic standing and undergraduate continuance section of the academic calendar. Academic standing is governed by UFV's Undergraduate Continuance policy (92).
Students are required to complete a minimum of 31 credits. At least 50% of these must be completed at UFV.
Students are allowed up to four consecutive years to complete the program.
For complete details on courses see the course descriptions section.