Admission Requirements

Applicants should demonstrate academic skill and be in good physical and mental health before applying for admission to these programs.

1. General Requirements
   1. Citizenship. Applicants must be Canadian citizens or have Landed Immigrant status.
   2. Age. Applicants to Community and School Support and Social Services Specialities must be 18 years of age as of October 1, 2003 in order to meet the expectations of a criminal record check for practicum placement.
   3. Certificate: Applicants to the Community and School Support Program must hold a valid First Aid Certificate, e.g., Standard or Emergency First Aid Certificate; S.O.F.A. Certificate; Emergency First Aid for the Home; and CPR Certificate.

1. Educational Requirements
   1. B.C. Grade 12 or mature student status
   2. 73% on combined English 12 and Government Exam (within the last 5 years)

      or, Level 4 on the composition section of the Language Proficiency Index (within the last 2 years)

      or, Completion of English 060, with a grade of C+ or higher

2. Personal Readiness Requirements
   1. Health Requirements
      1. Applicants are required to be in good physical as well as mental health for admittance to the program. Applicants must complete a general medical examination to ascertain fitness and well being. As this program requires some students to complete practica that involve lifting and transferring, participation in leisure activities and/or emergency response, applicants may be denied admission to this program if the medical report reveals health related problems.
      2. Applicants, once admitted, must have up-to-date immunization for diphtheria, tetanus, measles and rubella as well as a negative tuberculin screening test.
   2. References

      Applicants must submit two letters of reference (forms are included in the admission packages). At least one letter of reference must be from employers, volunteer supervisors or community professionals that comment on the applicant's suitability for, or performance in human service work. Reference letters must be less than two (2) years old on the date of application to the program. Letters must include the referee's telephone number.

   3. Agency visits

      Individuals applying to the Community and School Support speciality must also visit one facility/home/ agency/school providing support to people with disabilities and submit a form verifying this visit. Individuals applying to the Social Services speciality must visit a social service agency and submit a form verifying this visit. This visit must occur within six (6) months of the date of application to each program.

   4. Criminal Record Check

      Applicants will be required to undergo a criminal record check for fieldwork purposes. Practicum agencies reserve the right to refuse acceptance of practicum students with a criminal record. This may impair a student's ability to successfully complete the Human Service Programs.

   5. Applicant Readiness Interview

      All applicants are asked the same questions and ranked according to their responses in a number of categories designed to determine, for example, their knowledge of human service work, ability to work with people, problem solving skills, interpersonal communications skills and motivation. Applicants will be contacted to arrange the time of the admission interview. Interviews are only granted once applicants have completed all other admission requirements and have submitted the required documentation. Admission interviews generally take place from March to June of each year.

      This is a small group interview that provides information about the Human Service Programs to prospective students. In addition, applicants participate in discussion while answering questions asked by the interview panel to ascertain applicants' readiness for admission.

      Applicants to the Community and School Support (CSSP) Program will be interviewed on an earliest completed application basis until the programs are filled. Applicants to the CSSP Program will be notified of their status in writing, approximately 2 weeks following the interview.

      Applicants to the Social Services program (SSP) will be interviewed on an earliest completed application basis. Social Services applicants will be notified in writing of their status following completion of each interview. After each interview, applications will be classified as: (1) accepted into program (26 seats available); (2) alternate for acceptance (waitlisted); (3) not accepted into program. Admissions will notify applicants in writing as soon as their status has been established. If empty seats remain after the interviews have been completed then applicants from the waitlists will be assigned according to the interview ranking.

      Applicants are asked to refer to the admissions information package for further details regarding applicant readiness interviews.