Social Development Studies
Co-op in Social Development Studies
Co-op gives you an opportunity to gain real life job experience while you are still a University of Waterloo student. It alternates 4 months of study with 4 months of work. This provides a huge number of benefits to you, including: earning income while you're a student, the chance to try out up to 6 different jobs, the potential for employment upon your graduation, and resume building. The University of Waterloo has the largest co-op program in the world, and is connected to over 4500 employers worldwide! Learn more about co-op.
Social Development Studies students are able to access the benefits of the co-op program in two ways:
- Choose Honours Arts and Business (with co-op) on the OUAC website, and major in Social Development Studies.
- Choose to double major in Social Development Studies and one of: Psychology, Sociology, English, Economics, History or Political Science. Your second major and co-op will be selected at the end of your first year.
Experiential learning in Social Development Studies
Experiential learning is integral to the Social Development Studies program. Strategic, active engagement of students in opportunities to learn through doing, and reflection on those activities empowers them to apply their knowledge both inside and outside of the classroom. There are many pathways to experiential learning within SDS including:
Experiential learning courses
SDS courses such as the Applied Apprenticeship, Research Apprenticeship, Walls to Bridges, or Honours Essay give our students the opportunity to build experience and apply their knowledge:
- Applied Apprenticeship - SDS 496R
Students volunteer in community organizations for 6-8 hours per week for a term, while attending class seminars at Renison - Research Apprenticeship - SDS 495R
Students work alongside an SDS professor on their research - Walls to Bridges (W2B) - W2B courses are university or college based classes taught in jails, prison and community correctional settings. Students who are or have been incarcerated study together with students enrolled in university/college programs. Note: this course is not currently offered.
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Honours Essay/Thesis - SDS 499A + SDS 499B
Under the supervision of a faculty member, students focus on an area of Social Development Studies and either complete an essay involving in-depth literature research and analysis or complete a scholarly report on their own study involving literature review, research design, data collection, and analysis.
EDGE Program
EDGE is an experiential education certificate program. EDGE gives Waterloo students in regular (not co-op) programs an opportunity to develop key professional skills, explore their career options, and market themselves to employers.
Required components include a Skills Identification and Articulation Workshop, a Career Development course, three Work or Community Experiences, and a capstone workshop.
Exchange programs
Participate in an international exchange program!
Travel, experience a new culture, and maybe even learn a new language while earning credits toward your Waterloo degree. Waterloo offers more than 140 exchanges in 35 different countries, including Australia, Germany, France, Mexico, Norway, and South Korea.