Social Development Studies (SDS) is a Bachelor of Arts degree available through the University of Waterloo. The department is housed in Renison University College. Students can complete an SDS major with or without specializations, or an SDS minor (if pursuing a different major or in Liberal Studies). More information on declaring majors or minors.
Please see below for degree and specialization checklists to help track your requirements.
Degree Checklists
- The 4-year BA plans include a minimum of 40 total courses (0.5 weight) and a 16-course SDS major with at least 3 400-lvl SDS classes. "Honours" requires an SDS average of 70% or higher each term. "General" requires an SDS average of 65 - 69% each term.
- The 3-year BA plan includes a minimum of 30 courses and a 12-course SDS major. It only comes in "General" format and thus requires an SDS average of 65 - 69% each term.
- The minor includes a minimum of 8 courses, excludes PSYCH and SOC 101/101R, and requires an SDS average of 65% to declare and/or graduate.
| Started Degree... | Major Checklists |
|---|---|
| Fall 2025 or later | |
| Fall 2018 - Spring 2025 | |
| Before Fall 2018 | Contact your advisor for older checklists |
*Checklists are best viewed when downloaded and opened in Adobe.
New Fall 2027: SDS/BSW Double Degree
Applicable primarily to direct-entry/highschool admits at this time, the Double Degree will combine a Bachelor of Arts with SDS major and an expanded Bachelor of Social Work. The program is still in development and will launch its first official cohort in Fall 2027. It will require full-time, onsite or hybrid study, for approximately 4-5+ years (pending course load). Students who start at UW in Fall 2026 and will have fewer than 13 courses complete by Fall 2027 may choose to shadow internal entry requirements into the 2027 program (discuss with an SDS advisor).
Further updates to the SDS and School of Social Work websites are expected between 2026-2027, including new degree checklists. Stay tuned!
TIP: Advisors are happy to help support students and clarify requirements, but it is a student's responsibility to confirm that all requirements for graduation are met using the resources available (e.g. applicable websites and advisors). Always check the Undergraduate Calendar year requirements corresponding both to the year in which you enrolled in the Faculty of Arts (Program-Level [BA] degree requirements) and in Social Development Studies (Academic Plan requirements)
SDS Specializations
Specializations are available to SDS major students and are a way to enhance the degree by taking courses focused in a specific area. They consider only credited courses towards completion (i.e. no averages).
To add a specialization, complete a plan modification form and send to your SDS academic advisor. Completed specializations will be noted on your degree diploma and transcript.
Note:minor changes to specializations are coming Fall 2026. Checklists below will be updated with new requirements in August 2026.
Current checklists (effective Fall 2025):
| Specialization Title & Checklist | Description | Total Number of Courses | Modality |
|---|---|---|---|
| SW - Social Work specialization checklist (PDF) | Designed for students interested in social work, and includes some prerequisite courses required to apply to the Bachelor of Social Work program at Renison. | 5 | Online or Mix (online/on-campus) |
| ED - Education specialization checklist (PDF) | Designed for students interested in professions within the private and public sectors of education, including graduate studies. Focuses on teaching and learning, children and youth, program development and evaluation, and policy analysis. | 6 with at least 5 from top SDS section | Online or Mix (online/on-campus) |
| IWD - Individual Wellbeing and Development specialization checklist (PDF) | Designed to support students in their own personal development and includes psychosocial content applicable to careers in life coaching and training, leadership development, human resources, etc. | 6 with at least 4 from top SDS section | Online or Mix (online/on-campus) |
| DE - Diversity and Equity specialization checklist (PDF) | Designed for students interested in undertaking critical analysis of power and privilege in relation to various forms of diversity (culture, religion, gender, sexuality, disability, etc.), towards work with people from diverse backgrounds. | 6 with at least 4 from top SDS section | Mix (online/on-campus) |
| SPSA - Social Policy and Social Action specialization checklist (PDF) | Designed for students with career interests in law, global governance, human rights, health, housing, environment, and public service. | 6 with at least 4 from top SDS section | Mix (online/on-campus) |
Notes:
- If you declared other specializations between Fall 2016 to Spring 2020, or between Fall 2020 - Spring 2025, please email your academic advisor to ensure you're tracking the correct requirements. Students must follow plans associated with the term coded to their Quest as newer versions may not be accurate.
- There is no limit to the number of specializations students can track.
- Only three specializations are eligible for online-only students based on the number of consistent online course offerings: Social Work, Education, and Individual Well-being & Development. Not all courses on those checklists may run online, pending specialization.
- Some specializations have a list of 400-level courses (450R, 490R, 495R, 496R, 499A/B). These are not standard lectures or seminars, and require a separate application for enrolment. They can only count towards a specialization if the SDS Director approves a submitted application and the topic matches the specialization theme.
- If interested in Renison's post-degree BSW program, please see their website for full admission requirements - they go beyond the Social Work specialization. That specialization is not equivalent to a BSW or MSW degree.