Faculty of Social Sciences

FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
UNIVERSITY-COLLEGE COLLABORATIONS

The Faculty of Social Sciences at Brock University offers over 15 collaborative programs, with more in development.  The Collaborative programs are designed to provide students with the unique opportunity to obtain both a degree at Brock and a diploma at a college in just four years rather than the typical five or six it would take if done consecutively.  The student acquires a strong base of theoretical knowledge combined with applied and practical experience; most participating college programs involve field placements.  Having both theoretical and applied knowledge better prepares graduates for a broad range of career opportunities.

Check back for new program additions……

1.  What is a “Faculty of Social Sciences University-College Collaboration”?

            Collaborative programs allow students to complete both a four-year university degree at Brock and a college certificate or diploma at one of the Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology in Ontario in a shortened period of time.  Instead of taking 5-7 years to complete both, students work on both concurrently and in most cases, after four years of study, students will graduate with both their degree and their certificate/diploma.  These programs are a response to society’s need for professionals who possess both a solid academic background and the applied skills and substantive knowledge needed in a variety of professions.  They allow students to gain employability skills while completing a degree.

2.  What programs are available in the Faculty of Social Sciences at Brock?

           Collaborations exist in a wide variety of programs across the Faculty.  See below for a complete list.  Keep checking back – more are being created all the time!  

3.  What are students saying about the programs? 

           The Policing and Criminal Justice program is one of our collaborative programs that has been ongoing for a number of years.  The feedback that we have received from students suggests that this program is well-designed, and meets the needs of individuals who have a goal that involves policing, or a related career.  Testimonials from three students who have completed the program (Ben, Justin, and Dave) can be found at the www.brocku.ca/fss/testimonials.php.

           Many of our other programs are relatively new, so there has only been one student who has sent in her impressions of the college experience.  She attended Durham College during the 2007-08 academic year in the Human Services Counselling program, and has now returned to Brock with the goal of completing her Honours BA.  During her year at Durham, she completed one placement in a vocational skills training program with the Canadian Association for Mental Health.  She will complete another placement at the end of the coming year in a different setting.  According to her, "I had such a great time at Durham College.  The staff and administration were so eager to help with the transition.  They have intesive on-the-job experience, and they really are experts at what they teach.  The classes were small and so different from Brock but the opportunities I was given for hands-on learning makes me feel like I'm miles ahead of the game.  The experience definitely opened my eyes to careers out there and many different ways to make a difference." - Maria 

4.  How do I apply to one of the programs?

           In order to apply to these collaborations, you must first apply to Brock University and declare your major in the discipline that offers the collaboration (e.g., if the Psychology – Social Service Worker program is the goal, you would declare Psychology as your major).   You should contact the Coordinator of Collaborative Programs before registering for courses to make sure that you are choosing the recommended courses for the program you have in mind.  At the end of Year One, you apply for the collaboration of your choice using the application form for the program of your choice (click here for the Policing and Criminal Justice Program application; click here for application to all other programs). If accepted, you will once again meet with the Coordinator before registering in Year Two classes to make sure that you have the correct courses for the program.

5.  Who can I contact for further information?

           For further information about the Policing and Criminal Justice Program, contact Jeanette Ramsay, Coordinator, Collaborative Study in Policing and Criminal Justice (jramsay@brocku.ca).  For further information about all other programs, contact Jo Stewart, the Coordinator of Collaborative Programs, at jo.stewart@brocku.ca or see the links (below) that contain further information about all of our collaborative programs.

Collaborative Programs

Program information will be updated as more programs become available. For a list of all programs, please contact jo.stewart@brocku.ca.