Leadership

Leadership in the Human Services

Develop your practice, grow your career.

Our leadership in the human services certificates, focus on areas most requested by social workers, agencies and human service providers. Each specialization is a deep-dive into an area of social work practice.

Certificates provide graduate education and formal credentials.If you plan on applying to our an MSW, you'll need this certificate and one in Advanced Social Work Practice.

Admission Requirements

  1. A Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) from an accredited/recognized institution.
  2. A minimum of 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 point system, over the past two years of full-time study (a minimum of 60 units) of the undergraduate degree.
  3. The equivalent of two years of full-time paid work or a minimum of 3,000 hours of paid and/or volunteer work in the human services field by the application deadline.
    What is relevant social work and human service experience? 
  4. English Language Proficiency

    Offers of admission are valid for the term to which you apply.

 

Indigenous Ways of Knowing in Leadership

Fall 2025: Indigenous Ways of Knowing in Leadership

Transform your leadership practices to move forward in a good way with Indigenous Peoples. Led by a team of Indigenous instructors, Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and recognized non-Indigenous social work instructors working in good relations, courses are grounded in an Indigenous lens and you'll be immersed in land-based teachings, circle process, and ceremony.

The Practical and Transformational Leader

Fall 2026: The Practical and Transformational Leader

Learn current theories and practices in leadership within a variety of organizational contexts. Learn program planning, implementation and evaluation; policy analysis and development; organizational dynamics and change; supervision; community capacity building, social action and advocacy.

On Campus & Online

This certificate is offered mostly online. You'll be required to attend two on campus residencies at our Calgary campus.

Online courses consist of a mix of real time classes at set times and learning that can be done on your own schedule.

Internet access

You'll require regular access to an internet connection, and you'll need a camera and microphone.

A high speed internet connection is recommended, but not required.

Test your Internet Connection

8 months

You'll begin your Certificate studies in the fall semester (September), and the total completion time is eight months.

You'll follow the UCalgary academic calendar and be given specific assignment deadlines.

Degree Award

Your degree must be awarded prior to the start of the program. We cannot accept a letter of completion as a replacement for degree award. Your final transcript noting your degree must be received by June 30.

Earned your BSW abroad?

If you completed an undergraduate degree in Social Work or equivalent in another country (outside Canada/USA), you must have your degree assessed by the Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW) as equivalent to a Canadian BSW, prior to applying to the MSW program.

Learn more