Social Policy Issues (Post Baccalaureate Diploma)

About this programme

Social policy, a growing area of interest of the academic community, is concerned with human resource development. The initiation, formulation, management, and evaluation of social policy involves government, business, labour, community groups, and social researchers. At Simon Fraser University, faculty and graduate students are engaged in research projects pertaining to a broad range of social policy issues including: The Post Baccalaureate Diploma in Social Policy Issues offers students an opportunity to apply recent developments in social theory and research methods to the investigation of a range of social problems and social policy issues. As well as featuring courses which examine various substantive social policy issues, the overall program aims to provide the critical perspectives needed in order to grasp the processes by which social problems are defined, understood, and acted upon both in Canada and in other societies. The program is intended for people who have previously completed a Bachelors degree (or higher) in any field of study, and is of special interest to those who wish to fulfill or change career goals, professionals (teachers, civil servants, nurses, and those working in the social services field) who seek new perspectives for analyzing and interpreting social policy issues, and to those who wish to develop their general educational background. The program may be completed through a combination of courses offered through distance education, at the Burnaby and the downtown campuses.