Other requirements
- documentary evidence of having completed at least 100 voluntary and/or paid work hours in the human services field
You must have worked the 100 hours within the last five years of the start date of your program with one organization. We do not offer conditional admission for the volunteer/work requirement, so you must complete the 100 hours before you receive an offer of admission.
Your direct volunteer or employment supervisor must complete the Social Work Reference Form with the following information:
- supervisor's title, signature, and contact information
- your role/job title when you worked or volunteered
- total number of hours worked or volunteered
- a detailed description of the nature of the work you performed, your work/volunteer responsibilities and the level of interaction you had with clients, their families, and/or the general public
Your supervisor must email the reference to admissions@norquest.ca as a PDF attachment.
The 100 hours must be completed in one of the following setting types:
- a health-care setting
- a work setting that falls under the Health Professions Act (Alberta)
- a registered accredited human services agency/organization
- a social services agency/organization
Note: Hours completed at NorQuest College in a practicum in a health program or the Community Support Worker program will be accepted to meet the requirement without need for a further reference.
Your work or volunteer hours must include some elements of direct contact with clients or patients who may be considered disadvantaged or marginalized, and your work should focus on the client's psycho-social well-being.
Volunteer or work opportunities can be found in helping agencies, outreach organizations, schools, hospitals, crisis lines, programs for at-risk youth, women's shelters, long-term care facilities, and agencies for people with addictions, homelessness, mental illness, or mental challenges. Find additional information on organizations that provide supports in the Edmonton area on the 211 Edmonton Resource Lists.
The following types of volunteer or work opportunities are not acceptable:
- daycare or babysitting
- fundraising
- high school co-op programs
- office/administrative work
All references are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.