- Application Deadline:March 1
- Profile Code:300.GM
- DEC in:Social Science
- Program Length:2 years
If you would like to:
- Gain knowledge and skills to understand the root causes of inequality and injustice
- Deepen your awareness of social justice issues locally and globally, including colonialism, racism, climate justice, and other key issues
- Develop critical interdisciplinary skills in research, analysis, information literacy, communications, and advocacy
- Get inspired by transformative movements for social change, and learn how to act in solidarity with communities both locally and globally
- Experience an alternative and hands-on education that addresses real-world issues beyond the classroom
- Become part of a vibrant community and network of scholars and change-makers
Then the Social Change and Solidarity Profile could be for you.
This reimagined profile is part of the legacy of the North South Studies profile that was in place at Dawson for the last 30 years.
Be part of a small and engaged community while you make lifelong friendships, learn and work for social and environmental justice. The Social Change and Solidarity profile provides a meaningful introduction to the social sciences, giving students the theoretical and practical tools to understand and analyze the social, political, economic, and historical contexts of the world around them. We do this by learning beyond the classroom through field trips and hands-on learning. The heart of our program is an experiential learning opportunity in the second year, which includes two options:
- Students in the global stream go on a three-week trip to a community in the Global South, where they live with a local family, and learn alongside youth and community organizations.
- Students in the local stream engage in hands-on collaborations and activism with local community organizations and social movements.
By helping me understand and advance issues I care about, this profile motivated me to be a good student and an engaged global citizen.— Demetrius D.
What will you learn?
- To develop academic skills: writing, critical thinking, systems thinking, and communication skills
- To develop soft skills acquired through experiential learning: empathy, relationship-building, openness
- To feel a sense of local connection and global social responsibility
- To integrate experiential knowledge into your studies
- To contribute to local and global change
- To explain social phenomena and human behaviour using theories, perspectives, and approaches specific to the disciplines of social science
- To integrate methodologies, perspectives, and approaches of inclusion, equity, diversity, decolonization, and anti-oppression when analyzing social phenomena and human behaviour
- To conduct an interdisciplinary, individual research project
- To explain how differences in social identities and world views could influence opinions, beliefs, values, and social interactions
- To integrate an understanding of the root causes of environmental and social crises to take actions both locally and globally
- To experience learning as part of a community dedicated to collective care and action
Where will this program lead you?
Like all Social Science profiles, Social Change and Solidarity leads to a DEC in Social Science, which qualifies you for most any university program in the social sciences or humanities.
Popular fields of study for Social Change and Solidarity graduates include Community Development, Public Affairs/Politics, International Relations, Law, Sustainability, and Human Rights. Many graduates pursue careers in politics and social policy, education, law, journalism, social work, international organizations and relations, human rights, socially responsible business, community outreach work, non-profit and grassroots organizations, community organizing and advocacy.
What else should you know?
- The Social Change and Solidarity profile continues with the tradition of the North South Studies profile, which existed for 30 years at Dawson College.
- The experiential learning opportunities – including the global field trip (global stream) or the local community project (local stream) – are key parts of the profile, giving students meaningful, engaged, and transformative experiences.
- Social Change and Solidarity students have access to a communal space shared with the New School. The eighth-floor space includes a lounge, kitchen, classrooms, and teachers’ offices.
- The profile organizes a regular Friday Seminar where students, teachers and the broader social justice community learn together.
What do you need to apply?
- A Diploma of Secondary Studies (DES) or academic background judged equivalent to the DES
- Secondary IV Mathematics: Cultural, Social & Technical option 563-404/414
Application Deadline
March 1
