Students studying in Social Sciences Building

What can I do with my studies?

Potential occupations

Universities studies lead to multiple occupations. Furthermore, certain professions require talent, special aptitudes, additional skills and experience beyond degrees themselves. By targeting a profession, it can make decisions easier during your schooling, throughout your job search and, finally, when choosing among job offers. The choices can change over time based on academic, personal, and professional paths and on the knowledge of occupations and of the labour market.

 In order to list your choices, visit the Job Bank Canada website and, using the National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes, view job postings, wages, employment prospects and other important information that can help you make a decision. If need be, additional and complementary information can be found via two online career exploration tools (Careercruising and Choices Planner)* also designed to facilitate your career advancement. The occupations found below are examples derived from the National Occupational Classification.

Occupations related to this program

Social policy researchers, consultants and program officers

  • Human Rights Commission officer
  • International aid and development project officer
  • International relations specialist
  • Junior Advisor
  • Peace researcher
  • Policy analyst, immigration
  • Refugee affairs program officer
  • Social science researcher

Program officers unique to government

  • Aboriginal land claims liaison officer
  • Federal and provincial relations officer
  • Foreign service officer
  • Intergovernmental affairs officer
  • Refugee board member

Other managers in public administrations

  • Federal-provincial relations director
  • Intergovernmental affairs director

Social and community service workers

  • Crisis intervention worker
  • Social rehabilitation officer
  • Social services agent

Employment insurance, immigration, border services and revenue officers

  • Appeal officer
  • Immigration inspector
  • Immigration officer 

Human resources professionals

  • Conciliator
  • Mediator

Senior government managers and officials

  • Human rights commission chairperson

Managers in social, community and correctional services

  • Manager NGO
  • Social services centre director
  • Social services centre manager
  • Social services department chief
  • Social services department head

Government managers health and social policy development and program administration

  • Chief, immigration appeals and litigation government services
  • Chief, social programs development government services
  • Director, social services government services
  • Immigration appeals manager government services

Post-secondary teaching and research assistants

  • Discussion group leader post-secondary teaching assistance
  • Laboratory assistant, university
  • Laboratory supervisor post-secondary teaching assistant
  • Post-secondary research assistant
  • Post-secondary teaching assistant
  • Tutor post-secondary teaching assistant

Volunteer opportunities

In addition to providing an opportunity to apply theories and knowledge learned during your university studies outside the classroom, in real world situations, volunteering is a way to help the community and its many organizations. The Community Service Learning also allows students to contribute to their community by participating in projects that are related to their program of study.

Potential employers

The following examples of employers can offer internships or employment opportunities related to students program of studies. The examples are presented according to geographic location: Ottawa and Gatineau, Ontario, Quebec and other provinces. 

  • Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada - AANDC
  • Amnesty International
  • Canadian Human Rights Commission
  • CARE Canada
  • Department of Foreign Affairs
  • Department of Justice
  • Elizabeth Fry Society of Ottawa
  • Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada
  • Children's Aid Society - CAS
  • Kawartha Haliburton Children Aid Society - KHCAS
  • Lutherwood Community
  • Reena
  • Toronto Police Service
  • Commission des normes du travail
  • Commission des relations du travail
  • Ministère de la Justice
  • Ministère de la santé et des services sociaux du Québec - MSSS
  • Ministère de la sécurité publique du Québec
  • Social Justice Committee
  • Alberta Municipal Services Corporation - AMSC
  • British Columbia Public Service
  • Milieu Children & Family Services
  • CARE International
  • Center for Victims of Torture - CVT
  • Concern Worldwide
  • Global Witness
  • International Crisis Group - ICG
  • International Labour Organization - ILO
  • Minority Rights Group International
  • Survivors of Incest Anonymous - SIA
  • United Nations - UN
  • African Development Foundation - USADF
  • Coalition on Human Needs
  • Customs and Borders Protection - CBP
  • Department of Homeland Security
  • Heritage Foundation
  • Immigration and Customs Enforcement
  • Belgian Technical Cooperation - BTC
  • Caritas International
  • Committee of the Regions
  • European Centre for Minority Issues - ECMI
  • European Court of Human Rights
  • Overseas Development Institute - ODI
  • ZOA Refugee Care

Professional organizations

Examples of professional organizations, presented by location, provide essential information on professional development opportunities and networking activities, the examples can also provide access to publications and job opportunities.

  • Alternative Dispute Resolution - ADR - Institute of Canada
  • Alternative Dispute Resolution - ADR - Institute of Ontario
  • Canadian Civil Liberties Association - CCLA
  • Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences - CFHSS
  • Family Mediation Canada
  • Institut de médiation et d'arbitrage du Québec IMAQ
  • Peace and Conflict Studies Association of Canada
  • Social Science and Humanities Research Council - SSHRC
  • United Nations Association in Canada - UNA
  • Alternative Dispute Resolution - ADR - Resources - US
  • Association for the Taxation of Financial Transactions for the Aid of Citizens - ATTAC
  • Cyber Conflict Studies Association 
  • International Association for Peace and Conflict Studies 
  • International Association for Social Science Information Service and Technology -IASSIST
  • International Corrections and Prisons Association - ICPA
  • International Peace Research Association Foundation 
  • Peace and Justice Studies Association 
  • Society for the Study of Social Problems
  • Young Professionals in Foreign Policy

Date modified : 2023-09-23