Students studying in Social Sciences Building

What can I do with my studies?

Program Overview

Program Requirements 

Acquired skills

University education stimulates the development of many valuable skills transferable to the workplace. Employers increasingly demand a set of skills from their employees; communication, research, data use, analytical, decision-making, problem-solving, planning and organizational, responsibility, adaptability and autonomy, and teamwork skills are sought after. While they can seem limited to each program of study, skills are adaptable and extendable to a variety of situations and they can also be used to acquire other aptitudes and abilities hence ensuring the development and advancement of ones career (to further develop your skill set, see Experience section). The list of skills below can then help in the process of choosing occupations that best fit your education and aptitudes and it can also be used to communicate your employability.

Skills 

General Skills

  • Organization and planning skills
  • Ability to convey a clear and succinct message to a variety of students
  • Ability to actively listen
  • Ability to use creativity, educational tools and technologies in constructing various projects and ideas
  • Teamwork
  • Problem-solving
  • Flexibility, adapatability
  • Critical thinking

Specific Skills

  • Excellent comprehension of how people behave and interact with one another within a group setting and capacity to manage these groups
  • Ability to create and develop a school curriculum
  • Capability to conduct an evaluation and similarly an assessment of a program in a strategic manner
  • Capacity to educate students with dissimilarities in styles and levels of acquiring educational knowledge and information
  • Capacity to evaluate learning

Further studies

Many graduate programs are available for people with an undergraduate degree interested in expanding their knowledge, specializing or conducting research. The graduate programs below are examples selected from the list of graduate programs offered by the University of Ottawa. While they are related to this program of study, it is important to consult the admission requirements of the programs as not all types of degrees qualify one for admission. Moreover, additional programs and other universities could be considered depending on your career plan.

Graduate programs

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. They are presented by their occupational group title, in bold, followed by bulleted occupational titles specific to the program of study. Immediately after the occupational titles, the hyperlinked NOC code for the occupational group is provided. Overall, the occupations are presented side by side with their employment requirements and the establishments where to find a job.

The National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2016 is the authoritative resource on occupational information in Canada providing a standard taxonomy and framework for dialogue on Labour Market Information. It gathers more than 30,000 occupational titles into 500 Unit Groups, organized according to skill levels and skill types.

Occupations related to this program

Elementary school and kindergarten teachers

  • Kindergarten teacher
  • Primary school teacher
  • Special education teacher

A bachelor's degree in education is required;a bachelor's degree in child development may be required;additional training is required to specialize in special education or second language instruction; a provincial teaching certificate is required; additional certification is required to teach English or French as a second language

Early childhood educators and assistants

  • Early childhood educator
  • Nursery school teacher
  • Day care teacher

A bachelor's degree in child development is required; licensing by a provincial or territorial association for early childhood educators (ECE) is usually required

Instructors of persons with disabilities

  • Braille teacher
  • Sign language instructor
  • Teacher of persons with disabilities

Completion of a college program in special education, rehabilitation, orientation and mobility, visual impairment, hearing impairment or intellectual disability is required; a bachelor's degree in special education or a related field such as social work or psychology may be required

Employment counsellors

  • Career counsellor
  • Career development counsellor
  • Relocation counsellor

 A bachelor's degree in employment counselling, career development or in a related field, such as human resources development, psychology, education or social services is required; in Quebec, membership in a professional association is mandatory to use the title “counsellor”

Post-secondary teaching and research assistants

  • Teaching assistant
  • Research assistant

Enrolment in a university program is required

College and other vocational instructors

  • College teacher

A master's degree in the field of instruction may be required; a certificate, diploma or degree in adult education may be required; additional courses in teaching or a provincial teaching certificate may be required

Education policy researchers, consultants and program officers

  • Education program planner
  • Education science specialist
  • Language assessor
  • Languages co-ordinator
  • Teaching policy officer

A master's degree in education may be required; specialized training or certification may be required; several years of experience as a school teacher are usually required; a teacher's certificate for the province of employment is usually required when employed by provincial education ministries

Educational counsellors

  • Academic counsellor
  • Guidance counsellor

A master's degree in counselling or a related field such as educational psychology, developmental psychology or social work is usually required; academic counsellors in post-secondary settings require an undergraduate degree and may require a graduate degree. A particular academic specialization may also be required; a teacher's certificate from the province of employment and some teaching experience is usually required for counsellors in school settings;In Quebec, membership in L'Ordre des conseillers et conseillères d'orientation et des psychoéducateurs et psychoéducatrices du Québec is mandatory to use the title “counsellor”; educational counsellors in colleges and universities may require licensing from a provincial regulatory body governing psychologists, guidance counsellors or social workers

Government managers – education policy development and program administration

  • Education director
  • Heritage languages program director
  • Learning programs director

A master's degree in a particular educational specialization may be required; several years of combined experience as a school teacher and as a government educational policy researcher, consultant or program officer are usually required; a provincial teaching certificate is usually required

School principals and administrators of elementary and secondary education

  • School principal
  • School board administrator

A master's degree in education may be required; several years of experience as a senior teacher or department head are required; a teacher's certificate for the province of employment is required; school principals may require a principal's certificate; administrators of elementary and secondary education may require a supervisory officer certificate

Administrators – post-secondary education and vocational training

  • Assistant dean
  • Dean
  • Faculty administrator

Faculty administrators require a graduate degree in a field related to the academic faculty and several years of experience as a university professor or college teacher

Related field

Although many students believe that they will pursue a career path directly connected to their university studies, quite often, graduates tend to work in related fields. Below is a list of possible related fields of work based on a given program of study. These fields present opportunities that are not typically considered as first choices when choosing a career path based on a program of study. Hopefully, this list will allow students to further consider the various fields that are loosely connected to their program of study. These results were compiled through a research of the University of Ottawa's alumni profiles which were found on the business-oriented social networking service, LinkedIn. 

Related Fields

  • Research
  • Entrepreneurship 
  • Program and Project Management 
  • Information Technology 
  • Arts and Design 

Acquiring experience

Experience is acquired by participating and trying new personal, educational and professional activities, where it is possible to discover preferences, increase confidence and improve skills. As for professional experience, it is acquired through volunteering, internships, self-employment and full-time or part-time jobs. And certainly, experience working on campus or in other settings adds to the set of skills acquired in your degree (see Acquired Skills section). The Employability Skills 2000+ presenting the skills employers look for in their employees as well as its complementary checklist can help target experience opportunities that will improve your skill set necessary for employment. In addition to developing these skills, performing work related to your program of study can strengthen your expertise and increase your employability.

All examples of volunteer experience and potential employers were selected specifically for this area of study and according to occupational groups in which it is possible to acquire experience. Examples of volunteer organizations in Canada and abroad are preceded by a list of directories that can help to find more volunteer opportunities. Examples of potential employers in Canada and abroad have been compiled in light of events held in partnership with employers, searches in company directories and well-established rankings.

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.

Directories

Canada Abroad

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.

In Canada

Ottawa/Gatineau Region Ontario

Quebec Other provinces and territories

Abroad

The requirements for working abroad consider factors like administrative laws, professional standards and work permits in some countries. To learn about requirements in various countries, visit Skill Clear or MyWorldAbroad (registration with a @uOttawa.ca email is required to use MyWorldAbroad).

Established globally North America (excluding Canada) 

South America Europe

Asia Africa

Oceania Others

Job search resources

The job search resources are designed to stimulate networking activities, develop marketing strategies and facilitate access to job postings. Networking events offer employers the opportunity to learn about the available workforce, and they give students a chance to be considered in the recruitment process. Career Development Centre offers helpful tips on networking, interview preparation techniques and different tools that can also be used to help with the preparation of resumés and cover letters.

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.

Canadian Provincial and territorial

American International

Job search sites

Here are a few websites posting jobs available in Canada and abroad related to this field of study.

Canadian International

General Job Search Websites

Date modified: 2017-04-04