Forensic Practice

Program Overview

Forensic Practice consists of health and human service workers who occupy and come into contact with professions found in corrections and parole, child welfare and protection, and mental health and well-being. It encompasses criminal and civil matters, interventions with violent offenders, issues of child maltreatment, assessing parenting capacity, and substance abuse. Forensic practice is multidisciplinary in nature, a combination of areas such as social work, criminology, psychology, psychiatry, nursing, child development and other related academic disciplines.

What You Will Learn

The Forensic Practice program is offered on a part-time basis creating flexibility for all students. All courses are offered online allowing students to co-ordinate their schedule accordingly. This program will also be of interest to professionals working in a range of health and human services agencies who wish to refine their skills in the area of forensic practice. Many recent graduates of university and college programs seeking to receive specialized knowledge in forensic practice may also find this program beneficial for professional development. 

Forensic practitioners are employed by a variety of agencies including the Children's Aid Society; Children's Mental Health Ontario; the Canadian Judicial System; the Ontario Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services; the Supreme Court of Canada; the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health; The Hospital for Sick Children; the William Osler Health System; and Peel, Toronto and York Regional Police. Employment may be found in other professions/areas such as private attorneys, divorce mediation services, juvenile offenders' facilities, dual diagnosis services, secure custody settings, family services associations, victim services organizations, psychiatric facilities, family court clinics and agencies serving various multicultural communities.

Students have the option to pursue any of our three shorter certificates in forensic practice, which specialize in a given field. These shorter programs in forensic practice lead to Certificates of Completion. There are three areas of specialization: