Transforming Child Protection to Wellbeing

You're a passionate advocate for child protection, child and family welfare, and children's rights in a variety of fields. You bring experience in working with children and youth at a professional or policy level. You want to engage in work that focuses on interventions that impact the lived realities of children and youth locally and internationally.

The Graduate Certificate in Transforming Child Protection to Wellbeing helps you to critically reflect on and build an understanding of what's needed to work in partnership with communities to transform practices from their current state to a more holistic and effective approach to child and youth wellbeing.

In this program, you'll work cross-culturally, learning to support children and youth to thrive in various contexts, in Canada and globally.

You'll examine professional and regulatory systems, learning about how change can be made on a systemic level. You'll also look at, and work with, the informal systems that affect child wellbeing at a community level.

In doing so, you'll expand your understanding beyond ethnocentric models or solutions for child protection, child rights and child wellbeing. You'll develop an analysis of a need for reform in the current child protection and child and family welfare/wellbeing systems.

By addressing the complex interrelationships between individuals, cultures and systems around child wellbeing, you'll gain the ability to address the questions of what it means to be a child — and to thrive — in various contexts. By bringing children's voices into policy and programming initiatives, you'll have the ability to impact regulatory and community change to make a positive difference in children's lives.

This program was developed in collaboration with two prominent international organizations in child rights, child protection and wellbeing. The International Institute for Child Rights and Development's input helps bring a participatory methodology to your learning. Input from Child Frontiers provides the perspective of working with development and humanitarian agencies, and working at the policy level with local and national governments.

The Graduate Certificate in Transforming Child Protection to Wellbeing helps you build an understanding of what's needed to work with communities to transform practices from their current state to a more holistic and effective approach to child and youth wellbeing.

You can build from here

You may be able to transfer your credits from this graduate certificate to a two-year Master's level degree at Royal Roads. Depending on the MA you choose, you may receive the Master's level degree instead of the certificate.

Standard admission

• a four-year (or comparable) undergraduate degree in a relevant and related field, with a minimum GPA of B+ (3.33/4.33), from a recognized post-secondary institution
• at least two years of relevant work in some capacity with children, preferably at the leadership or management level
• a personal statement addressing how you consider your academic education to be relevant and related

Flexible admission

If you don't meet the standard admission requirements, you can be considered for flexible admission to this program under the following circumstances:

• If you meet the degree requirement, but not the GPA requirement, you will be required to have a minimum five years of relevant professional experience.
• If you don't have an undergraduate degree you will normally require 10 years of work experience, with a minimum of two years of relevant professional experience in a leadership or management position, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• You will need to explain in your personal statement how your work experience meets these requirements.

You will also be required to take Academic Writing and Critical Thinking and obtain a minimum B+ (77%). This course must be completed several weeks before your program begins.

English language proficiency

If English is not your primary language, review our English language requirements.

Additional recommendations 

Experience in a leadership or management position is considered on the basis of a holistic review of career progression, which demonstrates increasing competency and/or responsibility. It can include, but is not limited to, supervisory functions, signing responsibilities, contributions to organizational change and/or implementation of organizational vision and mission.

All applications to this program require submission of the following information and supporting documents before your file can be assessed for admission:

Application form

In order to apply online, you will be required to create a log-in account using your email address. You will be required to list all credit courses and/or programs you have completed or are currently enrolled in. An application fee will be required. If your application fees are being paid by a third party, review sponsored student information. Once submitted, you may check the status of your application at any time.

Official transcripts

Applicants are responsible for arranging for the submission of official transcripts from ALL post-secondary (higher education) institutions currently or previously attended, for all credit courses and/or programs. Transcripts are not required for non-credit programs or courses, though some programs may require proof of professional certifications or designations.

Transcripts are considered official only if submitted directly by the Registrar or other recognized authority of the providing institution in the institution's original, sealed envelope. If the envelope has been opened, the transcripts are no longer official and new (official) transcripts will be required to complete your application.

All international transcripts or credentials are subject to an international transcript and/or credential evaluation.

Personal statement

The statement's purpose is to assess applicants' writing skills, as well as their interest and ability to complete the program. Your personal statement should be written as a three to four page narrative and must address each of the following questions using each question as a separate heading: 

• Why do you wish to enroll in the conflict analysis and management program?
• What academic courses and/or training do you have in the area of conflict management?
• What work experience do you have in the area of conflict management?
• Why are you interested in a program that is focused on intergroup as opposed to interpersonal conflict management?
• What experience have you had with distance education and self-directed study?
• What special strengths do you bring to the program?

Letters of reference

Two letters of reference are required and may be provided by current or past employer(s) or by those who have known the applicant in an academic or volunteer setting.

Reference letters must attest to the applicant's suitability to this program, and particularly the applicant's ability to complete a demanding graduate program, including graduate level writing and research. The referee should indicate the length of time and context in which they have known the applicant, and should also consider the ability of the applicant to model appropriate behavior in the field as well as the personal attributes of the applicant.

In the case of an employer's reference, the letter should also attest to the applicant's performance in the context of current or previous employment. The letter should address such areas as work in the field of conflict analysis and management as well as leadership potential.

Structured resume

Applicant's resume must include the following:

• Post secondary education: List all post-secondary education, degrees, diplomas, and certificates you have achieved.
• Training and professional development in the area of conflict analysis: List career related training and professional development programs. Include the source of training, and the duration and year completed. List other training and personal development programs not already identified.
• Volunteer work experience: List and describe any voluntary employment and/or community service experience. Please include name of organization, length of service and a brief description of duties. Highlight experience related to alternative dispute resolution.
• Full-time work experience: Please include name of organization, position, length of service and brief description of duties. Highlight experience related to alternative dispute resolution.
• Professional memberships/affiliations: List memberships and positions you hold/have held in professional associations, service clubs, community/volunteer sector.
• Other relevant information: Provide any other information which you believe is relevant to your application and will be of assistance to the review committee.

If applicable:

• Applicants declaring permanent resident or Convention Refugee status in Canada, must submit a copy of their Permanent Resident Card (PR card) along with their application.
• Transcript evaluation fee or credential evaluation report, if submitting international transcripts.
• An official English language proficiency score report or other evidence of proficiency if English is not your primary language.
• Other information or documents as may be requested to determine your eligibility.

For information on how and where to send your supporting documents, please refer to the document submission guidelines.