The Advanced Certificate in Return to Work is targeted at professionals who already have an undergraduate degree in a field other than disability management and some work experience related to workplace health science. It offers qualified applicants who wish to achieve a specialized academic credential in the field of return to work with an opportunity to obtain a credential in this area. The Advanced Certificate is offered at the undergraduate level and provides students with an understanding of the required conceptual frameworks and their application to return to work. It equips them with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to enable them to work within the specific area of return to work for ill or injured workers.

Students who successfully complete the Advanced Certificate will have the competences for successful performance of the range of specialized activities required to achieve successful return to work outcomes in complex and non-routine settings for people with both physical and psychological health conditions. Specifically, it is designed to develop the competences that are required to help individual workers return to work after a temporary or permanent impairment and to assist the organizations and other actors to provide effective supports and interventions to retain a worker with a health condition in his or her current position or workplace or to return to work after long term absence.

There are two streams of the ACRTW: Stream 1 is focused on Canadian Perspectives and Stream 2 includes International Perspectives on return to work.

• Stream 1 – Canadian Perspectives, comprises 30 specialized credits selected from the Bachelor of Disability Management degree that are specifically related to return to work.
• Stream 2 – International Perspectives, comprises 24 credits selected from the Bachelor of Disability Management degree specific to return to work plus 6 credits that are specific to international issues related to return to work.

Students will decide which stream of the ACRTW they wish to register in once they are accepted into the program. Students who decide to complete the full BDM program will receive credit for their studies in the ACRTW.

In addition to a required introductory course which covers an overview of the field and practice of disability management, the program includes courses that address disability, work and the law; physical and mental health impairments and work retention; job analysis, assessment reports, accommodation technology and ergonomics; interviewing skills for helping professions, case management and service coordination and ethics; and workplace insurance and benefits. International courses focus on international policies, international best practices and guidelines, and international system and organizational issues that shape opportunities for return to work.

Entry criteria to the ACRTW program includes a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of B- and completion of a 3 or 4 year undergraduate degree from a recognized institution.

For information on how to apply can be found on the Admissions section.

Full details of the program are available in the Academic Calendar.

If you have a specific inquiry, please email: education@pcu-whs.ca.