Human & Social Development

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Nancy Clark, smiling, leans against a brick building in downtown Victoria

Shining a spotlight on refugee mental health

A recognized leader in immigrant and refugee mental health promotion, Nancy Clark has made the wellbeing and integration of newcomers to Canada her top research priority. 

President's Chair
Michael Chutskoff smiles on campus at UVIc

A place to flourish

Michael Chutskoff, an Indigenous Governance graduate, says professors pushed them to consider how they view the world. “It’s refreshing to be engaged in such a way and have an environment where that growth is allowed and fostered.”

HSD grad
Faculty of Health heroes

Find out more about the Faculty of Health

For 50+ years, UVic has been leading the way in unique health and wellness programs. Find out more about the new Faculty of Health, which becomes operational on May 1, 2025. 

Faculty of Health site launches
Students paddle a canoe to shore with a lighthouse in the background

Canoe welcome honours Songhees tradition

Indigenous Governance (IGOV) students started off their term in a good way, arriving by canoe at the Songhees Nation and asking for permission to live, study and work in their territory.

Land-based learning
Renée Monchalin (right) and Astrid Pérez Piñán

Access to health services

Renée Monchalin, an assistant professor in the School of Public Health and Social Policy, and Astrid Pérez Piñán, an assistant professor in the School of Public Administration, are working to improve access to abortion services for Indigenous Peoples in Canada.

Reproductive rights
Katya Rhodes and Aaron Hoyle stand in front of a bridge in downtown Victoria

How to hit net-zero emissions with public support

Climate policy expert Katya Rhodes says the know-how exists to fight the climate crisis, but politicians need to choose policies that are both effective and acceptable to voters. 

Climate crisis

Territory acknowledgement

We acknowledge and respect the lək̓ʷəŋən peoples on whose traditional territory the University of Victoria stands, and the Songhees, Esquimalt and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day. 

In this video, Songhees Elder Elmer George welcomes visitors to the traditional lands of the Songhees, Esquimalt and W̱SÁNEĆ people in the lək̓ʷəŋən and English languages.

Come explore the human condition

We offer a range of degree programs and specializations through the following schools:

Our distinct, collective approach

HSD is home to many Indigenous areas of study, multi-disciplinary research projects and culturally informed student supports. Find your educational edge through the following:

  • Vital impact: Grapple with essential issues affecting humanity on a local-to-global scale
  • Dynamic learning: Collaborate and study ways to strengthen the pillars of society 
  • An extraordinary online environment: Choose from degrees offered by distance for more than  40 years

UVic dynamic edge

Resources

 

Featured Research