Program Overview

Program Overview

The Minor in Social Innovation and Impact is designed to equip students with the skills to develop and implement solutions that advance social justice in local and global communities. This eight-course minor is open to all undergraduate students enrolled at the University of Waterloo.

Program Objectives

Upon completing the Minor, students will be able to:

1. Identify and define opportunities for social innovation and impact
2. Apply a range of tools and skills to design and develop responsive initiatives
3. Launch and test these initiatives for the intended impact
4. Collaborate with stakeholders across the public, private, and civil society sectors to enhance the scale and sustainability of their initiatives

Required Courses

The following courses are required for the Minor in Social Innovation and Impact:

• INNOV 200: Theory and Practice of Social Innovation (offered Spring 2026)
• INNOV 201: Social Innovation for Global Impact (offered Winter 2026)
• INNOV 300: Case Studies in Social Innovation and Impact (offered Fall 2025)
• INNOV 302: Measuring and Evaluating Social Innovation for Impact (offered Winter 2026)
• INNOV 311: Research for Social Impact (offered Fall 2025)
• INNOV 411: Designing for Social Impact (offered Winter 2026)

Electives

Students must complete 2 of the following electives:

• BET100 - Foundations of Entrepreneurial Practice (0.50)
• BET300 - Foundations of Venture Creation (0.50)
• BET360 - Design Frameworks for Social Ventures (0.50)
• BET420 - Entrepreneurship for Social Impact (0.50)
• ENBUS203 - Green Entrepreneurship (0.50)
• ENBUS211 - Principles of Marketing for Sustainability Professionals (0.50)
• ENBUS309 - Behaviour Change and Sustainability (0.50)
• INDG201 - The Indigenous Experience in Canada (0.50)
• INDG272 - Issues in Contemporary Indigenous Communities in Canada (0.50)
• INDG305 - Indigenous Rights in Global Context (0.50)
• INDG318 - Indigenous Worldviews and Spirituality (0.50)
• REC201 - Introduction to Leisure, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion for Just Communities (0.50)
• REC218 - Social Entrepreneurship for Change (0.50)
• REC356 - Leading Action for Community Change (0.50)
• REC361 - Aging and Leisure (0.50)

Faculty and Staff

The program is led by experienced faculty and staff, including:

• Tania Del Matto, Director of GreenHouse
• John Abraham, Academic Dean, Associate Professor

Research Areas

The program focuses on social innovation, entrepreneurship, and impact, with research areas including:

• Social innovation and entrepreneurship
• Sustainability and environmental issues
• Indigenous studies and rights
• Community development and social change

Program News and Updates

The Minor in Social Innovation and Impact has completed its first full year, with students working on projects focused on food security, circular systems for plastic production and consumption, and more. The program has received positive feedback from students, who appreciate the opportunity to apply their skills and knowledge to real-world problems.