- Program summary
- Program overview
- Professional recognition
- Career opportunities
- Special features
- Credit transfer, recognition of prior learning and articulation
- Program structure
- Program requirements and notes
- Enquiries
Program summary
QTAC code: 011151
OP/Rank for 2009 entry: OP-17 / Rank-66
Award abbreviation: BSocWk
Degree type: undergraduate
Mode of study: on campus
Duration: 4 years full-time or equivalent part-time
Fee type 2010: Commonwealth supported places, visiting non-award domestic places, international fee-paying places
Total units: 384
Recommended prior study: English
Commence: Semester 1 or Semester 2
USC program code: AR362
CRICOS code: 062654D
Program overview
Social workers are committed to enhancing quality of life; developing the full potential of each individual, group and community in society; and pursuing social justice.
Social work entails working to achieve positive growth within the personal, social and environmental context of everyday life; addressing the barriers faced by people in achieving their aims; and assisting individuals, families and communities to manage complex and diverse challenges. These may be related to personal issues, relationship concerns, economic disadvantage, or to any of a wide range of problems encountered in the community.
The Bachelor of Social Work prepares professionals who can address these issues through active involvement in situations of personal distress and crisis, and through involvement in advocacy, counselling, research, policy development and analysis, management and consultancy.
The program will equip you with the required professional skills to work in a range of organisational settings, and will prepare you for the challenges and demands of working with people in a range of social work roles. You will also gain broad knowledge related to social welfare arrangements and their history and organisation in Australia.
You will be challenged with new ways of thinking about issues in the community, while being given the tools to work effectively with people directly affected by these issues. Developing professional frameworks for practice is a core element of the program, and you will undertake studies in physical health, ill-health, mental health, disability, vulnerability and resilience.
You will prepare for practice through the ethical framework of the social work profession, and gain professional development in child protection, Indigenous studies, mental health and culturally diverse communities. Field education experiences, usually undertaken over two full-time semesters in the third and fourth years of study, will enable you to integrate theory with practical experience.
Professional recognition
The program is accredited with the Australian Association of Social Workers, of which students and graduates are entitled to apply for membership.
Career opportunities
Social workers may choose employment in a number of settings such as:
- Centrelink
- child protection agencies
- defence forces
- hospitals
- Indigenous health and welfare services
- local councils
- multicultural agencies
- neighbourhood centres
- private practice
- refugee support services
- rehabilitation services
- women’s organisations
Special features
- accreditation by the Australian Association of Social Workers
- opportunities for extensive field education and experience
- teaching staff include practising social workers
Program structure
Core courses
2 required courses:
COR109 Corporate Governance and Social Responsibility
COR110 Communication and Thought
Introductory courses
5 required courses:
PSY100 Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship
PSY101 Introduction to Psychology A
SCS110 Introduction to Psychology B
SCS130 Introduction to Sociology: Society, Culture and Change
SCS172 Introduction to Indigenous Australia
Advanced courses
15 required courses:
SCS210 Social Work and Human Services Practice
SCS225 Indigenous Australia and the State
SCS230 Social Research
SCS235 Understanding Society: An Introduction to Social Theory
SCS276 Social Justice, Welfare and the State
SCS277 Group Work
SCS278 Working With Families
SCS285 Ethics and Professional Practice
SCS290 Health, Society and Culture
SWK210 Understanding Cultural Diversity
SWK302 Preparation for Social Work Practice
SWK303 Community Development and Social Action
SWK401 Complexity and Social Work: Policy and Practice
SWK402 Critical Social Policy Analysis
SWK403 Organisational Contexts for Social Work Practice
Field education
SWK301 Developing your Social Work Practice Framework(48 units)
SWK404 Social Work Field Education 1(48 units)
Electives
Select 1 elective course from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
Program requirement and notes
- Refer to the Academic Rules.
- Refer to explanation of terms.
- Refer to the recommended enrolment patterns. For previous recommended enrolment patterns refer to the relevant archived Student Handbook.
- International students need to refer to the English language requirements.
- Only a full-time study option is available to international students.
- Courses within this program are assessed using a variety of assessment methods including, for example, essays, seminar presentations, reports, in-class tests, and examinations.
Requirements for field education
In order to complete this program, students need to successfully complete field education (ie SWK301 Social Work Field Education 2 and SWK404 Social Work Field Education 1) for which they are required to obtain a Blue Card (issued by the Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian).
A student’s enrolment in field education will be conditional upon the following:
- the student’s eligibility for a Blue Card at the time of the first enrolment in the program
- maintenance of that eligibility throughout the entire of the program
- acquisition of a Blue Card prior to commencement of field education.
In the event that a student becomes ineligible for a Blue Card, at any time between the date of first enrolment and the date of completion of the program, the student will not be able to complete the degree.
Please note, while all endeavours will be made to place students in a given semester, this is not guaranteed and students may need to enrol at a later time should a position in an agency be unavailable in the preferred semester.
Field education includes professional or clinical placements. Students may be required to undertake these placements away from the campus at their own expense.
Enquiries
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
Tel: +61 7 5430 1259
Program Leader
Dr Jan Foster
Tel: +61 7 5459 4661
Email: jfoster@usc.edu.au