Bachelor of Social Work

Overview

Description:
 This program has been developed to enable students with a suitable undergraduate degree in another discipline to complete a two year Bachelor of Social Work. This course comprises of core social work subjects taken from the 4-year undergraduate Bachelor of Social Work. This degree builds on graduates' prior knowledge from a range of disciplines and methodologies which inform social work theory and practice.

Graduates of this program will be equipped to work for social change and to address disadvantages in any setting. Graduates will be able to contribute to the social, economic and environmental well-being of their communities from within government, nonprofit and community settings.
 
Duration:
 2 years fulltime
 
Mode:
 On campus, full or part time *
 
Workload:
 Normal workload expectations are a minimum of 10 hours per week for every subject, including class contact hours, preparation and time spent on assessment tasks.
 
Type:
 Undergraduate
 
Credit points:
 48 credit points o
 
Mid-year entry:
 No
 
Prerequisite/s:
 English
 
Campus:
 Townsville, Cairns, Mackay, External ^
 
Faculty:
 Arts, Education and Social Sciences
 
QTAC code:
 311091 Townsville; 321091 Cairns; 331091 Mackay; 311099 External
 

* Duration: Part-time study is available to domestic students only.

o Credit points: Represent the combined value of individual subjects in a degree. One subject usually constitutes three credit points.

^ External students are required to spend 10 days each year/level on campus to meet accreditation requirements.
 

Structure

Disclaimer - The list of subjects below is correct for 2008, but may change for 2009. Prospective students should contact the University to confirm admission requirements and the availability of courses.

This course enables graduates who seek a Social Work qualification to have a clearly defined two year path for gaining a Bachelor of Social Work. It builds on graduates’ prior knowledge of a range of disciplines and methodologies which inform social work theory and practice.

This course includes a prescribed professional placement(s) which may involve contact with young people. Students enrolled in this course are therefore subject to Clause 11.3 of the University Requirements for Undergraduate Coursework Awards, which relates to the Suitability to Work with Children Card.

Students will also be subject to police checks of criminal convictions if this is the policy of the agency in which they are placed for their professional placement(s).

Students undertake subjects as outlined below to complete a minimum of 48 credit points.

YEAR 1

WS2513:03 Community Work

WS3025:03 Group Work

WS3503:09 Field Education 1

WS3516:03 Foundations for Social Work Practice

PLUS

6 credit points from List A and/or List B shown below

YEAR 2

WS4504:09 Field Education 2

WS4503:03 Social Work and Mental Health

WS4511:03 Professional Development for Social Work Practice

WS4514:03 Theories for Social Work Practice

PLUS

6 credit points from List A and/or List B shown below

Schedule - List A

All, some (or none) of the subjects in List A should be included at the direction of the department after consideration is given to a student’s prior learning and in consultation with the student.

PY1101:03 Exploring Psychology 1

or

PY1102:03 Exploring Psychology 2

or

PY1105:03 Psychology for Social Welfare Practice (Distance Education)

WS1005:03 Human Rights and Social Issues

WS2121:03 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Skills and Frameworks for Practice

WS4005:03 Social, Inquiry Analysis

IA subject

Schedule - List B

Where all subject areas in List A have been covered in previous studies or in this Graduate Entry BSW program, students should select subjects from List B in order to complete a total of 48 credit points.

IA subject (as recommended by the Academic Adviser)

PL2294:03 Governing Australia

WS2510:03 Interpersonal Practice

WS2511:03 Professional Values and Ethics

WS2512:03 Organisational Practice

WS3214:03 Developmental Approaches to Eco-Social Justice

WS3513:03 Research Proposal Seminar *

WS4508:03 Social Work Honours Thesis Part 1 of 2 **

and

WS4509:03 Social Work Honours Thesis Part 2 of 2 **

or other subject approved by the head of the department

Notes:

* WS3513 is a compulsory subject for students enrolled in the Bachelor of Social Work with Honours (graduate entry).

** WS4508 and WS4509 are compulsory subjects and only for students enrolled in the Bachelor of Social Work with Honours (graduate entry).

WS3516:03 Foundations for Social Work Practice must be completed prior to, or in the same study period as, WS3503:09 Field Education 1.

WS4511:03 Professional Development for Social Work Practice must be completed prior to, or in the same period as, WS4504:09 Field Education 2.

Students admitted to the Graduate Bachelor of Social Work program will not be granted advanced standing for previous studies for WS3516:03 Foundations for Social Work Practice.

Honours

See course structure above.

Career Opportunities

Social Work offers challenging and rewarding career opportunities. Social workers can be employed in government and non-government family and child welfare agencies; hospitals; clinics; drug abuse centres; community centres; schools; prisons; and various businesses, institutions and industrial workplaces.

Other social workers specialise in services for the elderly, public housing, social planning, community practice, social service research or social policy development. Social workers can also provide counseling and other consultancy services in private practice.

Practical Experience

To gain accreditation with the Australian Association of Social Workers, students are equired to successfully complete two field placements (Field Education I and II) in social welfare agencies. In year 1 of the course students undertake a 13-week placement and in year 2 there is a 15 weekplacement. These placements are unpaid, but give students the opportunity to develop professional skills in the field.

Professional Recognition

This course is accredited by the Australian Association of Social Workers.

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