Bachelor of Social Work

Overview

Description:
 Social work is a profession that implements a wide range of social services and programs. Social workers provide counselling and support to people in need and contribute to the development of social policy.

Social workers help people with personal and social problems attain their full potential. They work to improve living conditions by assisting with problems such as drug addiction, mental illness, poor housing, and neglect or abuse of children or the elderly.

In studying social work at James Cook University, students will:

learn about the society in which they live;

learn about human and social behaviour;

learn about themselves and their values;

develop their knowledge and skills in a human services and social policy environment.
 
Duration:
 4 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:
 96 credit points o
 
Mid-year entry:
 Yes
 
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.
 

Joint Degree Options

Joint degrees give students expertise in a complementary discipline in reduced time (generally four or five years) and can enhance career prospects. At JCU this degree can be combined with:

Bachelor of Laws

Bachelor of Social Science

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.

Bachelor of Social Work students should be aware that they will be subject to police checks of criminal convictions if this is policy of the agency in which they are placed for field education/work practice (at levels 3 and 4).

All Bachelor of Social Work students are required to have a current positive blue card notice prior to and during field education placements.

Students are required to select at least 3 credit points of Indigenous Australian Studies as an optional subject at any year level, either SS1010 Australian People: Indigenous and Anthropological Perspectives or a subject prefixed IA.

Level 1

CORE SUBJECTS

PL1001:03 The Political World: An Introduction to Political Science

SY1001:03 Australian Society: An Introduction to Sociology

WS1005:03 Human Rights and Social Issues

WS1006:03 Self in Professional Helping

PLUS

3 credit points from:

PY1101:03 Exploring Psychology 1

or

PY1102:03 Exploring Psychology 2

or

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

ADDITIONAL SUBJECTS

9 credit points selected from other subjects in the Master Schedule of Subjects.

Level 2

CORE SUBJECTS

SY2005:03 Qualitative Research

or

SY2012:03 Social Survey Design and Analysis

or

WS2007:03 Researching Social Issues

WS2510:03 Interpersonal Practice

WS2511:03 Professional Values and Ethics

WS2512:03 Organisational Practice

WS2513:03 Community Work

ADDITIONAL SUBJECTS

3 credit points of any level 2 or level 3 SY subject except SY2005, SY2012, SY3005 and SY3012

PLUS

6 credit points selected from other subjects in the Master Schedule of Subjects.

Level 3

CORE SUBJECTS

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

or

A 3 credit point IA subject

WS3025:03 Group Work

WS3214:03 Developmental Approaches to Eco-Social Justice

WS3503:09 Field Education 1

WS3515:03 Social Work and Welfare Practice *

*WS3515:03 Social Work and Welfare Practice must be completed prior to, or in the same study period as, WS3503:09 Field Education 1.

ADDITIONAL SUBJECTS

EITHER 3 credit points selected from other subjects in the Master Schedule of Subjects (for students undertaking the pass degree) OR the following subject (for students wishing to enter honours):

WS3513:03 Research Proposal Seminar

Level 4

CORE SUBJECTS

IA2016:03 Australian Indigenous Politics

or

PL3002:03 Policy Analysis and Management

WS4005:03 Social Inquiry Analysis

or

Another research subject approved by the head of the discipline

WS4503:03 Social Work and Mental Health

WS4504:09 Field Education 2

WS4511:03 Professional Development for Social Work Practice

WS4514:03 Theories for Social Work Practice

Honours

HONOURS

Level 4

WS4005:03 Social Inquiry Analysis

WS4504:09 Field Education 2

WS4508:03 Social Work Honours Thesis (Part 1 of 2)

WS4509:03 Social Work Honours Thesis (Part 2 of 2)

WS4514:03 Theories for Social Work Practice

ADDITIONAL SUBJECTS

Students must select 3 credit points of subjects from the following:

WS4503:03 Social Work and Mental Health

WS4511:03 Professional Development for Social Work Practice

Note:

Students completing the Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) externally will be required to attend on campus study for 10 days during their level 4 studies as part of AASW (Australian Association of Social Workers) requirements. This on-campus component will be either attendance at the WS4511 workshop (if enrolled in this subject) or in a negotiated program of individual study related to the student’s honours project.

POSTGRADUATE HONOURS

Honours students studying full-time

WS4010:06 Honours Reading and Research Design Part 1 of 2

WS4011:06 Honours Reading and Research Design Part 2 of 2

WS4016:06 Honours Thesis Part 1 of 2

WS4017:06 Honours Thesis Part 2 of 2

Career Opportunities

Social workers are employed by government and non-government agencies and communities, or work in private practice, providing counselling and support services.

There are opportunities to specialise in particular service areas (the elderly, public housing, drug addiction, child abuse, domestic violence, youth, mental illness), or policy areas (social injustice, discrimination, inequality, quality of care).

Practical Experience

JCU's Bachelor of Social Work places a strong emphasis on professional practice experience. Supervised field placements with social welfare agencies during the third and fourth years of study ensure that students have substantial opportunity for developing professional skills in the field.

Professional Recognition

The Bachelor of Social Work is a professional degree accredited by the Australian Association of Social Workers.

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