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Program

Social Work - 4031

Program Summary

Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Contact: socialwork@unsw.edu.au

Campus: Sydney

Career: Undergraduate

Typical Duration: 4 Years

Typical UOC Per Semester: 24

Min UOC Per Semester: 6

Max UOC Per Semester: 24

Min UOC For Award: 192

UAC Code: 422007

ATAR: 75  

International Entry Requirements: See International Entry Requirements

Award(s):

Bachelor of Social Work

Bachelor of Social Work (Honours)

Information valid for students commencing 2013.
Students who commenced prior to 2013 should go to the Handbook's Previous Editions

Program Description
The Bachelor of Social Work (UNSW BSW) offers you an innovative and accredited program leading to eligibility for membership of the Australian Association of Social Workers. The BSW proves an opportunity for students to undertake core Social Work courses, which include studies in the areas of social work practice, social and behavioural sciences, and contextual studies. The UNSW BSW can be completed full-time in Single mode (normally 4 years) or in Dual mode (the equivalent of three years full-time). It is not offered part-time. The basic requirements of the program are simple. The BSW has a depth component and a breadth component. Students enrolled in Single mode do both the depth and breadth component while students enrolled in Dual mode only complete the depth component.

The Depth component (Blue Zone) is:

  1. The completion of core courses (168 UOC - 24 courses)

The Breadth requirement (for students completing the program in Single mode) (Green Zone) are:

  1. Free Electives (12 UOC - 2 courses) to be taken either within or outside the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
  2. General Education (12 UOC - 2 courses) which must be taken outside of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Program Objectives and Graduate Attributes
The aims of the UNSW BSW are to prepare students for the professional practice of social work including work in the wider field of welfare. The essence of social work is working with people, including individuals, couples, families, groups, organisations or communities, and this will span people of any age, from any walk of life, or from any ethnic or racial background.

The Graduate Attributes for this Program are as follows:

  1. The skills involved in scholarly enquiry
  2. The ability to engage in independent and reflective learning
  3. Information Literacy - the skills to locate, evaluate and use relevant information
  4. The capacity for enterprise, initiative and creativity
  5. A capacity to contribute to, and work within, the international community
  6. The skills required for collaborative and multidisciplinary work
  7. A respect for ethical practice and social responsibility
  8. The skills of effective communication
  9. An in-depth engagement with the relevant disciplinary knowledge in its interdisciplinary context

Program Structure
The basic requirements for the degree are:

Single mode (192 UOC) made up of:

  1. Program Core (168 UOC)
  2. Free Electives (12 UOC)
  3. General Education (12 UOC)
Dual mode (168 UOC) made up of
  1. Program Core (168 UOC)

Core

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

Field Education

An integral aspect of the program core is organised learning in the field and this is a basic requirement for the professional recognition of the degree. In the field education courses, a field educator, usually in a social welfare agency, is responsible for a student learning to apply the principles of professional practice in an actual practice setting. From level 3, a total of 140 seven-hour days are taken up in this way. Forty of these days are scheduled during academic recess periods. A student's two field education placements are in more than one type of practice setting. The settings vary and can include medical, psychiatric, local government, community health, community, family and child welfare, services to groups with disabilities, services to the aged, services to migrants, income security, and corrective services. Non-government social welfare agencies and all levels of government are utilised. For some students, their second field education placement may be located outside the Sydney metropolitan area. SOCW3001 and SOCW4010 are the designated field education courses.

Sequencing

Students are advised that progression in the core of the BSW is determined by strict prerequisite requirements.

Free Electives

A Free Elective is any course offered either within or outside the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences in which the student is able to enrol.

General Education

General Education is the completion of two courses (12 UOC) offered outside the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

Award with Distinction

High achieving students who secure a WAM of 75 across their program and who have completed at least 48 UOC of their program at UNSW are eligible for the award of their Pass Degree "with Distinction".

Honours

The BSW offers an integrated Honours option for high achieving students (in Single or Dual mode). It requires the completion of an additional 36 UOC to be undertaken over the Summer and first semester of Level 5. It involves integrated coursework, a seminar and the completion of a thesis. Those students who are considering Honours should submit a formal application at the end of their first semester at Level 3. The application should be submitted to the BSW Honours Convenor. Entry to Honours requires a WAM of 70 or higher in the core and is subject to resources and the approval of the Head of School. Honours is awarded in three classes (Class 1, Class 2 in two Divisions, and Class 3). If requirements for these classes are not met the Pass degree will be awarded if the student is not already a Graduate of the program.

Students admitted to Honours will complete the following courses:

SOCW3005 Research Honours in place of SOCW3007, and

SOCW4005 Social Policy Honours in place of SOCW4006.


Academic Rules

Single Mode

To qualify for the award of the degree at Pass level, a student must:
  1. enrol in the Bachelor of Social Work and complete 192 UOC;
  2. complete the core requirements
  3. complete 12 UOC of Free Electives
  4. complete 12 UOC of General Education

Dual Mode

To qualify for the award of the degree at Pass level, a student must:
  1. enrol in the Bachelor of Social Work and complete 168 UOC;
  2. complete the core requirements

Honours

To qualify for the award of the degree with Honours, a Single or Dual award student must:
  1. be enrolled in or be a Graduate of the Bachelor of Social Work
  2. hold a WAM of 70 or higher in the core
  3. complete the integrated coursework and seminar requirements (18 UOC)
  4. complete a thesis (30 UOC)

Exit Strategies

Students unable to meet the requirements of either SOCW3001 or SOCW4010 may exit the program and enrol in the Bachelor of Welfare Studies. It should be noted that this program does not provide eligibility for membership of the Australian Association of Social Workers.

Security Checks

It is a requirement that students who are undertaking placements in certain government departments and related organisations undergo a criminal record check.

Professional Recognition

Graduates with the degree of Bachelor of Social Work from UNSW are eligible for membership of the Australian Association of Social Workers.

Fees
For information regarding fees for UNSW programs, please refer to the following website:  https://my.unsw.edu.au/student/fees/FeesMainPage.html

Important Information
The Academic Rules for the UNSW BSW and the online enrolment facility provide students with a wide range of course choices. The online enrolment facility checks that students meet the enrolment requirements for individual courses but not that a course complies with Program Rules. Students are responsible for ensuring they are enrolling in accordance with the Academic Rules outlined above. Students should not assume that because they have enrolled in a course online that the course is automatically credited to their degree program.

Standard Program
 
  Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) - Standard Program in Single Mode - Example only
   
  Practice UOC    
Contextual Studies
 UOC   
Social/Behavioural Sciences
 UOC
Breadth Studies
 UOC Total   
   
  Level 1 - 48 UOC
S1 SOCW1001
6
 
 
6
6
Free Elective
6
24
S2
6
  
 
6
6
General Education
6
24
   
  Level 2 - 48 UOC
S1    
6
6
6
General Education
6
24
S2 SOCW2003 
6
6
6
6
 
 
 
24
   
  Level 3 - 48 UOC
S1
12
6
         Free Elective
6
24
S2
6
6
6
6
    
24
   
  Level 4 - 48 UOC
S1
6
6
 SOCW4004
6
6
    
24
S2
24
      
 
  
 
24
   
Total UOC  
90
  
24
  
54
  
24
192


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