Social Work - 4031

The School of Social Work offers a four-year degree leading to the award of Bachelor of Social Work. The BSW provides 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 Bachelor of Social Work program requires four years of full-time study. It is designed 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.

An integral aspect of the program 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 year 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.

Students are also required to complete 12 units of credit from the University's General Education program, normally during their second and third years of study. For further information, please refer to "General Education" in the Table of Contents (see left-hand side of the page)

Students may graduate with Honours by enrolling in the Honours program in the third year of the degree. Students must complete SOCW3005 Research Honours in Year 3 and SOCW4006 Social Policy Honours in Year 4. Students are then required to enrol for an additional fifth year for one session to complete an Honours Thesis (SOCW4800) of 12,000 - 15,000 words.

The Honours degree is awarded in three classes (Class1, Class 2 in two Divisions and Class 3). Students who fail to obtain one of these classes may proceed to graduate with the Pass degree.

Pass Degree

To qualify for the award of the degree at Pass level, a student must obtain, normally over four years of study, a minimum of 192 units of credit in approved courses including:

1. the prescribed sequences in Social Work courses and electives;

2. a total of 18 Level 1 units of credit, including no more than 12 in any one sequence of study, from Lists A, B or C of the BA Rules;

3. 12 units of credit from the General Education program, normally taken in the second and third year of study.

4. The Pass degree Bachelor of Social Work may be awarded with Distinction where a candidate has achieved a weighted average mark (WAM) of at least 75% in all courses completed since enrolment at UNSW which are counted towards the degree.


Honours Degree

To qualify for the award of the degree at Honours level, a student must:

5. have obtained 192 units of credit in accordance with 1.-3. above and satisfied the appropriate prerequisites for entry to the Honours level program;

6. obtain a further 24 units of credit in an approved Honours program.

The Honours degree is awarded in three classes (Class 1, Class 2 in two Divisions and Class 3). Students who fail to obtain one of these classes may proceed to graduate with the Pass degree.

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

Graduates with the degree of Bachelor of Social Work from UNSW are eligible 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