Bachelor of Social Work
University of Wollongong
About
Social workers assist people to develop their capacity and strengths to solve problems and issues in their daily lives.
They explore and address social issues confronting communities to change and improve the lives of citizens by using research and evaluation skills, social policy analysis, social planning, and community development strategies.Social Work students engage in social science subjects to develop a sound understanding of human behaviour and society.
The topics are predominantly taught in the first year.
The latter part of the course focuses on professional subjects.
Professional experience, two placements of 500 hours in human service organisations, is compulsory and integrated into the last two years of the degree.
Please refer to the information in Course Finder for Australian Residents and International Students in relation to record checks.Students will be required to make themselves available for professional experiences at specified locations at negotiated times.
It is an expectation that students who participate in these courses are capable of meeting the demands of travelling to and from professional experience locations.
Some agencies may require that students hold a driver’s licence.The degree is also available at the Shoalhaven Campus.
Further information can be obtained by contacting the Faculty.
Structure
The Bachelor of Social Work requires the successful completion of 192 credit points of subjects in accordance with the subject progression table below.
Year 1
Autumn Session
| Subject Code | Subject Name | Credit Points | Session(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| PSYC101 | Introduction to Behavioural Science | 6 | Autumn, Summer 2020/2021 |
| SOWK101 | Introduction to Social Work | 6 | Autumn |
Plus one of the following subjects:
| Subject Code | Subject Name | Credit Points | Session(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| GEOG121 | Life in a Globalising World | 6 | Autumn |
| SOC 103 | Introduction to Sociology | 6 | Autumn |
| POL 150 | Government, Power and Political Systems | 6 | Autumn |
| HAS 220 | Becoming a Social Scientist: Interdisciplinary Competencies | 6 | Autumn |
| Or one 6 credit point subject from the General Schedule approved by the Academic Program Director | 6 | Autumn |
Plus one of the following subjects:
| Subject Code | Subject Name | Credit Points | Session(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUST101 | Australian Studies: Cultures and Identities | 6 | Autumn |
| CST 120 | Culture and Society | 6 | Autumn |
| HAS 130 | Social Determinants of Health | 6 | Autumn |
| HAS 230 | Contemporary Public Health Issues | 6 | Not available in 2020 |
| INDS150 | Introduction to Indigenous Australia | 6 | Autumn |
| Or one 6 credit point subject from the General Schedule approved by the Academic Program Director | 6 | Autumn |
Spring Session
| Subject Code | Subject Name | Credit Points | Session(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| HAS 121 | Human Development in Social Context | 6 | Spring |
| HAS 202 | Introduction to Social Policy | 6 | Spring |
| SOWK140 | Working with Service Users and Carers | 6 | Spring |
Plus one of the following subjects:
| Subject Code | Subject Name | Credit Points | Session(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| CST 130 | Cultures in Context | 6 | Not available in 2020 |
| INDS130 | Indigenous Knowledge in Global Contexts | 6 | Spring |
| GEOG122 | Living in a Material World | 6 | Spring |
| HAS 131 | Introducing Crime and Justice | 6 | Spring |
| Or one 6 credit point subject from the General Schedule approved by the Academic Program Director | 6 | Spring |
Year 2
Autumn Session
| Subject Code | Subject Name | Credit Points | Session(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| HAS 200 | Social Justice in a World of Inequality | 6 | Autumn |
| SOWK235 | Fields of Practice: Mental Health | 6 | Autumn |
| SOWK237 | Social Work and the Law | 6 | Autumn |
| SOWK238 | Approaches and Skills: Working with Individuals and Families I | 6 | Autumn |
Spring Session
| Subject Code | Subject Name | Credit Points | Session(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| HAS 234 | Research Methods in the Social Sciences | 6 | Spring |
| SOWK234 | Welfare State and Human Services | 6 | Spring |
| SOWK236 | Approaches and Skills: Group Work | 6 | Spring |
| SOWK241 | Perspectives on Diversity | 6 | Spring |
Year 3
Autumn Session
| Subject Code | Subject Name | Credit Points | Session(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| SOWK305 | Social Work Ethics | 6 | Autumn |
| SOWK310 | Supervised Professional Practice 1 | 18 | Autumn |
Spring Session
| Subject Code | Subject Name | Credit Points | Session(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| SOWK336 | Approaches and Skills: Working with Individuals and Families II | 6 | Spring |
| SOWK337 | Practice with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples | 6 | Spring |
| SOWK338 | Fields of Practice: Children, Families, and their Well-being | 6 | Spring |
| SOWK340 | Fields of Practice: Health, Aging and Disability | 6 | Spring |
Year 4
Annual Session
| Subject Code | Subject Name | Credit Points | Session(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| SOWK404 | Approaches and Skills: Community Work | 6 | Annual |
| SOWK406 | Advanced Social Work Practice and Skills | 12 | Annual |
| SOWK410 | Supervised Professional Practice II | 18 | Annual, Autumn |
Autumn Session
| Subject Code | Subject Name | Credit Points | Session(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| SOWK442 | International Social Work | 6 | Autumn, Spring |
Spring Session
| Subject Code | Subject Name | Credit Points | Session(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| SOWK402 | Collaborative Research Approaches | 6 | Spring |
For information regarding timetables, tutorials, and classes please the visit the Timetables and Classes page.
Compulsory Work Placement / Online Components
Learning outcomes
Course Learning Outcomes are statements of learning achievement that are expressed in terms of what the learner is expected to know, understand and be able to do upon completion of a course. Students graduating from this course will be able to:
CLO Description 1 Analyse the practices, responsibilities and commitments of the social work profession and your location within it. 2 Articulate social work values and ethics and utilise them to make judgments and decisions within the complexity of practice. 3 Demonstrate the purposeful use of skills and knowledge within a range of social work methods of intervention. 4 Use theories from social science disciplines to analyse human behaviour, social policy and social issues, in Australia and internationally. 5 Recognise different value systems and ethical frameworks, including your own, ascertain the moral complexities of your decisions and judgments and acknowledge the consequences of them. 6 Evaluate existing research to inform practice and undertake and disseminate ethical research informed by practice. 7 Demonstrate effective communication and interpersonal skills to build respectful relationships in a range of cultural and professional settings. 8 Evaluate their own professional practice, identify learning needs and strategies for extending their repertoire of knowledge and skills. 9 Work effectively within and between organizations and social service systems, formulating proposals for change where appropriate. 10 Work collaboratively and respectively across the boundaries of unavoidable dependencies, cultural differences and inequalities in Australia and internationally. 11 Demonstrate deliberate and informed participation in the civic life of the community through, for example, service learning, supervised professional practice, co-curricular activities and/or community activism. 12 Articulate ideas using a wide range of techniques effective with different audiences including experts and non-experts.
Institution
