BACHELOR OF SOCIAL WORK

Overview

Want to help people? Feel passionate about social justice and human rights - then social work is the right profession for you.

On your way to a satisfying career, you will study specialized social work courses, society and social arrangements, human behaviour and development, human services provision and counselling approaches and techniques to name a few core study areas.

You will complete two 500 hour field placements in your degree. Field placements give you the chance to put your academic knowledge and skills into practice, develop new ones and sample social work practice in the real world.

You will be supervised by a qualified social worker for the duration of your field placements.

In some situations, it may be possible to negotiate a workplace-based field placement.

Placements will be sourced in your area of choice where possible.

Students living in remote or rural areas may have limited choices depending on the availability of organisations within their local area and may have to travel.

You will become highly proficient in all core areas of social work theory and practice, develop critical thinking and reflective skills and be prepared for practice grounded in the values and ethics of the profession - social justice, diversity, equity and a commitment to the rights and needs of the people with whom you work.

Honours

Honours is available for this degree. Students who have completed the first two years of a relevant Bachelor degree with an appropriate Grade Point Average (GPA) and who meet the other requirements for admission to Honours have the opportunity to undertake a research project with supervision provided by an experienced researcher.

Related degrees

Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) – 1416

Note: Progression to the Honours program is dependent upon satisfying eligibility requirements.

Program accreditation

The Bachelor of Social Work is accredited by the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW).

Professional recognition

Graduates of this program will be eligible to apply for registration with the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) subject to meeting any additional requirements that may be stipulated by the AASW. As these requirements may change from time to time, students should contact the AASW to confirm registration requirements.

Attendance information

The Bachelor of Social Work is offered full-time on-campus at the Gold Coast and Logan campuses.

Students will need to be available full-time to attend 1000 hours of professional practice education placements in Years 3 and 4 as follows:

*3012HSV Social Work Field Placement 1 (30 credit points)

*4012HSV Social Work Field Placement 2 (30 credit points)

The field placements must be completed over two calendar years in accordance with Australian Social Work Education and Accreditation Standards (AWSEAS). The two compulsory field placements are completed in full-time mode and students must complete a minimum of 1000 hours of placement through the entirety of the program. In the case of extenuating circumstances only, placement days per week may be negotiated but must still fit within AASW accreditation guidelines. This will not change the number of hours in total that are required to be completed overall - therefore, placement may end after the scheduled University trimester end date.

Note the campus offerings for core social work courses in third and fourth year:

*3005HSV Social Work in Health and Mental Health - offered at Logan campus and Gold Coast blended only

*3023HSV Working with Family Violence - offered online. An on-campus offering will be available at Gold Coast or Logan campus

*3036HSV Social Work 1 - offered online only

*3038HSV Social Work 2 - offered at Gold Coast campus and online only

*4002HSV Critical Reflective Practice - offered online only.

This program includes compulsory study in Trimester 3 of Year 3.

The Distance Education offering of the Bachelor of Social Work is not available to International students.

As a full-time on-campus student, you will generally attend 10-15 hours of scheduled classes per week throughout the Trimester. Classes may be scheduled during the day and evening throughout the week. The program includes two practical professional placements which sit in the third and fourth year of the program during which you must be available five working days each week. Some of the courses in this program are run in an intensive block format. It is important to check course profiles and your timetable carefully to ensure that all course requirements are fully understood.

If you are an International student on a student visa, you must ensure that you enrol in a way that will allow you to complete your enrolment within the expected program duration as stated on your Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE).

My career opportunities

Graduates of Griffith University's Bachelor of Social Work are ethical and innovative thinkers, effective communicators, problem solvers, change facilitators and leaders. The social work program prepares you for a wide range of social work roles that involve practice with individuals, families and communities.

You may consider careers in child protection, youth work, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander services, child and family welfare, youth and adult offending, disability, hospital and community health settings, mental health, community development work, employment and income support, counselling, aged care, work with migrants and refugees, policy planning and development, management and administration, research and even private practice.

There are so many flexible career paths in social work. Social workers are employed in government and non-government agencies and found wherever inequality and social problems exist.