Bachelor of Social Work

2018 Deakin University Handbook

Note: You are seeing the 2018 view of this course information. These details may no longer be current. [Go to the current version]

Year	2018 course information
Award granted	Bachelor of Social Work
Course Map	This course map is for new students commencing from 2018. If you require a course map from a previous year, please contact a Student Adviser.
Campus	Offered at Waterfront (Geelong)
Cloud Campus	Yes
Duration	4 years full-time or part-time equivalent. Students who meet eligibility requirements will enrol in H430 Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) for their fourth year of study. Course duration may be affected by delays in completing course requirements, such as accessing or completing work placements.
CRICOS course code	015207F
Deakin course code	H330
Approval status	This course is approved by the University under the Higher Education Standards Framework.
Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) recognition	The award conferred upon completion is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 7.
This course structure applies to students that commenced before 2019. Students that commenced in 2019 should go to the 2019 handbook entry

Course sub-headings

Course overview

A degree in social work gives you the skills to enhance the wellbeing of people, taking into account the influence of policy, socio-economic factors and social justice issues. You will also become familiar with a range of social research methods and learn how to design and conduct research directly relevant to social work practice.

At Deakin, the Bachelor of Social Work has a particular emphasis on human rights, anti-oppressive practice and the importance of critical reflection.

You will graduate with the professional recognition and the training you need to launch a rewarding career.

With a strong emphasis on progressive, innovative and student-centred teaching practices, we aim to develop highly professional social workers who are able to work alongside individuals, groups and communities to enable social changes that support all people to have a good life.

Social work is part of a growing human services field. As a Social Work graduate you may be involved in activities as diverse as policy development and research, counselling, family therapy, drug and alcohol counselling, community development, refugee assistance and tribunal capacities. Social workers also work as program managers or coordinators, as advocates, facilitators, activists or consultants. You may work in specialist areas such as health, housing, education, or with groups such as the aged, women, youth or multicultural populations.

Deakin’s Bachelor of Social Work is an Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) accredited qualification. It is an entry qualification into the social work profession and has been determined to meet the Australian Social Work Education and Accreditation Standards (ASWEAS).

The Bachelor of Social Work is offered at pass or Honours level. Students who meet eligibility requirements can apply to enrol in Honours at completion of their third year. The key eligibility criterion being a WAM of 70 or above in the Bachelor of Social Work. H430 Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) is then completed in the fourth year where BSW students are expected to undertake a suite of research focused units. It is important to plan your pathway through the Bachelor of Social Work carefully to keep the option of Honours open for the final year. Please see Course Structure Level 4 H430 Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) for more information.

Indicative student workload

Attendance requirements for Cloud students

Cloud students will be required to attend on-campus intensive workshops in their second, third and fourth year, depending upon units of enrolment. Dates for 2018 are listed here.

First year Cloud students may be required to attend intensive workshops prior to trimester start date.

Professional recognition

The course is accredited with the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW). Students completing the course are eligible to apply for membership of AASW and can practise professionally throughout Australia.

Note: All information regarding professional recognition is accurate at the date of publication. Enquiries regarding accreditation and professional membership should be directed to the School of Health and Social Development in order to ascertain the current status of accreditation at any future point in time beyond publication. Representations about accreditation apply only to the course, and the AASW retains discretion as to who they admit as members of their association. Deakin University cannot exercise any control over membership of an external body.

Career opportunities

Social work is part of a growing human services field, with graduates working across local, state and federal government departments; in private and non-government human services organisations; and in various advocacy, policy making and tribunal capacities.

As a Social Work graduate you may be involved in activities as diverse as policy development and research, counselling, family therapy, drug and alcohol counselling, community development, refugee assistance and tribunal capacities. Social workers also work as program managers or coordinators, as advocates, facilitators, activists or consultants. You may work in specialist areas such as health, housing, education, or with groups such as the aged, women, youth or multicultural populations.

Participation requirements

Two field education placements of 500 hours each, totalling a minimum of 1000 hours that are conducted in a variety of communities and workplaces in metropolitan and regional settings.

International students studying through the Cloud Campus may not be granted a visitor visa to complete mandatory onsite components of the course.

Placement can occur at any time, including during the standard holiday breaks listed here: https://www.deakin.edu.au/courses/key-dates.

Elective units may be selected that include compulsory placements, work-based training, community-based learning or collaborative research training arrangements.

Reasonable adjustments to participation and other course requirements will be made for students with a disability. Click here for more information.

Mandatory student checks

Department of Human Services policy - Police Record Check and Working With Children Check

In accordance with Department of Human Services policy, all students are required to undertake a National Police Record Check prior to clinical placements in each calendar year of their course.

In accordance with the Department of Justice 2007, Working with Children Act 2005, amended 2017, all students are required to undertake a Working with Children Check at the commencement of their course. Students who fail to obtain a Police Record Check and a Working with Children Check prior to the commencement of clinical placement will not be able to undertake clinical placement and this will impede progress in the course.

Students may also be required to declare their immunisation status to satisfy the requirements of health organisations where they will be undertaking their clinical learning experience. A health organisation may refuse to accept a student for placement if the student’s immunisation status is not satisfactory to the health organisation.

Pathways

H330 is a qualifying degree and does not have a formal pathway to further study. Graduates can however enrol in an HDR masters in social work or another discipline. Graduates of H430 can enrol in an HDR masters in social work or another discipline or an HDR doctoral program.

Fees and charges

Fees and charges vary depending on your course, your fee category and the year you started. To find out about the fees and charges that apply to you, visit the Current students fees website.

Course Learning Outcomes

Graduate Learning Outcomes	Course Learning Outcomes
Discipline Specific knowledge and capabilities	Apply a broad and coherent understanding in contemporary Australian and international contexts of the histories, aims, values, ethics, theories and practice approaches of social work. This knowledge is to cover all domains including working with individuals, families, groups, communities, management, research education and social policy. Practise social work reflectively according to the code of ethics and professional practice standards of the Australian Association of Social Workers.
Communication	Evaluate and apply appropriate communication and interpersonal skills in a broad range of social work practice contexts and with a diversity of people, communities and organisations.
Digital Literacy	Use digital technology in social work practice ethically and appropriately, including in service provision and management, information acquisition and dissemination, and research and evaluation.
Critical thinking	Analyse, synthesise and apply knowledge of social work theories, methods and skills, with an emphasis on critical social work with the goal of social change.
Problem Solving	Apply social work knowledge and intervention skills to appropriately and creatively respond to the needs of individuals, groups and communities in diverse settings, client groups and geographic locations. Apply research knowledge and skills to evaluate evidence and contribute to the role of research in social work practice.
Self-management	Engage in critical reflective, reflexive and responsive practice, demonstrating an awareness of social location and positioning of self and others. Demonstrate a developing sense of identity, integrity and self-management as a professional social worker in all areas of practice. Participate in on-going professional development including engaging in professional supervision.
Teamwork	Work and learn respectfully and inclusively in collaborative intra and inter disciplinary settings.
Global Citizenship	Engage in decolonising practises in order to acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people as Traditional Owners of Australian lands. Evaluate and apply local and global knowledge of the social, political, cultural, legal and economic contexts of social work practice to respond effectively within a human rights and social justice framework. Work and learn across diverse social, cultural and political locations.

Course rules

To complete the Bachelor of Social work students must attain 32 credit points. Units (think of units as 'subjects') may be worth 1, 2, 3 or 4 credit points - check each unit for its credit point value in the course structure below. Most students choose to study 4 credit points per trimester and usually undertake two trimesters each year.

The course comprises 32 credit points which must include the following:

Pass stream:

29 core units (these are compulsory)
3 elective units (you can choose which ones to study)

H430 Bachelor of Social Work (Honours):

30 core units including HSW401, HSW402, HSW404, HSW416 and HSW417 (these are compulsory)
2 elective units (you can choose which ones to study)

Failure of a field education placement will normally lead to exclusion.

Inherent requirements

Students should also be aware of the inherent requirements of the course.

Students are required to meet the University's academic progress and conduct requirements. Click here for more information.