Bachelor of Human Services and Master of Social Work
Course code/s: Albury-Wodonga (HZSKW), Bendigo (HZSKB), Melbourne (HZSK), Mildura (HZSKM)
Duration: 4 years
This degree qualifies graduates for entry into the profession of social work and to work effectively in complex organisations. The degree prepares students to be generic practitioners who are able to respond to the complexity of human need and to integrate the different areas and skills of social work practice in the challenging and changing organisational settings of contemporary social work practice. Graduates are able to work in different organisations, different areas of practice and with different groups.
Students are equipped to creatively and appropriately undertake the following key social work roles: work with individuals, families and groups; community work; social policy; social research; and organisational and program planning, and development. Subjects offered enable students to integrate theory and practice and to develop an in-depth appreciation of the organisational context of practice. They include ideas about how individuals, families, communities and societies operate and develop, the ethical and legal framework, how to interpret and undertake research, how organisations operate and respond to the different areas of social need, as well as the skills needed for the different areas of social work practice.
The curriculum is based on a philosophy of social justice, and is taught within an adult-learning model. Students are encouraged to relate their relevant experiences to the theories and practice presented in the program. The course includes 70 days of placement, in each of the third and fourth years, in a professional social work agency.
Course structure
In first year, students will undertake part of an interdisciplinary common year in which students enrol in subjects with peers across the Faculty of Health Sciences. The focus is on factors influencing health and on developing an understanding of the roles of health professionals in the health and welfare sectors.
The second year of study will see students begin to develop skills specific to the discipline. Students will explore the underpinning social work theories and develop an understanding of welfare agencies and the welfare needs of individuals, families and groups.
The third and fourth years of the course will prepare students to take a critical, analytic approach to social problems and to practice through case-based study. Students will learn how to address the changes in the social work practice environment and work within an environment characterised by complexity. Graduates will be reflective, responsive and flexible and able to excel in the constantly changing social care sector.
| Teaching period | Subject code | Subject title | Credit points |
|---|---|---|---|
| TE-SEM-1 | PSY1EFP | Experimental Foundations of Psychological Science | 15 |
| TE-SEM-1 | HLT1IPA | Interprofessional Practice A | 15 |
| TE-SEM-1 | SOC1SAC | Introduction to Sociology | 15 |
| TE-SEM-1 | PHE1IDH | Individual Determinants of Health | 15 |
| TE-SEM-2 | SWP1SWB | Social Work in an Unequal World | 15 |
| TE-SEM-2 | HLT1IPB | Interprofessional Practice B | 15 |
| TE-SEM-2 | PHE1SDH | Social Determinants of Health | 15 |
| TE-SEM-2 | PSY1CFP | Clinical Foundations of Psychological Science | 15 |
| Teaching period | Subject Code | Subject Title | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| TE-SEM-1 | SWP2LCD | Life Course Development | 15 |
| TE-SEM-1 | SWP2IPP | Introduction to the Profession | 15 |
| TE-SEM-1 | SWP2REF | Reflective Communication and Social Work | 15 |
| TE-SEM-1 | ABS1IIA | Introduction to Aboriginal Australia | 15 |
| TE-SEM-2 | SWP3IDV | Introduction to Diversity | 15 |
| TE-SEM-2 | SWP3REA | Social Work Research A | 15 |
| TE-SEM-2 | SWP3UIO | Understanding the Impact of Organisational Context | 15 |
| TE-SEM-2 | SOC3SHI | Sociology of Health and Illness | 15 |
| Teaching period | Subject Code | Subject Title | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| TE-SEM-1 | SWP4APA | Social Work Practice Applications A | 15 |
| TE-SEM-1 | SWP4APB | Social Work Practice Applications B | 15 |
| TE-SEM-1 | SWP4FPA | Fields of Social Work Practice A | 15 |
| TE-SEM-1 | SWP4LHE | Human Rights, Law & Ethics in Social Work Practice | 15 |
| TE-W31-34 | SWP5FPB | Fields of Social Work Practice B | 15 |
| TE-W35-50 | SWP5PPA | Professional Practice A | 45 |
| TE-W35-50 | SWP5RIA | Reflection, Integration & Application A | 15 |
| TE-W30-34 | SWP5RSB | Research for Social Work Practice B | 15 |
| Teaching period | Subject Code | Subject Title | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| TE-SEM-1 | SWP5APC | Social Work Practice Applications C | 15 |
| TE-SEM-1 | SWP5FPC | Fields of Social Work Practice C | 15 |
| TE-SEM-1 | SWP5IIC | Inclusion in Communities | 15 |
| TE-SEM-1 | SWP5SPA | Social Policy Analysis and Advocacy | 15 |
| TE-W35-50 | SWP5LSW | Leadership in Social Work | 15 |
| TE-W31-34 | SWP5PDE | Social Work Program Design and Evaluation | 15 |
| TE-W35-50 | SWP5PPC | Professional Practice C | 45 |
| TE-W35-50 | SWP5RIB | Reflection, Integration & Application B | 15 |
Honours program
For details on the Honours program, please see the course entry for the Bachelor of Human Services and Master of Social Work (Honours) in this Handbook.