Course and Subject Handbook 2022 Courses Undergraduate Courses Bachelor of Social Work

Information valid for students commencing in 2022.

Bachelor of Social Work

Handbook year	2022
Course code	112510
Course type	Bachelor Degree (AQF Level 7)
Professional accreditation status	This 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. JCU Brisbane Students: The Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) is being developed with reference to the Australian Social Work Education and Accreditation Standards (ASWEAS), in consultation with the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) and the AASW ASWEAS Review Panel. After this course has received provisional accreditation for delivery at the Brisbane campus graduates from that campus may be eligible for membership of the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW).
Owner	Division of Tropical Environments and Societies
College	Arts, Society and Education

Award Requirements

Admission Requirements

Course pre-requisites	English (Units 3/4,C)
Minimum English language proficiency requirements	Applicants of non-English speaking backgrounds must meet the English language proficiency requirements of Band 3c – Schedule II of the JCU Admissions Policy.
Course includes mandatory professional placement(s)	Clinical placement/professional practice: This course includes prescribed professional or clinical placements. Students may be required to undertake such placements away from the campus at which they are enrolled, at their own expense (Note: health professional courses generally involve extensive professional or clinical placements). Further information about placements can be found at Coursework Enrolment Procedure.
Post admission requirements	On-campus attendance requirement: The Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) requires all students to demonstrate that they have attended 20 days on campus face-to-face throughout their entire course. Students need to be aware that meeting the AASW attendance requirements does not mitigate the attendance requirements for specific subjects within this course. Throughout this course more than 20 days attendance face-to-face on campus may be required. Honours: The embedded honours degree is available only to students admitted to the Bachelor of Social Work at this university. A student may be invited by the College Dean to undertake the embedded honours degree if the student has satisfied the College requirements relating to the selection of subjects and the standard of academic achievement necessary to undertake the honours degree. Under approved circumstances students may enrol in Honours part-time. Suitability to Work with Children Card (blue card): This course includes prescribed professional or clinical placements that may involve contact with children under 18 years of age. Students are required to obtain a Suitability to Work with Children Card (which involves a criminal history check undertaken by the Queensland Police) before the start of the first placement. Students must retain a current Suitability to Work with Children Card for the duration of their course, as failure to do so will result in the termination of their admission to the course. For more information, refer to: Blue Card Services

Academic Requirements for Course Completion

Credit points

96 credit points as per course structure

Course learning outcomes

On successful completion of the Bachelor of Social Work, graduates will demonstrate an understanding of a broad and coherent body of knowledge, with depth in:

The underlying values, ethics, theories, professional practice and workplace contexts in the social work discipline
The unique, complex and contemporary relationships between social work and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their diverse histories and cultures
The impact of social, political and historical issues on environmental and social sustainability in Australia and internationally, with a focus on the tropics.

Graduates of the Bachelor of Social Work will be able to:

Review critically and analyse social systems, institutions, structures, processes, practices and inequities
Consolidate, synthesise and evaluate social policy and evidence to devise practical and knowledge solutions that reduce social barriers, inequalities and injustice
Communicate social work knowledge processes, practice and ethics clearly and coherently through well-developed literacy, numeracy and technological skills to a range of audiences
Manage service provision and professional practice to engage with and enable individuals, groups and communities to achieve social and environmental justice
Apply and adapt well-developed professional practice knowledge and skills, autonomously and in collaboration with others, to address social barriers, inequity and injustice across diverse contexts
Demonstrate initiative and well-developed judgement in engagement, planning, decision-making, problem-solving and provision and evaluation of specialist advice and functions, to achieve practice, organisational and/or policy outcomes
Demonstrate responsibility and accountability for own learning and professional development.

Inherent Requirements

Inherent Requirements

Inherent requirements are the identified abilities, attributes, skills, and behaviours that must be demonstrated, during the learning experience, to successfully complete a course. These abilities, attributes, skills, and behaviours preserve the academic integrity of the University's learning, assessment, and accreditation processes, and where applicable, meet the standards of a profession. For more information please visit: Bachelor of Social Work.

Reasonable adjustments

All JCU students have the opportunity to demonstrate, with reasonable adjustments where applicable, the inherent requirements for their course. For more information please visit: Student Disability Policy and Procedure.

Course Structure (Townsville and Cairns)

CORE SUBJECTS

Level 1

PL1001:03 The Political World: An Introduction to Political Science

SY1001:03 Australian Society: An Introduction to Sociology or CY1001:03 Deviance, Crime and Society

WS1005:03 Human Rights and Social Justice

WS1006:03 Self in Professional Helping

PY1101:03 Exploring Psychology: from Brain to Practice or PY1102:03 Exploring Psychology: from Perception to Reality or

WS1007:03 Lifespan Development and Psychology for Social Welfare Practice

Level 2

SY2005:03 Qualitative Research

WS2121:03 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Skills and Frameworks for Practice

WS2510:03 Interpersonal Practice

WS2511:03 Professional Values and Ethics

WS2512:03 Organisational Practice

WS2513:03 Community Work

Level 3

WS3025:03 Group Work

WS3027:03 Social Welfare Practice with Children and Families

WS3214:03 Developmental Approaches to Eco-Social Justice

WS3503:09 Field Education 1

WS3515:03 Social Work and Welfare Practice

Level 4

WS4005:03 Social Inquiry Analysis

WS4504:09 Field Education 2

WS4514:03 Theories for Social Work Practice

WS4503:03 Social Work and Mental Health

WS4511:03 Professional Development for Social Work Practice

OPTIONS

PL3002:03 Policy Analysis and Management or IA2022:03 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People as Colonial Subjects

PLUS

Select 3 credit points of any IA subject

PLUS

Select one subject from List 1

PLUS

Select 3 credit points of any level 2 or 3 undergraduate subjects or WS3513:03 Research Proposal Seminar, if wishing to enter the honours program

PLUS

Select 9 credit points of any undergraduate subjects

List 1

CY2001:03 Perspectives on Criminology

CY2002:03 Youth Deviance

SY2022:03 Family, Gender and Sexuality in Contemporary Society

SY2100:03 Migration, Ethnicity and Belonging

SY2101:03 Sociology of Digital Life

WC2001:03 Australian Women’s Studies

Core Structure (Brisbane)

CORE SUBJECTS

Level 1

PL1001:03 The Political World: An Introduction to Political Science

SY1001:03 Australian Society: An Introduction to Sociology

WS1005:03 Human Rights and Social Justice

WS1006:03 Self in Professional Helping

WS1007:03 Lifespan Development and Psychology for Social Welfare Practice

IA1011:03 Indigenous Australians

SS1010:03 Australian People: Indigeneity and Multiculturalism

Level 2

SY2005:03 Qualitative Research

WC2001:03 Australian Women’s Studies

WS2121:03 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Skills and Frameworks for Practice

WS2510:03 Interpersonal Practice

WS2511:03 Professional Values and Ethics

WS2512:03 Organisational Practice

WS2513:03 Community Work

CY2002:03 Youth Deviance

SY2100:03 Migration, Ethnicity and Belonging

SY2022:03 Family, Gender and Sexuality in Contemporary Society

Level 3

WS3025:03 Group Work

WS3027:03 Social Welfare Practice with Children and Families

WS3214:03 Developmental Approaches to Eco-Social Justice

WS3503:09 Field Education 1

WS3515:03 Social Work and Welfare Practice

PL3250:03 Australia and World Politics

Level 4

WS4005:03 Social Inquiry Analysis

WS4504:09 Field Education 2

WS4514:03 Theories for Social Work Practice

WS4503:03 Social Work and Mental Health

WS4511:03 Professional Development for Social Work Practice

Location

COURSE AVAILABLE AT	NOTES
JCU Brisbane	Mixed-mode attendance. No credit transfer is available for this study location in 2022. Limited credit will be available in 2023 and 2024.
JCU Cairns	Internal or mixed-mode attendance
JCU Townsville	Internal or mixed-mode attendance

Candidature

Expected time to complete	4 years full-time or equivalent part-time
Maximum time to complete	11 years
Maximum leave of absence	3 years

Progression

Course progression requisites	Nil
Course includes mandatory professional placement(s)	Yes Further information about placements can be found at: Coursework Enrolment Procedure. Students may be required to undertake placements away from the campus at which they are enrolled at their own expense.
Special assessment requirements	Refer to Review of a Student’s Suitability to Continue a Course Involving Placement policy.
Professional accreditation requirements	Graduates are eligible for full membership of AASW. Student preliminary membership is available. *JCUB Campus location holds separate accreditation conditions. Please check accreditation statement.
Supplementary exam for final subject	Not applicable

Credit

Eligibility	Students may apply for credit transfer for previous tertiary study in accordance with the Credit Transfer Procedure.
Maximum allowed	63 credit points
Currency	Credit will be granted only for studies completed in the 10 years prior to the commencement of this course.
Expiry	Credit gained for any subject shall be cancelled 21 years after the date of the examination upon which the credit is based if, by then, the candidate has not completed this course.
Other restrictions	Diploma: Maximum 24 credit points (unspecified credit) at various year levels Advanced Diploma: Maximum 27 credit points. 24 credit points (unspecified credit – at various year levels) PLUS 3 credit points (specified - WS1006:03 Self in Professional Helping) JCU Brisbane Students: No credit transfer is available for this study location in 2022. Limited credit will be available in 2023 and 2024.

Award Details

Award title	BACHELOR OF SOCIAL WORK
Approved abbreviation	BSW
Inclusion of majors on testamur	Not applicable - this course does not have majors
Exit with lesser award	Students who have completed 24 credit points of their course award requirements, and withdraw from or fail to meet the requirements for progression in the later years, may be eligible for the award of Diploma of Tertiary Studies.
Course articulation	Students who successfully complete the entry requirements for the embedded honours program will be eligible to apply for entry to the Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) [Embedded] after three years; or after successfully completing the BSW, students who successfully complete the entry requirements for the end-on honours program will be eligible to apply for entry to the Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) [End-on].

Honours

Honours availability

Available as an additional 24 credit points of study [end-on] or as a 24 credit point [embedded] honours program.

Eligibility

By invitation of the College Dean

Normally at least a credit grade in four level 2 or level 3 social work subjects; and at least a distinction grade in at least two level 2 or level 3 social work subjects (including WS3513 Research Proposal Seminar) is required in the bachelor degree.