3. Introduction to Social Work undergraduate study

Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Social Work degrees

Course Coordinator:

Dr Lesley Laing
Phone: +61 2 9351 4091
Fax: +61 2 9351 3783
Email: l.laing@edfac.usyd.edu.au

The BA/BSW degrees initially require the completion of the requirements for the award of the BA course in accordance with the resolutions for that course. Within the BA program, studies in sociology, indigenous studies and psychology (outlined in detail below), are compulsory. On completion of the Bachelor of Arts, candidates proceed to the third and fourth years of the Bachelor of Social Work course. The Bachelor of Social Work course prepares students to practise as accredited professional social workers in a range of fields including health, corrections, community work, aged care, women's services, child and family services, migrant and refugee services, international development and disability.

In Years 3 and 4 of the Bachelor of Social Work, the program is conducted on a full-time basis on two sites – the university campus and an agency where students undertake field education. The campus program develops knowledge and skills in theory analysis and development, in research and provides a context for exploration of the interaction of personal and professional values and ethics as they relate to social policy and social work. The starting points for learning are typical issues and debates encountered in contexts of policy and practice or with particular citizen groups, brought together in a series of Issue Based Learning Units (IBLs). The IBLs provide the context for learning about theory, research, values and skills. A structured program of lectures, seminars and skills workshops is provided to resource learning. Students are expected to take progressively more responsibility for their own learning, equipping them for the demands of professional practice.

The Issue Based Learning units vary in different years, but all follow a structure which provides examples of social work and which is designed to ensure the development of broader knowledge and skills which are transferable to other contexts. Examples include: Families, children and young people; Caring and citizenship: the case of disability; Drugs and alcohol; the social work response; In 2007, the IBLs willl be illness, inequality and intervention (IBL 1); Social justice, social citizenship and social work (IBL 2); Violence in Families (IBL 3); and Ageing (IBL 4).

The field education program provides a practice context for this learning. Field educators determine the scope and parameters of learning opportunities within the agency. In negotiation with their field educator, students are asked to produce a contract that will set out what they hope to learn, how that learning will happen and how with their field educator, they will monitor and evaluate this learning.

The Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Social Work prepares graduates who have pursued education in the humanities and social sciences for scholarly interest and as professional social workers with:

• an understanding of social work and social policy theory and practice and their interdisciplinary nature in historical, cultural, socio-economic and political contexts
• an understanding of the interdependence of theory, practice, policy and research
• an understanding of and an ability to articulate the contribution of social work and social policy in working towards social justice
• a capacity to locate, analyse, use and engage in research in practice
• an ability to use knowledge effectively to solve problems at different levels of intervention and in a range of workplace contexts
• an ability to act professionally, using ethical and strategic practices, using 'self' in a disciplined way in social work
• an ability to reflect systematically on the theoretical and personal underpinnings of practices and to change and develop them where necessary in light of new knowledge, lived experience and different contexts
• an ability to combine autonomy with a capacity for collaborative and versatile work
• an appreciation of the limits of current knowledge and capabilities and a preparedness to undertake ongoing professional development.

A schedule of studies for the five years of the degree follows:

Year 1

48 credit points comprising:

• Introduction to Sociology 1 and Introduction to Sociology 2 (12 credit points);
• 36 credit points from the Table of units of study for the Bachelor of Arts course taken in accordance with the resolutions for that course. (Credit may be given for units of study taken at other institutions).

Year 2

48 credit points comprising:

• two senior level Sociology units of study (12 credit points) and intermediate level Psychology units of study (12 credit points); or
• Psychology for Social Work 201 and Psychology for Social Work 202 (12 credit points); and
• senior indigenous studies unit of study (6 credit points); and
• 18 credit points from the Table of units of study for the Bachelor of Arts course taken in accordance with the resolutions for that course.

Year 3

48 credit points comprising:

• 48 credit points prescribed for the Bachelor of Arts course and taken in accordance with the resolutions for that course.

Year 4

48 credit points comprising:

• Professional Practice (8 credit points); and
• IBL unit 1 (8 credit points); and
• IBL unit 2 (8 credit points); and
• Field Education 1 which includes field education of not fewer than 60 days and such attendance at classes as may be prescribed by the Faculty (24 credit points).

Year 5

48 credit points comprising:

• IBL unit 3 (9 credit points); and
• Field Education 2A and 2B which includes field education of not fewer than 80 days and such attendance at classes as may be prescribed by the Faculty (24 credit points); and
• IBL unit 4 (9 credit points); and
• Integrative Studies 402 (6 credit points).

Honours
It is possible to complete an honours BA course and/or an honours BSW course within the combined course program. For the BA honours course, an additional honours year is completed after the third year of the combined course program, before enrolling in the fourth year (which is the equivalent of the third year in the BSW degree course). Students proceeding full-time would normally complete an honours BA course and a BSW course (pass or honours) in six years of enrolment. For information about the honours BA course, the Faculty of Arts Handbook should be consulted.

Bachelor of Social Work

Course Coordinator:

Dr Lesley Laing
Phone: +61 2 9351 4091
Fax: +61 2 9351 3783
Email: l.laing@edfac.usyd.edu.au


This is a full-time degree course preparing students to practise as accredited professional social workers in a range of fields including health, corrections, community work, aged care, women's services, disability, child and family services, migrant and refugee services and international development.

In the first and second years of the course, students select units of study from a wide range within the Faculty of Arts including philosophy, history, economics, government, and languages. Studies in sociology, psychology and Indigenous Studies are compulsory. This provides a strong base for subsequent studies in social work and social policy.

In Years 3 and 4 of the Bachelor of Social Work, the program is conducted on a full-time basis on two sites – the University campus and an agency where students undertake field education. The campus program develops knowledge and skills in theory analysis and development, in research and provides a context for exploration of interaction of personal and professional values and ethics as they relate to social policy and social work. The starting points for learning are typical issues and debates encountered in contexts of policy and practice or with particular citizen groups, brought together in a series of Issue Based Learning Units (IBLs). The IBLs provide the context for learning about theory, research, values and skills. A structured program of lectures, seminars and workshops is provided to resource learning. Students are expected to take progressively more responsibility for their own learning, equipping them for the demands of professional practice.

The Issue Based Learning units vary in different years, but all follow a structure which provides examples of social work and which is designed to ensure the development of broader knowledge and skills which are transferable to other contexts. Examples include: families, children and young people; caring and citizenship: the case of disability; drugs and alcohol; the social work response; illness, inequality and intervention; social justice, social citizenship and social work; violence in families; and ageing.

The field education program provides a practice context for this learning. It requires social workers to use theory and research and to act consistently with regard to professional values and ethics.

The Bachelor of Social Work prepares graduates who have:

• an understanding of social work and social policy theory and practice and their interdisciplinary nature in historical, cultural, socio-economic and political contexts
• an understanding of the interdependence of theory, practice, policy and research
• an understanding of, and an ability to articulate the contribution of social work and social policy in working towards social justice
• a capacity to locate, analyse, use and engage in research in practice
• an ability to use knowledge effectively to solve problems at different levels of intervention and in a range of workplace contexts
• an ability to act professionally, using ethical and strategic practices, using 'self' in a disciplined way in social work
• an ability to reflect systematically on the theoretical and personal underpinnings of practices and to change and develop them where necessary in light of new knowledge, lived experience and different contexts
• an ability to combine autonomy with a capacity for collaborative and versatile work
• an appreciation of the limits of current knowledge and capabilities and a preparedness to undertake ongoing professional development.

The schedule of studies for the four years of the degree follows:

Year 1

48 credit points comprising:

• Introduction to Sociology 1 and Introduction to Sociology 2 (12 credit points);
• 36 credit points from the Table of units of study for the Bachelor of Arts course taken in accordance with the resolutions for that course. (Credit may be given for units of study taken at other institutions.)

Year 2

48 credit points comprising:

• one senior level Sociology units of study (6 credit points); and
• Research Skills for Social Work (6 credit points); and
• intermediate level Psychology units of study (12 credit points); or Psychology for Social Work 201 and Psychology for Social Work 202 (12 credit points); and
• senior indigenous studies unit of study (6 credit points); and
• 18 credit points from the Table of units of study for the Bachelor of Arts course taken in accordance with the resolutions for that course. (Credit may be given for units of study taken at other institutions.)

Year 3

48 credit points comprising:

• Professional Practice (8 credit points); and
• IBL unit 1 (8 credit points); and
• IBL unit 2 (8 credit points); and
• Field Education 1 which includes field education of not fewer than 60 days and such attendance at classes as may be prescribed by the Faculty (24 credit points).

Year 4

48 credit points comprising:

• IBL Unit 3 (9 credit points); and
• Field Education 2A and 2B which includes field education of not fewer than 80 days and such attendance at classes as may be prescribed by the Faculty (24 credit points); and
• IBL unit 4 (9 credit points); and
• Integrative Studies (6 credit points)

Honours
Honours are awarded on the basis of achievement in the third and fourth years.

Social Work units of study

Table of Bachelor of Social Work units of study