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Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) (BSWH) - BSocWk(H)

QTAC code (Australian and New Zealand applicants): External: 909185

You are currently viewing the 2023 Handbook. For study in 2024, please refer to the .

 External
Start:Semester 1 (February)
Fees:Commonwealth supported place
Domestic full fee paying place
Residential school:Toowoomba campus (mandatory) 
Standard duration:4 years full-time, 8 years part-time, 9 years maximum 
Program articulation:

To: Students completing the Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) may be eligible to commence a PhD program.

Notes

In 2023 the programs follows the Semester calendar. The Academic Calendar and Important Dates webpage will allow you to view and download a copy of the important dates for the Semester calendar.

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Contact us

Future Australian and New Zealand students  Future International students  Current students 

Freecall (within Australia): 1800 269 500
Phone (from outside Australia): +61 7 4631 5315
Email: study@usq.edu.au  

Phone: +61 7 4631 5543
Email: international@usq.edu.au 

Freecall (within Australia): 1800 007 252
Phone (from outside Australia): +61 7 4631 2285
Email usq.support@usq.edu.au 

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Professional accreditation

UniSQ Bachelor of Social Work Honours program is accredited with the under the . UniSQ graduate BSWK (Honours) students will be eligible to apply for membership of the AASW.

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Program aims

Our Social Work graduates will focus on strengthening of human relationships, promotion of wellbeing, and validation of the importance of human rights and social justice. Drawing upon critical inquiry, our graduates will embrace and celebrate diversity and differences, social inclusion, democracy, and professional integrity. Our graduates will actively work with and alongside individuals, families, and communities; co-developing and advocating for systemic changes in search of a socially just society. Their contributions will be influential in Australia, disrupting the status quo through use of evidence-informed strategic changes at local and national levels, as well as within the global community. Specifically, UniSQ Social Work graduates will be ethical and moral practitioners; creative and curious; focused on eco-social wellbeing; contribute to cultural safety; inclusive; and embrace regional, rural and remote practice. Our social work degrees are underpinned by a pervasive practice orientation that means our Social Work graduates will be placement-ready and work-ready.

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Program objectives

On completion of this program students should be able to:

  1. Apply a synthesis of relevant evidence-informed knowledge, theory and skills in order to authentically practice as a Social Worker who privileges the voice, agency and human worth of all global citizens. 

  2. Articulate, embrace and draw on advanced communication skills when building relationships with individuals, groups and communities, inclusive of oral and written skills but also information technologies. 

  3. Co-develop, work collaboratively and actively contribute to respectful and just relationships with individuals, families and communities, ensuring cultural safety, environmental justice and well-being. 

  4. Assemble engagement and intervention strategies at micro, meso and macro levels that critically respond to social need using socio-political analysis and anti-oppressive practice; driving activism for social justice and human rights utilising critical theories, critical analysis and contextual knowledge. 

  5. Celebrate and promote diversity and difference in society as evidenced by authentic Social Work practice that disrupts, actively challenges, and redresses violence, discrimination, stigma, social exclusion and othering. 

  6. Design, integrate, implement, and evaluate research that informs and shapes critical Social Work practice, community development and societal engagement in search of a just society that demonstrates genuine respect for human rights and well-being. 


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Australian Qualifications Framework

The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) is a single national, comprehensive system of qualifications offered by higher education institutions (including universities), vocational education and training institutions and secondary schools. Each AQF qualification has a set of descriptors which define the type and complexity of knowledge, skills and application of knowledge and skills that a graduate who has been awarded that qualification has attained, and the typical volume of learning associated with that qualification type.

This program is at AQF Qualification Level 08. Graduates at this level will have advanced knowledge and skills for professional or highly skilled work and/or further learning.

The full set of levels criteria and qualification type descriptors can be found by visiting .

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Program Information Set

View UniSQ’s admission criteria, student profiles and a summary of all offers made under via the QTAC website.

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Admission requirements

To be eligible for admission, applicants must satisfy the following requirements:

  • The specified minimum entry requirement as determined by Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR), or equivalent qualification.^

To be eligible for admission, applicants must satisfy the following requirements, pending invitation from the School:

  • Successful completion of the first two years of the Bachelor of Social Work (BSWK) or equivalent

  • GPA is 5.0 or higher

  • The proposed research involves low risk ethics or no need for an ethics proposal

  • A supervisor can be matched to the research project

  • English Language Proficiency requirements for Category 4


Applicants are advised to also address the following:

  • Assumed Knowledge expectations: English


All students are required to satisfy the applicable .

If students do not meet the English language requirements they may apply to study a ¾«¶«´«Ã½app-approved . On successful completion of the English language program, students may be admitted to an award program.

^

These are determined by the ¾«¶«´«Ã½app for specific programs each Semester. The 2023 ATAR and tertiary entrance ranks are based on agreed QTAC schedules which assess formal study at Year 12 or , tertiary, preparatory, professional or vocational qualifications or work experience, as detailed in the QTAC Assessment of Qualifications Manual and QTAC Assessor Guidelines.

Adjustment factors may help you get into the program of your choice by increasing your entrance rank. The additional points don't apply to all applicants or all programs. Please read the information about UniSQ's carefully to find out what you may be eligible for.

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Inherent requirements

There are inherent requirements for this program that must be met in order to complete the program and graduate. Make sure you read and understand the for this program online.

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Requirements for professional experience placements

Applicants must be willing to undertake and submit the requirements of the ¾«¶«´«Ã½app of Southern Queensland and Queensland Health for practical placement. Please refer to the applicable for Social Work Students.

Mandatory Documents required prior to commencing both field education placement courses:

  • Blue Card or Working with Children Check

  • Yellow Card (if working with people with disabilities)

  • Australian Federal Police Check Certificate


All students must also provide the following immunisation evidence prior to commencing placements:

  • Hepatitis B immunisation evidence

  • Measles, Mumps and Rubella immunisation evidence

  • Varicella immunisation evidence

  • Pertussis immunisation evidence

  • Influenza immunisation evidence

  • Tuberculosis Risk Assessment

  • Other immunisations as required by health services e.g., COVID-19


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Program fees

Commonwealth supported place

A Commonwealth supported place is where the Australian Government makes a contribution towards the cost of a students' higher education and students pay a , which varies depending on the courses undertaken. Students are able to calculate the fees for a particular course via the .

Commonwealth Supported students may be eligible to defer their fees through a Government loan called .

Domestic full fee paying place

Domestic full fee paying places are funded entirely through the full fees paid by the student. Full fees vary depending on the courses that are taken. Students are able to calculate the fees for a particular course via the

Domestic full fee paying students may be eligible to defer their fees through a Government loan called provided they meet the residency and citizenship requirements.

Australian citizens, Permanent Humanitarian Visa holders, Permanent Resident visa holders and New Zealand citizens who will be resident outside Australia for the duration of their program pay full tuition fees and are not eligible for .

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Program structure

Students enrolled in Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) must complete 32 units:

  • 23 courses core to Social Work (1 unit each) inclusive of 2 Selectives in Year 1 and Year 2;

  • Two placement courses of 500 hours per course (3 units each)

  • Three honours courses (including the dissertation comprising 2 courses, 1 unit each).


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Required time limits

Students have a maximum of 9 years to complete this program.

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Core courses

28 Core Courses

Course Name and Code  Semester(s) offered Ipswich  Semester(s) offered Toowoomba  Semester(s) offered External  Semester(s) offered Online 
SWK1000 Landscape of Social Work and Human Services+       
PSY1102 Interpersonal Skills     
FNA1001 First Nations Philosophy and Perspectives  2 (SPR)    1,2 
HSW1500 Collective Action and Community Development £       
SWK1100 Decolonising Social Work: Multicultural Australia       
SWK1400 Working in Partnership with Children, Youth and Families       
NUR1203 Cultural Safety and Professional Practice        1,2 
SWK2200 Intersectionality as a Critical Practice Tool        
PSY1010 Foundation Psychology A    1,3 
SWK2100 Challenging Ableism: Diversity, Difference and Disability       
SWK2000 Application of Theories and Frameworks in Social Work Practice +       
SWK2300 Health as a Social Idea+       
PSY2030 Developmental Psychology   
HSW2211 Youth Work Practice OR Selective 1       
SWK2010 Human Rights, Legal Issues and Ethical Practice       
SOC2022 Theories of Power OR Selective 2       
SWK3100 Professional Practice 1: Building Relationships+       
SWH3500 Honours Research Proposal       
SWH3300 Critical Approaches to Mental Health, Mental Illness, and Psychosocial Disability          
SWH3400 Research for the Human Sciences        
SWK3000 Field Placement 1^       
SWH4500 Honours Research 1 (Dissertation)       
SWH4100 Politics of Place: Regional, Rural and Remote Practice         
SWK4200  Professional Practice 2: Trauma-Informed Social Work+       
SWH4600 Honours Research 2 (Dissertation)       
SWH4400 Social Policy as a Critical Driver of Systemic Change        
SWK4000 Field Placement 2^       
SWH4300 Practice Ready: Complexity and Climate Change in the Global Context***       

Footnotes
+Mandatory residential school
£In Semester 3, 2023 this course will be delivered as a Transition (9 week) semester, commencing on 13 November 2023 and concluding on 12 January 2024
^3 unit course
***Capstone course

Selectives

A choice of two selectives in years 1 and 2 chosen from the following list of Approved Courses below:


£In Semester 3, 2023 this course will be delivered as a Transition (9 week) semester, commencing on 13 November 2023 and concluding on 12 January 2024

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IT requirements

For information technology requirements please refer to the minimum computing standards.

Students will need internet access to retrieve course materials, undertake assessment and participate in course online activities.

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Residential schools

The attendance requirement of residential schools within this degree is indicated by the following letters: R = Recommended; HR = Highly Recommended; M = Mandatory. To find out more about , visit the to view specific dates for your degree, or visit the .

  • SWK1000 Landscape of Social Work and Human Services

  • SWK2000 Application of Theories and Frameworks in Social Work Practice

  • SWK2300 Health as a Social Idea

  • SWK3100 Professional Practice 1: Building Relationships

  • SWH3300 Critical Approaches to Mental Health, Mental Illness, and Psychosocial Disability  

  • SWK4200  Professional Practice 2: Trauma-Informed Social Work


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Credit

Exemptions/credit will be assessed based on the UniSQ .

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Enrolment

Progression

Students are advised to consult with student support usq.support@usq.edu.au in situations where their progression is affected either by failure in pre-requisite courses, or where they choose a part-time study pattern.

Recommended enrolment patterns

In this section:

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Recommended Semester Full-time Enrolment Pattern - Commencing in Semester 1 2023


CourseYear of program and semester in which course is normally studiedResidential schoolEnrolment requirements
On-campus
(ONC)
External
(EXT)
Online
(ONL)
YearSemYearSemYearSem

Year 1 / Semester 1

SWK1000 Landscape of Social Work and Human Services11M
PSY1102 Interpersonal Skills1111
FNA1001 First Nations Philosophy and Perspectives1111
HSW1500 Collective Action and Community Development£1111,3Enrolment is not permitted in HSW1500 if CDS1000 has been previously completed.

Year 1 / Semester 2

SWK1100 Decolonising Social Work: Multicultural Australia12
SWK1400 Working in Partnership with Children, Youth and Families12Enrolment is not permitted in SWK1400 if HSW1400 has been previously completed
NUR1203 Cultural Safety and Professional Practice12Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: BNSG or ADAH or BOTH or BSWK or BSWH or SPYH Enrolment is not permitted in NUR1203 if NUR1201 has been previously completed

Choose one of the following two options:

HSW2211 Youth Work Practice12

OR

Selective 1 *

Year 2 / Semester 1

PSY1010 Foundation Psychology A2121,3
SWK2100 Challenging Ableism: Diversity, Difference and Disability22Pre-requisite: SWK1100 (BSWK and BSWH students only) Enrolment is not permitted in SWK2100 if HSW2200 has been previously completed
SWK2000 Application of Theories and Frameworks in Social Work Practice 21M
SWK2300 Health as a Social Idea21M

Year 2 / Semester 2

PSY2030 Developmental Psychology2222Pre-requisite: PSY1010
SWK2200 Intersectionality as a Critical Practice Tool 22
SWK2010 Human Rights, Legal Issues and Ethical Practice22

Choose one of the following two options:

SOC2022 Theories of Power22

OR

Selective 2 *

Year 3 / Semester 1

SWK3100 Professional Practice 1: Building Relationships31M
SWH3500 Honours Research Proposal31
SWH3300 Critical Approaches to Mental Health, Mental Illness, and Psychosocial Disability   31M
SWH3400 Research for the Human Sciences 31

Year 3 / Semester 2

SWK3000 Field Placement 1^32
SWH4500 Honours Research 1 (Dissertation)32

Year 4 / Semester 1

SWH4100 Politics of Place: Regional, Rural and Remote Practice  41
SWK4200  Professional Practice 2: Trauma-Informed Social Work41M
SWH4600 Honours Research 2 (Dissertation)41
SWH4400 Social Policy as a Critical Driver of Systemic Change 41

Year 4 / Semester 2

SWK4000 Field Placement 2^42
SWH4300 Practice Ready: Complexity and Climate Change in the Global Context**42

Footnotes
£In Semester 3, 2023 this course will be delivered as a Transition (9 week) semester, commencing on 13 November 2023 and concluding on 12 January 2024
*Selective Courses are to be chosen from the list of Approved Courses
^3 Unit Course
**Capstone course

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Recommended Semester Part-time Enrolment Pattern - Commencing in Semester 1 2023


CourseYear of program and semester in which course is normally studiedResidential schoolEnrolment requirements
On-campus
(ONC)
External
(EXT)
Online
(ONL)
YearSemYearSemYearSem

Year 1 / Semester 1

SWK1000 Landscape of Social Work and Human Services11M
PSY1102 Interpersonal Skills1111

Year 1 / Semester 2

SWK1100 Decolonising Social Work: Multicultural Australia12
SWK1400 Working in Partnership with Children, Youth and Families12Enrolment is not permitted in SWK1400 if HSW1400 has been previously completed

Year 2 / Semester 1

FNA1001 First Nations Philosophy and Perspectives2121
HSW1500 Collective Action and Community Development£2121,3Enrolment is not permitted in HSW1500 if CDS1000 has been previously completed.

Year 2 / Semester 2

NUR1203 Cultural Safety and Professional Practice22Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: BNSG or ADAH or BOTH or BSWK or BSWH or SPYH Enrolment is not permitted in NUR1203 if NUR1201 has been previously completed

Choose one of the following two options:

HSW2211 Youth Work Practice22

OR

Selective 1 *

Year 3 / Semester 1

PSY1010 Foundation Psychology A3131,3
SWK2100 Challenging Ableism: Diversity, Difference and Disability32Pre-requisite: SWK1100 (BSWK and BSWH students only) Enrolment is not permitted in SWK2100 if HSW2200 has been previously completed

Year 3 / Semester 2

PSY2030 Developmental Psychology3232Pre-requisite: PSY1010
SWK2200 Intersectionality as a Critical Practice Tool 32

Year 4 / Semester 1

SWK2000 Application of Theories and Frameworks in Social Work Practice 41M
SWK2300 Health as a Social Idea41M

Year 4 / Semester 2

SWK2010 Human Rights, Legal Issues and Ethical Practice42

Choose one of the following two options:

SOC2022 Theories of Power22

OR

Selective 2 *

Year 5 / Semester 1

SWK3100 Professional Practice 1: Building Relationships51M
SWH3400 Research for the Human Sciences 51

Year 5 / Semester 2

SWK3000 Field Placement 1^52

Year 6 / Semester 1

SWH3300 Critical Approaches to Mental Health, Mental Illness, and Psychosocial Disability   61M
SWH3500 Honours Research Proposal61

Year 6 / Semester 2

SWH4500 Honours Research 1 (Dissertation)62
SWH4600 Honours Research 2 (Dissertation) 61

Year 7 / Semester 1

SWH4100 Politics of Place: Regional, Rural and Remote Practice  71
SWK4200  Professional Practice 2: Trauma-Informed Social Work71M

Year 7 / Semester 2

SWK4000 Field Placement 2^72

Year 8 / Semester 1

SWH4400 Social Policy as a Critical Driver of Systemic Change 81
SWH4300 Practice Ready: Complexity and Climate Change in the Global Context**82

Footnotes
£In Semester 3, 2023 this course will be delivered as a Transition (9 week) semester, commencing on 13 November 2023 and concluding on 12 January 2024
*Selective Courses are to be chosen from the list of Approved Courses
^3 Unit Course
**Capstone course