Online Social Work Degree :: Accredited Universities

CSU's Doctor of Social Work course supports eligible students in advanced and critical reflection on professional social work practice, to meet the needs of social work professionals aspiring to the highest levels within their discipline.

About the course

The Doctor of Social Work is designed for professionals who wish to extend their levels of professional practice, explore theoretical and practice issues within the profession and to acquire advanced research skills.

In particular the program will:

Allow candidates to extend their knowledge of social work theory and the practice underpinning their profession through dedicated study and reflection

Enable candidates to successfully identify, investigate and resolve problems confronting the social work profession through the acquisition of skills in reflection, research and writing

Enable candidates to present findings of research in a dissertation

Encourage candidates to publish at least one paper in their area of expertise

Provide candidates with professional supervision to reflect on their own practice and to demonstrate a standard of excellence in their field

Entry Requirements

Candidates admitted to the course will:

1. hold either a Class 1 or Class 2 Division 1 Bachelor (Honours) degree in social work, or a Master degree by coursework in social work, social welfare or human services (attained at a course credit point average of 5.00 or better), or a Master degree by research in social work, social welfare or human services;

2. have at least three years of full time (or equivalent) practice in professional social work, social welfare or human services or in a cognate area, a significant amount of which should be able to be shown to be current;

3. meet the University's English language proficiency requirements.

The Course Coordinator can, in consultation with the Course Management Committee, assess variation to admission requirements based on alternative academic qualifications, professional practice and/or high quality professional practice-based research and publication.

These admission requirements are necessary to ensure that candidates have sufficient academic ability and professional experience to conduct research that leads to advanced, critical reflection on professional practice in the fields of social work, social welfare or human services.

Other Fees

Overseas examination fees ($100/course)

Textbooks

Student Services and Amenities Fee (Max. $281/year)

Incidental unit costs

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The Bachelor of Social Work provides graduates with the theoretical and practical skills required to work as a professional social worker and eligibility to become a member of the Australian Association of Social Workers. Social Workers typically work with disadvantaged and marginalised individuals, groups, and communities within a social justice framework in counselling, advocacy, and the enhancement of quality of life. Social workers work toward addressing barriers, inequality and injustices faced by many groups and sub-groups in our community. Social work education is grounded within a framework that examines the nexus of human behaviour and complex social interactions. While covering all the core requirements of a professional social work degree, the Bachelor of Social Work at UNE provides students with a rural focussed program, with additional foci on Indigenous peoples, child protection and law. This four year program draws together the fields of psychology, sociology, counselling, Indigenous studies and law with social work theory and practice. The course incorporates 1000 hours of supervised professional fieldwork experience in relevant social work settings. The Bachelor of Social Work is available to students to study either on campus, off campus or mixed mode to suit their own study needs over their candidature.

Entry Requirements

Recommended studies: English

International students must meet the University's English language requirements.

Other Fees

Overseas examination fees

Textbooks

Incidental unit costs

Notes

Mandatory intensive schools may be a requirement of some of the units in this course. See Unit Catalogue for specific requirements.

To be eligible for membership with the AASW, social work students are required to undertake a minimum of 980 hours (140 x 7 hour days) practical fieldwork during their training, with a minimum placement being 40 days, 2 days per week with a block of at least 2 x 5 day weeks. The AASW also require 5 face-to-face teaching days for every FTE trimester a student undertakes. Therefore a 5 day mandatory intensive school will be attended during fieldwork placements.

UNE requires that all students undertake 1000 hours of fieldwork during their degree, over two placements.

The first fieldwork placement in trimester 5 is 450 hours (+ 5 days on campus). The number of days p/week will be negotiated with individual students and placement agencies, including a full time block of at least 2 weeks during the placement as per AASW requirements. The second placement (trimester 10) is full time for the whole trimester (550 hours + 5 days on campus). The number of days p/week will be negotiated with individual students and placement agencies in compliance with AASW requirements.

Scheduling the first placement in trimester 7 and second placement in trimester 10 ensures that students are not competing for agency placements by undertaking fieldwork in alternating trimesters.

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The Bachelor of Social Work is a professionally accredited degree that allows students to meet the requirements for eligibility for membership with the Australian Association of Social Workers. The degree offers students the opportunity to study the core elements of social work with a focus on issues relevant to the Northern Territory. A key element of student's learning is the requirement to undertake two, 70-day placements in the third and fourth years of study.

Criminal History check: Students must obtain a working with children clearance notice (Ochre Card) and have cleared a Police Check before they can undertake placements. Students whose Police Checks are not cleared will not be able to undertake placements and will not therefore be able to complete the requirements of the course.

Entry Requirements

N/A

Other Fees

Overseas examination fees

Textbooks

Student Services and Amenities Fee (Max. $281/year)

Incidental unit costs

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The Bachelor of Social Work at CQUniversity was the first four year degree program to be offered through distance education in Queensland. You will benefit from experienced academic staff who support students undertaking the program from around the country.

This program includes a range of courses focusing on social work knowledge, values, and skills with cognate disciplines also enhancing your social work education such as psychology, sociology and Indigenous studies. At CQUniversity, our education and training philosophy focuses on learning from contemporary social work scenarios that are often authored by colleagues working in the human services sector in collaboration with academic staff. We also have well-established industry relationships, as well as student exchange programs with several international universities.

This program is accredited and recognised in every state in Australia and will qualify you to work in several other countries without seeking additional accreditation. Your learning is supported with online resources and one intensive three day residential school per term, on-campus in either Noosa or Rockahmpton. This combination of face-to-face residentials, regular online activities with staff and peers, and small learning groups, will equip you with advanced level skills, including critical reflection, self-directed research and learning, problem-solving and teamwork.

The flexibility of assessment items across many courses allows you to focus your learning around workplace issues you may be experiencing or the community in which you live. The program incorporates two unpaid field education experiences; one undertaken at the beginning of the third year of the program (12 weeks of equivalent full-time work) and one in the final term of the fourth year (16 weeks of equivalent full-time work).

Entry Requirements

N/A

Other Fees

Overseas examination fees

Textbooks

Student Services and Amenities Fee (Max. $281/year)

Incidental unit costs

Notes

Not open to international students.

Placements undertaken totalling 28 weeks.

Compulsory three day residential school per term on-campus at CQUniversity Noosa or Rockhampton.

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Social work is concerned with enhancing the wellbeing of people in their social environments. It is a broad profession with diverse practices that may include working with individuals, families, groups, communities and organisations.

The Bachelor of Social Work provides a progressive and innovative approach to social work with emphasis on personal, community and social development in urban, rural, local and global contexts. The course engages with the interplay between diversity, power and social inequality through anti-oppressive, empowerment and critically-reflective approaches to social work practice and social policy.

Throughout the course, you will develop knowledge and understanding of:
the interplay between the broad socio-economic, interpersonal and personal influences on individual peoples’ lives;
how the socio-political and policy contexts in which people work influences their day-to-day practice;
a range of social research methods and the ability to design and conduct research directly relevant to social work practice;
the broad inter-disciplinary nature of social work and an ability to apply knowledge from theories, research and experience in practice
principles of non-discrimination, human rights and social justice, and an ability to apply these in relation to traditionally marginalised and disadvantaged groups;
working across social and cultural differences, whilst respecting difference and multiple diversities of identities;
personal and professional standards of practice in the context of a capacity for life-long learning.

The Bachelor of Social Work is offered at pass or honours level. An honours stream is available in the fourth year.

Entry Requirements

N/A

Other Fees

Overseas examination fees

Textbooks

Student Services and Amenities Fee (Max. $281/year)

Incidental unit costs

Notes

Field education placements provide an opportunity for students to learn from experience under the supervision of qualified social work practitioners. During the course you will complete a minimum of 980 hours of fieldwork placements that are conducted in a variety of communities and workplaces in metropolitan and regional settings. As social work at Deakin has a rural focus, one of the two fieldwork placements will have a rural focus.

Department of Human Services policy and Working with Children Check

In accordance with Department of Human Services policy* all students are required to obtain a Police Records Check (PRC) each year prior to undertaking field placements. Students may also be required to obtain a Working with Children Check (WWC).

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