Bachelor of Arts (Psychology and Humanities)/Bachelor of Social Welfare

• General information
• Aims
• Professional recognition
• Entry requirements
• Special requirements
  • Work load
  • Attendance
• Course structure
  • Course plan
• Initial enrolment
  • First semester
  • Second semester
• Credits/exemptions
• Further information
• Completed applications
• Subjects

General information

Course code: 1798 * Gippsland campus * HECS fees applicable * Attendance compulsory.

Aims

This course allows students to combine the study of psychology with the specific vocational qualifications available within the social welfare field. Students will graduate with a major in psychology that is recognised by the Australian Psychological Society, and will also possess a full welfare qualification, recognised by the Australian Institute of Welfare and Community Workers.

Professional recognition

The major sequence in psychology is a common program offered on the Caulfield, Clayton and Gippsland campuses by the Department of Psychology. The APS (Australian Psychological Society) accredited major comprises ten six-point subjects: nine core subjects and one elective subject. This course is also recognised by the Australian Institute of Welfare and Community Workers.

Entry requirements

All applicants should satisfy Tertiary Entrance Requirements (TER) as outlined in the section on entry requirements in this book.
In addition to meeting standard entry requirements all applicants are required to complete a social welfare course administration form. If you did not receive this form with the distance education handbook then it can be obtained from the Course Inquiries Centre, telephone 1800 671845 or from the School of Humanities, Communications and Social Sciences on (03) 5122 6339 or (03) 9902 6339. Applicants will be shortlisted on the basis of information contained in this form, for a more detailed selection process. Applicants are strongly advised that academic criteria are not the only ones for entry into the course. Other factors such as work and life experience, personal qualities and maturity, are taken into account.

Special requirements

Work load

All applicants should be willing to undertake a normal initial work load of at least twenty-four points a year by distance education. Distance education students should note that this may have implications regarding eligibility for Austudy or similar schemes. In later years of the course the normal work load will be thirty-two points per year, but there is scope to vary this under some circumstances.

Attendance

Students must be aware of the attendance requirements for certain social welfare subjects and all psychology subjects, and should take the cost of this into account before applying for entry to the course.
Students in the double degree must attend the Gippsland campus for two residential workshops during the course, involving one two-day workshop, and one three-day workshop. Students will also be required to undertake a sixteen-day placement in their second year and a sixty-day field education placement during the final year of the program.
There is a compulsory attendance requirement for psychology subjects for distance education students. Most psychology subjects include a component requiring on-campus attendance. Details will be specified for each subject.

Course structure

Students will undertake a sequence of study in social welfare, a psychology major and an arts minor which may be chosen from those available in the Bachelor of Arts degree program.
The course of study is normally a minimum of seven years part-time by distance education. In order to complete the Bachelor of Arts (Psychology and Humanities)/Bachelor of Social Welfare double degree a student must:
(a) complete appropriate subjects within the course to gain at least 192 but not more than 216 points;
(b) complete the prescribed sequence in social welfare (eleven subjects equal eighty-eight points), a psychology major sequence (fifty-four points), comprising a first-level sequence, eighteen points at second level and a minimum of twenty-four points at third level. Students who wish to take additional points required for registration with the Australian Psychological Society may do so as part of their "free" elective credit points. Students must also complete an arts minor (twenty-eight points), comprising a first-level sequence and two subjects at second level;
(c) undertake additional studies to complete the minimum 192 points needed for the double degree.

Course plan

A course plan for the Bachelor of Arts (Psychology and Humanities)/Bachelor of Social Welfare may look like the one depicted below:

Initial enrolment

Students entering the double degree program should normally enrol in four subjects in the first year, two in each semester. Normally, these will all be subjects which do not require prerequisites. The following is the suggested first-year enrolment:

First semester

• PSY1011 Psychology 1A
• GSC1303 Foundations of interpersonal practice: casework and groupwork

Second semester

• PSY1022 Psychology 1B
• GSC1304 Communication and counselling skills

Credits/exemptions

Students with previously completed or partially completed tertiary studies should complete an application for credit transfer to apply for credits and exemptions. The onus is on the student to provide course records and details of course content and duration (including extracts from relevant handbooks). Students in this category are advised to complete a course plan prior to the commencement of study to ensure they will complete the major/s or minor they intend. Students may be granted up to a maximum of 128 points of credits/exemptions. As a general rule, credits will not be granted for studies completed more than ten years prior to the date of enrolment in the current course.

Further information

For more detailed information, contact the administrative officers, School of Humanities, Communications and Social Sciences, telephone (03) 9902 6339 or (03) 5122 6339, email HUMASS.info@arts.monash.edu.au.

Completed applications

Completed applications are to be forwarded to the admissions officer, School of Humanities, Communications and Social Sciences, Monash University Gippsland campus, Churchill, Victoria, 3842, by 24 September 1999 to be considered for a first-round offer.

Subjects

Details of the various arts sequences are included under the entry for the Bachelor of Arts. An outline of the psychology major sequence is included under the BA (Psychology and Humanities) entry.

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