Undergraduate - Course3426 - Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Social Work

NOTE: This course has had one or more changes made to it since publication on 1 October 2011. For details of change/s, please consult the change register at http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/2012handbooks/2012-change-register.html.

The degree not only provides a sound foundation for social work practice but also develops knowledge and skills in critical analysis in various arts disciplines.

Course objectives for the Bachelor of Arts are available at http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/2012handbooks/courses/0002.html. Course objectives for the Bachelor of Social Work are available at. http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/2012handbooks/courses/0004.html

Special requirements

Police and Working with Children Checks

Organisations that host clinical and community placements require students to have current Police and Working with Children checks regarding their suitability to undertake such placements. All enrolled and prospective students are advised that they will be required to obtain Police these checks prior to undertaking their course. Working with Children checks are valid for five years and are available free. Police checks must be applied and paid for annually, however, in some community-partnered programs there may be a requirement to have a police check renewed every six months.

Fieldwork practice units

This course requires students to undertake off-campus fieldwork placements. In the fieldwork setting students will have an opportunity to apply theory to practice under supervision. Attendance is mandatory for the fieldwork component of each unit.

Where a student's skill or knowledge is found to be inadequate, access to the fieldwork component of the unit will be denied. A student may be withdrawn from a fieldwork practicum if required skills and knowledge are deemed inadequate, or on other grounds deemed appropriate by the head of school.

Fieldwork expenses

Students are responsible for all travel and accommodation expenses during fieldwork placements.

This course has been accredited by the Australian Association of Social Workers.

Graduates will qualify for membership of the Australian Association of Social Workers.

On-campus students

Students complete two semesters of study of 'the individual' (eg psychology, behavioural studies) and two semesters of 'society' (eg sociology, anthropology, gender studies, philosophy, politics, Australian studies and at least one unit in Australian Indigenous studies).

The course is undertaken in the following sequence:

(a.) first year is composed of seven arts and one social work unit

(b.) second year is composed of five arts units and three social work units

(c.) third year includes three arts units (which complete the major sequence); the rest are social work units (including the first field placement)

(d.) the final year is composed of social work units only, including the second field placement.

Off-campus students

Students complete the structure as outlined above under 'on-campus students' however the disciplines available to off-campus students are limited to:

• Australian Indigenous studies
• Australian studies
• communications
• community studies
• community welfare and counselling
• criminal justice
• English
• history-politics
• journalism
• philosophy
• psychology
• psychological studies
• public relations
• sociology
• writing

Arts component

The arts component must include a major and minor study as follows:

• arts discipline major (48 points)
• arts discipline minor in a different area of study (24 points)
• an additional arts discipline first-year sequence in a third area of study(12 points)
• a further six points in arts units

Social work component

All social work units are compulsory core units.

The normal pattern of study is for student to complete four units per semester; in semesters where the field placement is undertaken, this is reduced to two units plus the placement. All units are six points unless

First year

First semester

• SWK1011 Introduction to human services practice
• three first-year arts units

Second semester

• four first-year arts units

Second year

First semester

• SWK3220 Social work in a globalised world
• SWK3230 Social work research
• two second-year arts units

Second semester

• SWK3440 Leadership in social work and human services
• two second-year arts units
• one second or third-year arts unit*

Third year

First semester

• SWK3400 Critical social work 1 - individuals and families: Context and practice
• two third-year arts units

Second semester

• SWK3410 Critical social work 2 - community work: Context and practice
• SWK3180 Supervised professional practice 1
• one third-year arts unit

Fourth year

First semester

• SWK4030 Human rights, law and ethics contexts for social work practice
• SWK4031 Working with complexity
• SWK4400 Social work leadership and policy
• SWK4410 Community work: Theory and practice

Second semester

• SWK4401 Critical social work 4 - individual, health and society: Context and practice
• SWK4560 Supervised professional practice 2

* Requirements for majors/minors can vary. Students should refer to the 'Areas of study' section in the Arts section of this Handbook at http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/2012handbooks/aos/index-byfaculty-arts.html.

Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Social Work