Undergraduate - CourseBachelor of Social Work

The course aims to provide professional education for the practice of social work. It covers social work principles and methods of intervention relating to individuals, families, groups and communities. It also includes social work research, social policy and management. Fieldwork is interwoven with class work during the course.

These course outcomes are aligned with the Australian Qualifications Framework level 7, the Bologna Cycle 1 and Monash Graduate AttributesAustralian Qualifications Framework level 7, the Bologna Cycle 1 and Monash Graduate Attributes (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/handbooks/alignmentofoutcomes.html).

On completion of this course students should be able to:

• understand and critically analyse the historical, political and social context of the social services
• have an understanding of and be able to critically analyse the nature and role of social work, its values, ethical base, and sources of knowledge
• understand, critically analyse, and apply a variety of social work theories and models of intervention to the solution of individual, family and community problems
• understand and be able to apply an understanding of factors affecting people's functioning - their life stage, health, and mental health - to the solution of their problems
• understand the organisational context of human services, how this affects the workings of human services, and how to develop and change organisations
• have a beginning understanding of the processes of planning and evaluating the effectiveness of human services
• deepen existing skills of written and oral presentation, argument and analysis, and be able to apply these effectively in practice
• develop the skills to function as a graduate in employment in the human services
• to develop their understanding of themselves as individuals and as professionals, critically analyse the way their experiences can affect their work with clients, learn to handle these constructively, and learn to use their personal capacities effectively in helping clients resolve problems.

Special requirements

Students must refer to the information available on the special requirements outlined below. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure they have the correct documentation.

Police checks

Students must have a current Police check regarding their suitability to undertake placements. Refer to the faculty's police checkspolice checks (http://www.med.monash.edu.au/current/police-checks.html) webpage.

Working with Children checks

Students must have a current Working with Children check regarding their suitability to undertake placements. Refer to the faculty's Working with Children checksWorking with Children checks (http://www.med.monash.edu.au/current/wwc-check.html) webpage.

Immunisation and infection requirements

In accordance with the National Health and Medical Research Council recommendations, this course requires that students comply with the faculty's Immunisation and vaccination policy and procedures. These are designed to provide maximum protection against the increased risk of some vaccine preventable diseases for students, patients and workers in a health care setting.

This policy, and the associated procedures require that students have certain specified vaccinations, and have their blood borne virus status determined, before they commence a clinical placement. Students who have not complied with this policy may not be able to undertake clinical placement, with the attendant academic consequences.

Prospective students are provided detailed information on the effect of blood borne virus infection on the scope of practice of health care workers. Students who test positive to a blood borne virus (including HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C) will be required to consult a specialist medical practitioner approved by the faculty to provide advice on any necessary restrictions on work practices to protect patients and others from infection.

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.

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

This course consists of 12 compulsory units.

Level one

Semester one

• SWK3220 Social work in a globalised world
• SWK3230 Social work research
• SWK3400 Critical social work 1 - Individuals and families (context and practice)

Semester two

• SWK3180 Supervised professional practice 1
• SWK3410 Critical social work 2 - Community work, context and practice
• SWK3440 Leadership in social work and human services

Level two

Semester one

• SWK4030 Human rights, law and ethics contexts for social work practice
• SWK4031 Working with complexity
• SWK4400 Critical social work 3 - Group work and community engagement (context and practice)
• SWK4450 Social policy and social justice

Semester two

• SWK4401 Critical social work 4 - Individual, health and society (context and practice)
• SWK4560 Supervised professional practice 2

• Social work

Bachelor of Social Work