Social Work Course Structure
The Bachelor of Social Work degree (BSW) at the University of Sydney prepares graduates for professional practise as social workers. The BSW is accredited by the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) and the qualification is widely accepted overseas. The BSW has a '2x2’ course structure, that is, two years' study in Arts plus two years' of professional studies in social work and social policy.
The links below provide unit-of-study information arranged by year, including links to printable unit of study outlines. Students who have questions about their own degree programs should, in the first instance, direct these to the administrator by email or telephone, or in person at the faculty's Student Administration Office, Level 3 of the Education Building.
Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4
Year 1
In the first year of study, apart from compulsory studies in sociology, students can choose from an extensive range of units such as government, languages, philosophy, psychology and anthropology.
| Semester One | Cpts |
|---|---|
|
6 |
|
|
3 x junior units of study from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Table A or Table B |
18 |
|
Semester Two |
|
|
6 |
|
|
3 x junior units of study from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Table A or Table B |
18 |
Year 2
As with Year 1, in this year, students are able to pursue studies in areas of particular interest to them but must also complete compulsory units. These are in sociology, psychology and indigenous studies.
| Semester One | Cpts |
|---|---|
|
6 |
|
|
6 |
|
|
Psychology for Social Work 201 (SCWK2004) or 1 x intermediate unit of psychology from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Table B |
6 |
|
Senior unit of study from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Table A or Table B |
6 |
|
Semester Two |
|
|
6 |
|
|
Psychology for Social Work 202 (SCWK2005) or 1 x intermediate unit of psychology from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Table B |
6 |
|
2 x senior units of study from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Table A or Table B |
12 |
Year 3
During Years 3 and 4 students undertake field education in addition to classwork. Classwork includes the study of how the interaction of personal and professional values and ethics relates to social work and social policy. It also provides a framework of knowledge and skills to enable students to analyse and develop theories and research. The starting points for classwork learning are typical issues and debates encountered by professional social workers, either in the contexts of policy and practice, or in their dealings with particular social or cultural groups. These are brought together in Issue Based Learning (IBL) units. The field-education program provides a practice context for this learning.
| Semester One | Cpts |
|---|---|
|
8 |
|
|
8 |
|
|
8 |
|
|
Semester Two |
|
|
Both: or |
6 |
Year 4
| Semester One | Cpts |
|---|---|
|
9 |
|
|
15 |
|
|
Semester Two |
|
|
6 |
|
|
9 |
|
|
Both: or |
3 |