Bachelor of Social Work with Honours

Admission to UC with University Entrance (or equivalent) is required to enrol.

Students with English as an additional language are also required to meet UC's English language requirements.

For information on the enrolment process, please see how to apply for undergraduate qualifications.

Recommended preparation

Entry to the first year of the BSW(Hons) is open to all students with entry to the University.

While no particular secondary school subjects are required, a background in subjects promoting communication skills such as English, history, geography, or te reo Māori is useful. Volunteer work in the community is also good preparation.

The BSW(Hons) requires a total of 480 points:

• 405 points of compulsory Social Work courses
• 75 points from a prescribed list of courses

The degree takes 4 years full-time study, or can be studied part-time for up to 8 years.

It is highly recommended that first year students begin their BSW(Hons) degree in February. Students wanting to begin in July will need to contact the BSW(Hons) Coordinator to organise their programme schedule.

Limited entry into second year and beyond

Entry to Social Work courses at 200-level and above is competitive. Students applying for entry into the second year of the BSW(Hons) will need to meet criteria identified through an application process and satisfactory Police vetting. Students with English as a second language will also need to provide evidence of their English language ability.

For entry into the third year of the BSW(Hons), students must have completed 240 points from the 100 and 200-level requirements of the degree, and have approval from the programme to continue with the degree.

Applications into the fourth year of the BSW(Hons) must be made by 30 September during the third year. Students must have completed SOWK 301 and SOWK 308, provide attestations of character and suitability for practice, and agree to observe the Code of Ethics of the Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers (Inc.) and the Code of Conduct of the New Zealand Social Workers Registration Board.

For more information on the entry process for each year of the BSW(Hons), see the Regulations for the Bachelor of Social Work with Honours or contact a College of Arts | Te Rāngai Toi Tangata Student Advisor.

Completed courses can be credited to a Bachelor of Arts if you are unable to, or choose not to, continue with a BSW(Hons).

The Bachelor of Social Work with Honours follows a closely prescribed structure, with courses on social services in Aotearoa New Zealand, social work internship placements, and a variety of optional courses in related subject topics, including Sociology, Criminal Justice, and Political Science and International Relations.

See ‘How do I plan my degree?’ above for an example degree structure diagram.

Students who started their BSW before 2019 will follow a different structure - see the UC Calendar Archive or contact a College of Arts | Te Rāngai Toi Tangata Student Advisor.

Compulsory courses

Year 1

• HSRV 103 Violence in Society
• SOWK 101 Introduction to Social Policy
• SOWK 102 Human Services in Aotearoa
• SOWK 104 Youth Realities
• MAOR 108 Aotearoa: Introduction to New Zealand Treaty Society or MAOR 165 He Tīmatanga: Engaging with Māori

Plus a choice of three 100-level courses selected from:

• Anthropology
• Criminal Justice
• Education
• Māori and Indigenous Studies
• Political Science and International Relations
• Psychology
• Sociology
• Te Reo Māori
• WRIT 101 Writing for Academic Success

Year 2

Students will need to complete first year SOWK courses, and an application, for entry into 200-level SOWK courses.

• HSRV 204 Culture, Indigeneity and Citizenship: Critical Debates for the Human Services
• HSRV 206 Child Protection Practice
• MAOR 212 Māori and Indigenous Development
• SOWK 201 Communication in the Human Services
• SOWK 202 Human Behaviour and Human Systems
• SOWK 203 Policy Debates in the Social Services
• SOWK 205 Social Work and Community Engagement

Plus one of:

• COMS 207 Social Media
• CULT 202 Cultural Politics/Cultural Activism
• HIST 243 Kiwi Culture
• HSRV 208 Gender Sensitivity and the Human Services
• HSRV 210 Gender, Crime and Social Theory
• MAOR 270 Te Ao Hauora Tangata: Māori Health Perspectives
• MAOR 285 Oral Traditions and Modern Histories of Ngāi Tahu
• POLS 206 Introduction to Public Policy
• POLS 212 Global and International Political Economy
• SOCI 218 Crime and Justice

Year 3

An application and approval from the programme is required for entry to the third year of the BSW(Hons).

• SOWK 301 Theory, Methods and Integration
• SOWK 303 Mental Health
• SOWK 304 Indigenous Practice
• SOWK 308 Social Work Principles and Skills
• SOWK 390 Research Methods in Social Work

Year 4

Completion of SOWK 301 and SOWK 308, and an application for entry to the fourth year of the BSW(Hons), will need to be made by 30 September in the previous year of study.

• SOWK 490 Social Work Practice Integration Research Project
• SOWK 491 Social Work Fieldwork Practicum I
• SOWK 492 Social Work Fieldwork Practicum II

UC offers postgraduate programmes in advanced Social Work practice and research:

• Master of Social Work
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Social Work

Other students with any undergraduate degree can choose to study our Master of Social Work (Applied) to become qualified as a social worker.