Undergraduate
Bachelor of Social Work (Honours)
Develop skills to help achieve socially just outcomes and change to individuals and communities
Majors available
Social Work major
The Social Work major forms the basis for the Bachelor of Social Work degree and aims to capture knowledge and skills from a variety of disciplines, including psychology, social sciences, public health and of course the contemporary social work field.
It offers both core social work units and a variety of suggested broadening units to allowing you to immerse yourself in thinking, critiquing and creating social work knowledge, applying to practice based scenarios and field placements. Social workers are concerned with psychosocial problems; their causes, their solutions and their human impacts.
Social workers work with individuals, families, groups, organisations and communities, and are committed to social justice and human rights. In their practice, social workers deal with diverse issues such as the personal experience of people in difficulty, working with them towards effecting appropriate change. They are also concerned with broader organisational and social aspects of disadvantage, which impinge on the experience of individuals, and they seek to bring about change at community and policy levels in accordance with the values of the social work profession. It is a challenging, but potentially very rewarding profession, which attracts people with a high level of social commitment who are looking for a job in which they can put that commitment into practice in a positive and significant way.
UWA is working with the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) to ensure the Bachelor of Social Work meets the Australian Social Work Education and Accreditation Standards and are currently undergoing accreditation to deliver the course in 2024.
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Life in Perth
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International students
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Undergraduate – your first degree
Graduation is one step – but the main one is preparing you for your career. You’ll get there through the practical learning and industry-enriched study experiences UWA offers.
Undergraduate – your first degree
Fees and scholarships
Domestic Student Fees
For Commonwealth-supported places, student contribution amounts are charged by unit, based on area of study. For a fee estimate, go to the Fee Calculator and select “I want to price my units”. Fees are subject to annual indexation. Refer to the Handbook to identify the units required. More information on how fees are calculated.
Career Opportunities
Social work requires a strong commitment to and passion for social justice and human rights. If you think you have what it takes, the employment opportunities in Australia are excellent and the demand for graduates is high, with graduating students quickly finding work in a range of fields.
Careers to consider in addition to the health and welfare sectors:
- Aged care worker: provide personal, physical and emotional support to older people who need assistance with everyday living
- Correctional services officer: aid in the rehabilitation and counselling of offenders
- Domestic violence victim services officer: counsel, investigate and report on incidences of domestic violence
- Disability services officer: provide support for people in the community with intellectual, physical, social and emotional disabilities
- Social planner: a pivotal role in creating liveable, sustainable communities; social planners create strategic policy and action that policy in order to meet the needs and wants of the people
- School based: assisting students individually or in group contexts, psychosocial education and counselling
Career Pathways
Career Pathways
Scholarships
Scholarships are available to students from a diverse range of backgrounds, including academic achievement, financial need, educational disadvantage, leadership and community service, artistic or sporting achievements, and being from a rural or remote area.
Career opportunities
Social work requires a strong commitment to and passion for social justice and human rights. If you think you have what it takes, the employment opportunities in Australia are excellent and the demand for graduates is high, with graduating students quickly finding work in a range of fields.
Careers to consider in addition to the health and welfare sectors:
- Aged care worker: provide personal, physical and emotional support to older people who need assistance with everyday living
- Correctional services officer: aid in the rehabilitation and counselling of offenders
- Domestic violence victim services officer: counsel, investigate and report on incidences of domestic violence
- Disability services officer: provide support for people in the community with intellectual, physical, social and emotional disabilities
- Social planner: a pivotal role in creating liveable, sustainable communities; social planners create strategic policy and action that policy in order to meet the needs and wants of the people
- School based: assisting students individually or in group contexts, psychosocial education and counselling
International Student Fees
Onshore international students are charged an annual course fee, charged per credit point at a rate dependent on the course in which the student is enrolled. Annual course fees are calculated based on an annual study load. Check the handbook to confirm the annual study load for your course.
Find out more about international student tuition fees and visit the fee calculator for the relevant course fees.
Fees are subject to annual indexation.
Scholarships
Scholarships are available to students from a diverse range of backgrounds, including academic achievement, financial need, educational disadvantage, leadership and community service, artistic or sporting achievements, and being from a rural or remote area.
Careers and further study
Further study
Entry requirements
Admissions Requirements
To be considered for this course you need to:
- achieve a minimum ATAR of 75
- demonstrate English language competence. Note that applicants presenting with IELTS require a score of 7.0 with no individual band less than 7.0; applicants presenting with iBT require a score of 94 overall with 27 for writing, 23 for speaking, and 24 for reading and listening; applicants presenting with PTE require a score of 70 with nothing below 70.
View our admission requirements for specific information, depending on your education history.
Admission entry to UWA
We offer a number of other pathways for you to gain entry into our undergraduate degrees if you do not meet the standard admission requirements. Learn more about our admission entry pathways.
About the Bachelor of Social Work (Honours)
The Bachelor of Social Work develops your skills and knowledge to bring about positive change and socially just outcomes in the wellbeing of individuals, organisations and communities. Equipping you with the skills to advocate for and improve the lives of individuals, families and communities. Built in collaboration with industry, UWA's Bachelor of Social Work will equip you with the skills for a successful career.
Quick details
- Available
- 75 or equivalent
- February and July
- Perth, online and regional WA hubs including UWA Albany
- 4 years full time or part-time equivalent
- BH017/UH017
- 114339C
Why study Social Work
The Bachelor of Social Work develops your skills and knowledge to bring about positive change and socially just outcomes in the wellbeing of individuals, organisations and communities. Equipping you with the skills to advocate for and improve the lives of individuals, families and communities.
Top 5 reasons to study
- Social work is a growing area of employment in Australia (Jobs and Skills Australia)
- The combination of coursework units and high-quality placements in the field presents you with the opportunity to integrate knowledge and skills and develop a sense of identity as a practitioner
- Taught by highly qualified, award-winning staff who are passionate about teaching and learning
- Social workers promote change at individual, community and policy levels and assist people to create positive outcomes
- You'll be taught using creative case study and evidence-informed methodologies, highlighting contemporary approaches to practice and research
Flexible Study
Practical Placements
You'll learn to
- Act in accordance with social work knowledge, values and ethics within a human rights framework
- Apply knowledge of human behaviour and society, as well as the social, cultural, political, legal, economic and global contexts of practice to respond effectively within a human rights and social justice framework
- Apply and transfer knowledge across different fields of social work practice
- Critically and reflexively apply knowledge within a framework of ethical practice
- Effectively use a range of communication and interpersonal skills in diverse settings with diverse groups and individuals
- Apply evidence based and research knowledge in practice
- Apply appropriate knowledge and select relevant theories and methods to address complex and sensitive social issues and individual problems to achieve socially just outcomes
- You'll also successfully complete 1000 hours of field education placements
Bachelor of Social Work
This course is available for Experience-based entry
Together with this course, you can also apply for a select number of our undergraduate bachelor's degrees.
Through our Experience-based entry, we will assess all your academic achievements, qualifications and life experiences using a point system, where points will be awarded for each item submitted, and the total number of points will determine your eligibility.
Accreditation
The Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) (BH017) is provisionally accredited by the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW).