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.
Compulsory courses
Year 1
- HSRV 103 Violence in Society
- SOWK 101 Introduction to Social Policy
- SOWK 102 Social 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
Further study
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.
Contact us
For the full degree requirements, see the Regulations for the Bachelor of Social Work with Honours.
For study planning help, contact the UC Liaison Office | Te Rōpū Takawaenga o UC (new students) or a College of Arts | Te Rāngai Toi Tangata Student Advisor (advancing students).
For more information on facilities, resources, and staff, see the College of Arts | Te Rāngai Toi Tangata.
For more general information, email [email protected] or freephone 0800 VARSITY (827 748)