Welcome to the Bachelor of Social Work

Welcome to the Bachelor of Social Work site for students currently enrolled in the BSW. Further information is available in the Undergraduate Handbook of the Faculty of Education and Social Work and via MyUni. Feedback and suggestions about additions to this site are welcomed.

About Social Work
The following definition of social work was adopted by the International Federation of Social Workers in 2000:

The social work profession promotes social change, problem-solving in human relationships, and the empowerment and liberation of people to enhance well-being. Utilizing theories of human behaviour and social systems, social work intervenes at the points where people interact with their environments. Principles of human rights and social justice are fundamental to social work. Read more…

About the BSW
The Bachelor of Social Work degree (BSW) at the University of Sydney prepares you to practise as a professional social worker. 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, i.e. 2 years study in Arts plus 2 years professional studies in social work and social policy. In first year, apart from compulsory studies in sociology, students can choose from an extensive range of units such as government, languages, philosophy, psychology and anthropology. In the second year there are compulsory units of sociology, psychology and Indigenous studies, with some opportunity to pursue studies in other areas of student interest.

The third and fourth years comprise both class work and field education. Class work provides a framework of knowledge and skills required for the analysis and development of theory and research, and the interaction of personal and professional values and ethics as they relate to social policy and social work. The starting points for class work learning are typical issues and debates encountered in contexts of policy and practice or with particular social or cultural groups, brought together in Issue Based Learning Units (IBLs). The field education program provides a practice context for this learning.