Social Work

The social work discipline encompasses a small but very active group of academics engaged in a wide range of teaching, research and community service activities.

The social work discipline commenced in 1991 at the University of Newcastle and in subsequent years has developed as a model of excellence in experience based teaching and learning. In this context field education is especially significant as it allows students to develop their professional and personal capacities as social workers in training.

Professional Accreditation
This is an AASW-accredited qualification. It is an entry qualification into the social work profession and has been determined to meet the Australian Social Work Education and Accreditation Standards (ASWEAS).

Study Options

Undergraduate professional education program in social work (Bachelor of Social Work - BSW)
Cross- disciplinary coursework in primary education
Postgraduate coursework in human services management.

Research

Social work has achieved unsurpassed success in research, with our team of researchers having established themselves as the top-ranked research group in Australia, being the only group to achieve a five-ranking - well above world standard - for social work research. Led by Professor Mel Gray, our research group has established a strong track record in several research areas, including evidence-based social work, knowledge production and transfer in social work, family estrangement, assets-based community development, neoliberal managerialism and its impact on social work, social policy, social enterprise, child protection, the relationship between social work and art, international and Indigenous social work, and social work supervision. The over-arching theme of our research has been the translation of theory and research to inform social work education and practice. View our research profiles below.

Honours

From 2008, the Honours structure in the Bachelor of Social Work will conform to the University's 'embedded + Honours' structure. Students undertaking Honours will be required to complete a 'Research Component' of 30 units of research related courses: one 10 unit research related course at 3000 level (SWRK3005: Social Work Research), which is a prescribed course for all students in the degree), and one research thesis with a unit value of 20 units at 4000 level. It is important to note that the Honours program is currently under review and may be subject to change.

For further information contact Honours Convenor Kylie Agllias