Course details

Summary

Professionally-trained social workers are always in demand throughout Northland and New Zealand. Our degree programme is aimed at preparing you for the workplace and has a focus on how to practice in a culturally safe manner, being critically reflective and maintaining self-care strategies including ongoing professional supervision.

You'll gain the knowledge and skills required in a competent social worker within the context of ethical practice and accountability. On completion you will receive the Bachelor of Applied Social Work - an approved qualification on the Social Worker Registration Board's schedule for applying to become a registered social worker.

Over the course of the programme, you will not only focus on the theory, but also actively carry out fieldwork in different areas of practice.

What you will learn

Graduates of the Bachelor of Applied Social Work will be able to:

• Demonstrate the ability to work in a bi-cultural context and acknowledge the centrality of Te Tiriti o Waitangi to social work as a profession and in practice
• Apply anti-oppressive social work values, knowledge and skills to complex situations to stimulate personal and social change in a range of work and social contexts
• Have the ability to work with individuals, families or whanau, communities and groups from diverse ethnic, cultural and indigenous backgrounds
• Demonstrate the ability to work autonomously and make independent judgment from a well-informed social work position
• Demonstrate the ability to work collaboratively with others in multi-disciplinary teams, organisations and communities
• Demonstrate understanding of, and ability to, integrate sustainability and contemporary social, political, psychological, economic, legal, environmental, cultural and indigenous issues within Aotearoa New Zealand and internationally into both social work as a profession and practice
• Demonstrate an awareness of the level of skills, knowledge, information, attributes and abilities of a new social work graduate

Career pathways and opportunities

Graduates of the Bachelor of Applied Social Work will be able to work both independently and collectively demonstrating competence in interpersonal and intrapersonal communication and practice skills, that can lead to a range of careers including:

• Social Workers
• Community support workers
• Whanau ora workers
• Community advocates
• Health workers
• Drug and Alcohol social workers
• Mental Health social workers and advocates
• Housing support workers
• Maori communities Kaiawhinas
• Community Advisors
• Family support workers

NorthTec is committed to assuring that our students can articulate into related graduate and post graduate programmes offered by other tertiary institutions in New Zealand. Graduates of this programme may be prepared to undertake postgraduate study offered by a number of tertiary education providers for example:

• Master of Social Work - Massey University, Auckland University
• Master of Applied Practice (Social Practice) - Unitec

Entry criteria

Completed NCEA level 3 with University Entrance including at least:

• 14 credits in an English language rich subject, e.g. English, history, art history, classics, geography, economics

Alternative Educational Criteria

• Minimum of 'B' passes in a relevant Level 4 Bridging Programme Or
• Evidence of recent successful study in other relevant courses at tertiary level Or
• Documented verifiable evidence of relevant work life experience (usually the equivalent of two year's full time) that indicates the ability to meet the requirements of this degree. Such evidence would normally include details of roles/responsibilities undertaken, interpersonal skills, other achievements and referee statements. Admission under this provision requires an interview with and approval from the Programme Leader.

English Language Requirements

If English or Maori is not the applicant's first language, or if the applicant did not undertake their secondary schooling in English, candidates will need to have passed an English language proficiency test with an Academic IELTS score of at least 6.5 in all bands.