About Social Work and Community Development

Here you will find information about our department, its staff, courses, and contacts.

Social Work and Community Development offers courses and research in several areas of applied social science. These include the following:

  • Social policy, social problems and social change conduct
  • Parenting work, family life, gender, family therapy, family development
  • Mental health practice, disability studies
  • Child attachment and trauma, child psychotherapy, social work for children and young people
  • Adolescent development, alternative care, iwi social services
  • Community development, social problems, social policy, community care
  • Social work ethics, supervision and management,
  • Women and older adults
  • Law and social work, community resources, community work and development
  • Criminal justice, voluntary sector welfare, effectiveness of social work, action research.
We strive to offer courses from a Treaty-based perspective relating to Aotearoa New Zealand

Recommended subjects to take at school

English and Māori are highly recommended. Social science subjects such as geography, history, and social studies are relevant but not essential. The most important requirement is a strong interest in people, the make-up of New Zealand's society, and contemporary social issues.

University of Otago Department of Social Work and Community Development