Study Social Work at Otago

Why study Social Work?

People who are interested in helping others and their community will be drawn to studying social work. The purpose of social work is to enable people to develop their potential, promote their human rights and pursue social justice. Professional social work focuses on problem solving and change. Social workers  are change agents in the lives of individuals, families and communities, as people’s problems are often related to factors in all these domains.

Social work ranges from direct work with individuals, working with organisations to become more responsive to people’s needs, right through to the development of social policy and legislation. The various roles include counselling, clinical social work, family therapy, helping people obtain services and resources, agency administration, community work, social policy, and political organising.

Background required

No specialist knowledge is required, but an interest in working with people is important. Subjects to take at school include English, Māori, and other social science subjects. To go on to the professional programmes some experience with a social service organisation such as the Buddy Programme, Youthline, Women’s Refuge, IHC, or similar is needed.

Career opportunities

Job opportunities arise in both policy and  practice in a range of human services in education, health, welfare and justice sectors. These include government social service agencies, voluntary, and community agencies. Graduates work as health workers, social workers, teachers, probation officers, counsellors, advocates, community workers, policy advisers and analysts, and researchers.

Students are encouraged to tailor courses to their career aspirations by combining social work courses with other subjects to open up new fields of opportunity such as:

• Community development
• Cultural services
• Correctional services and Police
• Health services
• Individual care and counselling
• Law
• Māori and Iwi development
• Management
• Policy advice and development
• Political studies
• Treaty-based services

The Social and Community Work programme at Otago Otago’s involvement in social work and community development began in 1978. The programme has grown from a work-based certificate into full undergraduate degrees through to postgraduate, master’s, and PhD qualifications.

Our professional qualifications are recognised by the Social Workers Registration Board for social work registration (Social Workers Registration Act 2003). Our qualifications are also approved by the Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers.

A distinctive element of our majors is the attention to intervention skills and methods, which lead to a versatile career path, particularly when taken with other social science disciplines. The combination of many different academic subjects and ‘hands on’ skills and methods provides many career opportunities.

Study pathways

Our Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) is a four-year degree and students apply for entry at the end of year two (200-level). Otago also provides a distance-taught option of the BSW at third- and fourth-year level for students who already have a relevant BA (e.g. in Psychology, Sociology, or Education). We also offer a ‘taught master’s’ that can be completed after a relevant first degree (e.g. in Psychology, Sociology, or Education). This Master in Social and Community Work (Applied) degree enables you to be a fully registered Social Worker, as it includes papers and fieldwork placements. It is taught alongside the BSW. In addition to these degree programmes, Otago offers a full range of postgraduate research courses to PhD level.

Your first year of study

Introductory papers outline the models and concepts of the social sciences. These are applied to the social and human services in the New Zealand context from a Treaty-based perspective, and a study of selected fields of social service practice. Students who want to go into social work must also take some sociology papers, Māori papers and one human development paper (see website).

Continuing your studies

Second-year level papers cover a range of the sociological bases of social work as well as covering the various fields of practice and ethical basis of social work. Finally, advanced papers focus on the theories and methods of actually achieving change across individual, family, organisational and community levels.

At third- and fourth-year level, students will have the opportunity to practice their skills in supervised fieldwork settings.

Qualifications

Explore your study options further. Refer to enrolment information found on the following qualification pages.

• Social Work Pre-professional (BA)
• Bachelor of Social Work (BSW)
• Bachelor of Social Work with Honours (BSW(Hons))
• Master of Social and Community Work (Applied) (MSCW(Applied))
• Postgraduate Diploma in Social Welfare (PGDipSW)
• Master of Social Work (MSW)
• Master of Social and Community Work (Applied) (MSCW(Applied))

Key information for students

• Domestic students
• International students

Contact us

Social and Community Work Programme

Email sgsw@otago.ac.nz
Website otago.ac.nz/social-community-work

This information must be read subject to the statement on our Copyright & Disclaimer page.

Regulations on this page are taken from the 2021 Calendar and supplementary material.