The Bachelor of Social Work is a 4-year degree focused on training graduates dedicating their services toward people’s capabilities and advocating the development of social policies and research that identify, nurture and support these qualities to help empower them. The course aims to train Social Work graduates who understand and respect human diversity and recognize the creative and supportive potential of heterogeneous communities.

The degree will comprise 32 units (subjects) studied over 8 trimesters, 4 units per a trimester session. EEach trimester will comprise 13 weeks of face-to-face classes, and one-week end of session exam period. Each trimester, therefore, is contained within a 14-week block While there will be three trimesters per year, the third or summer trimester will be optional. 


The degree is an AASW-accredited qualification (Conditional provisional accreditation). It is an entry qualification into the social work profession and has been determined to meet the Australian Social Work Education and Accreditation Standards.

Modes of delivery 

The course will be delivered by face-to-face lectures supplemented with online materials through Moodle (NAPS eLearning) to be accessible on and off campus.   There will be 3 hours of face-to-face teaching per week for all units, consisting of 2 hours of lectures and 1 hour of tutorials, with each class being 50 minutes per teaching time and a 10-minute break per hour except for Field Education 1 and 2.

Classes will comprise lectures through:

• blended delivery
• seminar-type discussions and presentation
• flipped classroom
• online delivery
• work integrated learning (Field Education and supervision),
• and teaching of practice social work skills.

Field Education

The course incorporates Field Education 1 and Field Education 2 that require students to complete 500 hours of placement in each instance, thus totally 1000 hours.  Field Education will enable students to learn to practice social work through educationally focused service experiences in agency and community settings.

Why Choose Social Work?

Social Work is one of the fastest growing professions and is in high demand both in Australia and globally. There are employment opportunities in local and international government and NGO sectors, as well as the commercial sector. Social workers are individuals who want to promote and support individual and community wellbeing.  In a post-COVID world and with a rapidly growing older population, health and other social services are going to be even more important in the future. Consequently, there will be many opportunities in social work and community services, thus creating the basis for a solid demand in the student market.

Social workers support a variety of communities and or people in need. Clients might include children and families who are experiencing difficult times, migrants and refugees, people with addictions, people with mental or general health issues, people in the legal or justice system, people with disabilities, people in palliative care and many more.

According to the Australian Government Job Outlook:

Workers will be needed in the Healthcare and Social Assistance industry to support the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), investments in hospitals, and the growing demand for aged care, childcare, and home-care based services. Some of the jobs likely to need workers are:

• Aged and Disabled Carers
• Registered Nurses
• Child Carers
• Welfare Support Workers.”

Given their role, there is a continuing for social workers and a growing basis for demand for Social Work graduates.

Learning Outcomes 

Upon completion, students will achieve the:

1. Ability to evaluate information from academic research and other sources using different media to enable evidence-based decisions and be able to communicate this effectively and professionally to diverse stakeholders
2. Ability to apply and adhere to the standards of the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) working individually or in collaboration with others to achieve common goals in a professional context 
3. Ability to work effectively and adopt skills in different cultural, national and global contexts and to progressively update and improve technical skills and theoretical specialist knowledge consistent with current AASW Code of Ethics and current AASW Practice Standards 
4. Understand of the role of the social worker as a professional able to promote social justice as part of the individual’s professional responsibilities   and to guide and assist clients and keep their confidence with integrity

All students must have been formally admitted to the Academy before commencing their degree program. Admission to the course is based upon the ATAR and NAPS’ Admissions Policy. To be admitted to the degree program, a student must meet the following criteria:

Domestic Students

Current School Leavers

Minimum ATAR of 65 (or equivalent assessment in New Zealand or the Overall Position (OP) in Queensland) or a Higher School Certificate or overseas equivalent.

Non-Current School Leavers

• Completion of a AQF level 4 or equivalent course; or

• Previous admission to or the subsequent completion of at least one trimester of an AQF level 7 or equivalent course.

International Students

• Must be at least 18 years of age or older at course commencement.

• Year 12 or equivalent or other relevant qualification.

• An overall valid academic IELTS 7.0 not less than 7.0 each band or equivalent (please refer to the DOHA website for Acceptable English Evidence and Exemptions); or have successfully completed at least an Australian Diploma qualification within the last 2 years.

• In addition, students may participate in a course entry interview to determine their suitability for the course.

• International Students must meet the Student Visa (SC500) requirements.

Students with Disabilities

The same conditions and procedures apply to the admissions of students with a disability as to all other students, however NAPS fosters an environment of inclusiveness so special measures are provided to support their learning when required and discussed as part of the admission process.

Mature Age Applicants

• A student who does not meet the standard ‘school leavers’ criteria may apply for admission as a mature age applicant if they:

• are 21 years of age or older on 1st March of the year they intend to commence study; do not have the required ATAR for admission to the course;

• do not have a record of tertiary study; and have completed an approved preparation course of not less than 6 months duration; or

• have completed a vocational training course and have been assessed by the Dean or nominee to be able to undertake tertiary studies

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students

NAPS is committed to equity of access and supports alternative entry admission schemes particularly for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island students who are encouraged to apply. The Academic Board may approve such admissions to:

• encourage and assist indigenous students to enrol into studies; or

• provide access to the educationally or socially disadvantaged; or

• address the under-representation of designated groups.

Articulation Arrangements and RPL

Students who have completed a diploma or advanced diploma or equivalent course in another approved institution may transfer into this degree. The amount of credit transfer or recognition of prior learning will be assessed for each individual student.

English Language Requirements

To be accepted into the program, international students who have not completed a Year 12 or equivalent secondary school level qualification or higher qualification in the English language consistent with the requirements for admission to AQF Level 7 degree courses in Australia must have a minimum score of 7.0 or higher in each component (listening, reading, writing and speaking) of the Academic International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test, or equivalent, upon application.

Please note: International students studying an AASW accredited social work course in Australia MUST fulfill AASW’s Proficiency in EL to meet the AASW EL Policy requirements for a positive assessment for migration purposes. Please visit: https://www.aasw.asn.au for further details.

The medium of instruction in the Academy is English. All students are therefore required to demonstrate a minimum level of proficiency in the English language to qualify for admission.

The following criteria apply:

• Students from Australian local institutions must have completed a Higher School Certificate or equivalent from overseas.

• Mature students from English speaking countries must pass an English language proficiency interview conducted by the Dean or nominee.

• For students from non-English speaking countries who apply onshore or directly from their home countries, the condition of admission is an IELTS (Academic) test with a minimum score of 7.0 with no sub-band score less than 7.0 or equivalent in TOFEL or other accredited English language test program provided by an accredited supplier of such tests.

• Students who do not meet the minimum English Language requirement may be permitted to enrol after successful completion of an appropriate English for Academic Purposes program accredited by NEAS and approved by the Academy.

When an IELTS score or equivalent is used to demonstrate English proficiency, that score must have been attained within two years of the date of application for admission.

Additional Course-Specific Admission Requirements

Students need to provide the following for enrolment in Field Education 1 and Field Education 2 that are compulsory units in the course:

• National Police Certificate

• Working with Children Check

• National Police Check from Country of Origin

  • If students cannot attain an NPC from their home country, they must complete Overseas Student Statutory Declaration in which they advise they have had zero criminal convictions in the last five years in their home country. This declaration needs to be completed after the student arrives in NSW and needs to be signed and witnessed by an authorised witness such as a Legal Practitioner or Justice of the Peace.

• NSW Health Compliant Certificate

Our graduates have pursued careers in:

• Community Development
• Mental Health
• Hospital Social Work
• Child Protection
• Family Work
• Case Management
• Policy Analysis and Development
• Research
• Social Action
• Program Planning
• Community Welfare Sector

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