Red X iconGreen tick iconYellow tick icon
Skip to main content

Bachelor of Social Work with Honours BSW(Hons)

    Overview

    The Bachelor of Social Work with Honours (BSW(Hons)) provides an advanced option at 400-level for students completing the BSW degree. BSW(Hons) students complete the main requirements of the BSW degree but also take extra courses of a more research-intensive nature and produce a dissertation. Achievement of a BSW(Hons) provides either an excellent pathway into Social Work practice (particularly where a strong research element is required) or establishes students with foundational skills in postgraduate-level social work research as a basis for continuing on to further postgraduate study.

    Students are selected for entry into the BSW(Hons) at 400-level based on academic achievement in 300-level BSW courses.

    Contact

    Social and Community Work Programme

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

    Subjects

          Requirements

          See all programmes

          Regulations for the Degree of Bachelor of Social Work with Honours (BSW(Hons))

          1. Admission to the Programme

            1. Admission to the programme shall be subject to the approval of the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Humanities).
            2. Admission to the Honours programme will be based upon an applicant's academic performance in the third year of the programme for the degree of Bachelor of Social Work.
            Note: Admission to and enrolment in the programme are subject to safety checking of students for suitability to work with children, as required under the Children's Act 2014.

          2. Structure of the Programme

            1. A candidate admitted to an Honours programme shall complete the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Social Work as set out in the Schedule for that degree except that the final year's course must comprise SOWK 402 and SOWK 403, (20 points each), and SOWK 490 (40 points), and SOWK 492 (40 points).
            2. The final year's course for the Honours programme should be taken by fulltime candidates in one year, but may be taken by part-time candidates over more than one year.
            3. The dissertation prescribed for the final year's course must be submitted no later than 1 November of that year.

          3. Prerequisites, Corequisites and Restrictions

            Every programme of study shall satisfy the requirements for prerequisites, corequisites, and restrictions set out in the Prescriptions (published in the Guide to Enrolment).

          4. Withdrawal from the Programme

            1. A student who withdraws from the programme and wishes to be readmitted at a later date shall be required to reapply for entry under the normal application process.
            2. A student who has been admitted to the programme but does not complete any papers for three consecutive years shall be deemed to have withdrawn.
            3. When a candidate withdraws from an Honours programme, voluntarily or otherwise, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Humanities) may recommend that the ordinary degree of Bachelor of Social Work be awarded or determine the papers which shall be credited towards that degree.

          5. Review and Exclusion from the Programme

            1. A student's place in the programme may be reviewed at any time if the student has:
              1. failed a fieldwork placement or the prerequisite SOWK 320;
              2. failed any of the other compulsory papers of the programme at a second attempt;
              3. not been placed in a fieldwork placement due to concerns relating to competency or suitability raised by at least three different fieldwork organisations;
              4. committed a criminal offence (whether or not a conviction has been entered);
              5. engaged in unethical conduct;
              6. significant and ongoing physical or mental health difficulties that may prevent them from being able to demonstrate competence in practice settings;
              7. failed to declare a matter covered by iv-vi.
            2. The processes for a review shall be those contained in the Division of Humanities' Procedure for Reviewing a Student's Place in the Social Work Programme. After the review process a student may:
              1. be given mandated tasks to complete;
              2. be excluded from the programme for a period of time; or
              3. be permanently excluded from the programme by the Divisional Board of the Division of Humanities on the recommendation of the Social and Community Work programme.

          6. Level of Award of the Degree

            1. The degree may be awarded with First Class Honours, with Second Class Honours (Division I), with Second Class Honours (Division II), or with Third Class Honours. The class of Honours awarded shall be determined by the examiners primarily on the performance of the candidate in the fourth stage of the programme.
            2. A candidate who fails to obtain Honours may proceed to the ordinary degree of Bachelor of Social Work.
            3. A candidate who fails to obtain Honours may not resit all or part of the final year's course for the Honours programme in a subsequent year, unless the Senate has determined that his or her performance in those examinations was seriously impaired.

          7. Variations

            The Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Humanities) may in exceptional circumstances approve a course of study which does not comply with these regulations.

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

          Regulations on this page are taken from the 2024 Calendar and supplementary material.

          Back to top