Social Work (BSW)

Social work is a dynamic profession that promotes social change, problem-solving in human relationships and the empowerment and liberation of people to enhance well-being. Social Workers intervene at the points where people interact with their environments.

Principles of human rights and social justice are fundamental to Social Work practice. Social Work is practised worldwide in a variety of settings across all sectors of society and in close collaboration with other sectors such as education, development, health, law and business. Social Workers also engage in private practice.

Professional registration and conduct

Practice in the field of Social Work is regulated by the South African Council for Social Service Professions, with which all Social Workers must register. The Council lays down the minimum standards of both academic and practical training requisite for professional registration, and the Department of Social Development provides training according to these standards. The University offered a 3-year BSocSc degree in Social Work for students who first registered before 2007. These students were required to complete an appropriate Honours degree offered by the Department of Social Development in order to obtain professional registration with the South African Council for Social Service Professions.

From 2007, students registered for a 4-year Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree in order to obtain professional registration with the South African Council for Social Service Professions. Students registered for the professional degrees in social work are required by statute to register from their second year of study with the South African Council for Social Service Professions as a student social worker. As such they are bound by the Council’s professional code of conduct. Students who do not adhere to this code of conduct may be required to terminate their registration in the Faculty.

Should a student in the course of his/her studies or who qualifies for the award of the degree that allows for professional registration with the said Council be deemed unfit to practise as a social worker following a professional assessment, the Dean will report the outcome of such professional assessment to the Council and inform the student accordingly.

Becoming a Social Worker

The four year programme offered in the Department of Social Development allows the student to move into other fields such as Social Development, Social Policy and Management, Probation and Correctional Practice, or Clinical Practice.

Courses offered in the department focus on a range of relevant topics, such as professional interaction; human development; social and economic empowerment; child abuse; crime; alcoholism and substance abuse; human sexuality; social welfare policy and social development; and social research. Apart from the subject social work, you will also major in either Sociology or Psychology.

Learning is guided and facilitated through interactive lectures, workshops and tutorials. From the beginning of the second year, students work with people in different communities, doing their practical work in the context of a range of government and Non-Profit Organization settings, such as schools, hospitals, development programmes, industry, prisons, rehabilitation and trauma centres. To assist students to integrate their theoretical knowledge of assessment and intervention strategies, they receive supervision from a specialist in the field.

The programme leads to a professional qualification and provides a solid foundation for all people-centred careers and social service professions. The education and training provides knowledge for life and opportunities for lifelong learning. By the time of graduation, the student has relevant work and professional experience and is registered with a professional body to practice.

Social work and related social development services are declared a scarce skill in South Africa and with the existing pool of qualified professionals extremely limited, there is an increasing demand from government and non-governmental sectors for social work and social development graduates.

The Department’s core academic programmes benefit from contributions made by cognate Departments such as Psychology and Sociology.

BSW Degree Structure

The Social Work Programme is one that will prepare you for a professional career, equips you with excellent life skills and enables you to be versatile in marketing your skills upon graduation.
The following constitutes the curriculum for the next four years. No doubt they will be some of the most memorable in your life.

Year 1

Course Code	Course Title	Period
	First Semester
PSY1004F	Psychology I	1st/5th
SOC1001F	Introduction to Sociology	6th
SWK1013F	Community Connections	4th
	Second Semester
SWK1006S	Basic Professional Interaction	4th
SWK 1005S	Field practice I	TBA
SOC1005S	Individual and Society	6th
PSY1005S	Psychology	1st/5th

Year 2

Course Code	Course Title	Period
	First Semester
SWK2001F	Introduction to Social Development	5th
SWK2060F	Social Work Assessment, Indiv, Group, Community	3rd
	Tutorial - Wednesdays	6th
SWK2070F	Field Practicum II – Whole Day	Mondays
	*One of the following*
PSY2013F	Developmental and social psychology	7th
SOC2030F	Poverty, Development and Globalization (also Indus.)	1st
SOC 2032F	Culture and Social Life	2nd
	*Or any other SOC 2F course*
	Second Semester
SWK2065S	Social Work Intervention	3rd
	Tutorial - Wednesdays	6th
SWK2075S	Field Practicum III – Whole Day	Mondays
	One of the following
PSY2014S	Cognitive and neuropsychology, and clinical psychology	7th
SOC2015S	Comparative Industrial and Labour Studies	1st
SOC2004S	Class, Race and Gender	Tuesday and Thursday 7th & 8th
	*Or any other SOC 2S course*

Year 3

Course Code	Course Title	Period
	First Semester
SWK3061F	Social Work Research	2nd
SWK3070F	Field Practicum IV – Whole Day	Mondays
	One of the following
PSY3005F	Critical Psychology	5th
SOC3007F	Social Research	7th
SOC3027F	Social Research (Industrial Sociology)	7th
	Second Semester
SWK3066S	Contemporary Social Work Issues	4th
SWK3075S	Field Practicum V – Whole Day	Mondays
	One of the following
PSY3011S	Clinical Psychology II	5th
SOC3031S	Social Change and Inequality	6th
SOC 3029S	Industrial Society and Change	5th

Year 4

Course Code	Course Title	Period
	First Semester
SWK4015F	Social Research - Mondays & Tuesdays	8th & 9th
SWK4030F	Contemporary Families in a Changing Society - Mondays & Tuesdays	6th & 7th
SWK 4033F	Field Practicum VI	Wed, Thurs, Fri
	Second Semester
SWK4016S	Practice Research Project	-
SWK4031S	Psychosocial Functioning and Empowerment - Mondays & Tuesdays	6th & 7th
SWK4032S	Social Policy and Management - Mondays & Tuesdays	8th & 9th

Careers and vocational training in Social Work

From the beginning of the second year, students work with people in different communities, doing their practical work in the context of a range of government and Non-Profit Organization settings, such as schools, hospitals, development programmes, industry, prisons, rehabilitation and trauma centres.

To assist students to integrate their theoretical knowledge of assessment and intervention strategies, they receive supervision from a specialist in the field. The programme leads to a professional qualification and provides a solid foundation for all people-centred careers and social service professions.

The education and training provides knowledge for life and opportunities for lifelong learning. By the time of graduation, the student has relevant work and professional experience and is registered with a professional body to practice.