Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Social Work - Philosophy

The University of Sydney

This five-year degree offers a comprehensive and flexible combined degree program that qualifies you as an accredited social worker, while also allowing you to enhance your qualification with majors and minors that complement the Bachelor of Social Work. While this combined degree requires a major or minor in Sociology, or a minor in Social Policy, you can choose another major or minor in various interest areas such as diversity studies, gender studies, Aboriginal Studies, or philosophy. You'll undertake integrated studies in social sciences, social policy and social work theory and practice, with a strong emphasis on Australian and comparative social welfare studies. In the last two years of the degree all students undertake the professional social work program, which includes two fieldwork placements supervised by highly skilled and experienced practitioners in a variety of settings. We develop field education learning expectations across the program and aim to develop values, skills and knowledge for levels from beginner to a practitioner capable of meeting the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) Practice Standards.Through this major you will develop skills that are fundamental to success in other academic disciplines and in the workplace, such as the ability to identify the essential points of a position, policy or practice the ability to clarify underlying issues in a debate precision of thought and expression clarity and rigor in assessment of arguments and the ability to make rationally persuasive cases. Learn to engage critically with a wide variety of historical and contemporary texts, identify and formulate philosophical problems and assess proposed answers to them. As a Philosophy student you will become adept at discerning and formulating conceptual distinctions and will be able to wield them usefully, both in the study of philosophy and in wider intellectual engagements. This major teaches sensitivity in interpretation and cultural competence through study of a variety of ages and traditions. You will learn intellectual honesty and fairness by evaluating arguments carefully, and will discuss matters of the highest importance without recourse to insult or susceptibility to take offense.

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