Programme overview
Are you after a career where you can help individuals, whānau, groups, and communities enhance their individual and collective wellbeing? Are you passionate about empowering people around you and creating social change? Our Bachelor of Social Practice will prepare you for employment and registration in social work and community development with basic skills in counselling.
This programme comprehensively trains students to be social practitioners who are able to apply their skills to the ever-changing demands of employers, clients, and the community. Tailor the Bachelor of Social Practice to suit your career path in either social work or community development. This will allow you to develop and practice the skills you need to be work-ready when you graduate.
You’ll develop the ability to practice social work and community development with culturally diverse groups in an appropriate and inclusive manner. You’ll also develop a sound understanding of, and ability to promote, human rights, social justice and change, as well as empowerment and liberation of different groups and communities by promoting civil and legal rights.
Highlights
- Leads to industry recognition: once you’ve completed this programme you are eligible to apply for registration with the Social Workers Registration Board (SWRB)
- A professional qualification which prepares you for a career in a wide range of social, community, mental health, and education services
- A critical focus on inequality and social justice, and the development of your abilities to work ethically and professionally, supporting the wellbeing of people and communities
- Emphasis on the practical application of theory: in years three and four, you will apply what you’ve learnt during work placements in social work or community development organisations
- Flexibility: elective courses enable you to plan a programme of study which builds on your interests and personal experience, or help you move towards postgraduate study
Postgraduate study
At Unitec, we value your experience and are interested in helping you develop your practice and profession. If you are a practitioner who is interested in undertaking a work-based project and/or research, our Master of Applied Practice (Social Practice) may be just what you're looking for.
Please note: This programme is designed for practitioners in work as we do not provide work placements. If you choose to study full-time, your study will likely relate to your current practice. You will have an opportunity to discuss this during the application process.
Scholarship
We have up to 3 Bachelor of Social Practice scholarships available, worth $2,000 each. Find out more information below!
Bachelor of Social Practice scholarships
Contact us
If you feel the Master of Applied Practice could suit you and/or if you have further questions about this programme, please contact:
Geoff Bridgman
gbridgman@unitec.ac.nz
(09) 815 4321 ext. 7464
Currently enrolled in our three-year Bachelor of Social Practice programme? Don't worry, you can still view your course details here.
Admission requirements
Academic requirements
Please note: Future immunisations for COVID-19 may be required for all students in this programme.
For this programme you will need the following:
- 42 credits at NCEA Level 3 or higher including:
- 14 credits in two different approved subjects, and;
- 14 credits from up to two subjects (approved or non-approved);
- 8 credits at NCEA Level 2 or higher in English or Te Reo Māori (4 in reading, 4 in writing);
- 14 credits in NCEA Level 1 or higher in Mathematics or Pangarau;
- Consent to a Safety Check which meets the requirements of the Children Act 2014 (formerly known as the Vulnerable Children's Act) including:
- Provide two forms of verified ID and evidence of any name changes;
- Consent to a police vet check;
- Complete a self-declaration of medical conditions form.
If you don’t meet the academic criteria above, we have a range of Foundation and Bridging Education programmes which will help you prepare for further academic study.
Once you've applied online, you'll be invited to attend a Selection Day where we'll take you through the rest of the application process.
English requirements
If English is not your first language you will also need one or more of the following:
- NCEA Level 3 and New Zealand University entrance;
- Be able to provide evidence you satisfy our criteria for existing English proficiency;
- Have achieved at least one English proficiency outcome in the last two years.
If you don’t meet the English criteria above, we have a range of English Language programmes available, depending on your current level of ability.
If you don’t meet these requirements, you may still apply under special or discretionary entrance.
For more information download the programme regulations:
Courses and timetables
For more details on the courses, please click on the course names below. Please note that our systems are updating with new course timetable information for 2024; please check back again soon.
| Courses | Credits | Aim |
|---|---|---|
| Fields of Practice (CSTU5163) | 15 credits (0.125 EFTS) | This course provides an introduction to the identity, values and practices of social practice with a focus on the major fields of practice. It will examine major features of each field of practice including key knowledge required, approaches to practice, and issues facing practitioners in that field. |
| Social Practice with Migrant and Refugee Background Communities (CSTU5164) | 15 credits (0.125 EFTS) | This course explores the history, development, and resettlement of migrant and refugee communities in Aotearoa New Zealand and the immigration policy context in which they have developed. It affords students with a learning opportunity to explore, understand, and validate the lived experiences of individuals and groups of migrant and refugee background within models of social practice suited for working with these communities. |
| Whanau/Family and Social Practice (CSTU5165) | 15 credits (0.125 EFTS) | This course introduces students to the form and function of whānau and families in Aotearoa New Zealand society, as well as exploring the nature of the forces shaping family in the contemporary context, including intersecting issues of gender, class, ethnicity, sexuality, religion and disability. The student will have opportunities to apply this analysis to their own family context, and will be introduced to specific issues around children and youth. |
| Foundations of Social Practice (CSTU5166) | 15 credits (0.125 EFTS) | This course introduces students to three principal approaches to social practice and to the theoretical framework of narrative practice within the context of a bicultural Aotearoa. The course will enable them to acquire a basic experiential introduction to effective relationship skills when working with individuals and groups in diverse practice environments; and develop student reflexivity around awareness of their own personal history, bias and values and how this impacts on practice. Students will have opportunities to extend and demonstrate core academic literacy skills. |
| Ripene Tahi (CSTU5167) | 15 credits (0.125 EFTS) | To introduce students to basic te reo Māori (Māori language), tikanga Māori (cultural values and protocols), and to explore the implications of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in relation to the historic and contemporary cultural and socio-economic development of Maori. |
| Talanoa Pasifika (CSTU5168) | 15 credits (0.125 EFTS) | This course introduces students to Pasifika approaches to social practices by exploring the development of Pasifika communities in Aotearoa. This will enable students to negotiate a mutually beneficial relationship of partnership and collaboration with Pasifika Peoples, particularly when working with Pasifika communities. |
| Sociology for Social Practice: Inequality and Social Change (CSTU5170) | 15.0 credits (0.125 EFTS) | The aim of this course is to introduce students to sociological concepts and theories, which will enable them to explore the nature and effects of international and Aotearoa/New Zealand’s, cultural, social, economic and political structures, especially their impact on injustice and inequality. |
| Enquiry and Communication (CSTU5171) | 15.0 credits (0.125 EFTS) | This course introduces the principles of communication, knowledge construction, and academic literacy & develops scholarly skills in preparation for academic and professional practice. |
Unitec is part of Te Pūkenga
On 1 October 2022 Unitec became part of Te Pūkenga. Find out more about Te Pūkenga and what this means for you.
