Bachelor of Social Work
at Australian Catholic University, New South Wales.
An AASW-accredited four-year social-work degree. Includes 1000 hours of supervised field education and leads to eligibility for membership of the Australian Association of Social Workers.
ATAR cutoff history
Published cutoff data for the Australian Catholic University Bachelor of Social Work. We never invent figures; entries marked "not published" mean the university or admissions centre has not released a verified cutoff for that intake.
| Intake year | ATAR cutoff | Admissions centre |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | ATAR cutoff not published | UAC |
| 2023 | ATAR cutoff not published | UAC |
| 2022 | ATAR cutoff not published | UAC |
No verified cutoffs are available. Confirm the latest figure on the official UAC cutoff release.
Prerequisite Year 12 subjects
Brush up on each prerequisite with our state-syllabus explainers and dot points.
What you will study
ACU runs the Bachelor of Social Work as a four-year AASW accredited degree. Year one covers introduction to social work, human behaviour and the social environment, social policy, Australian social welfare history and indigenous studies, and the first 60 to 90 hours of pre-placement skill labs. Year two layers theories of social work practice, working with individuals, families and groups, research methods and mental health practice with the first major field placement (typically 500 hours). Year three runs advanced practice, child protection, violence-and-trauma-informed practice, community development and policy advocacy. Year four carries the second major field placement (the AASW requires a total of 1000 supervised practice hours), advanced theory units, and a research capstone. The degree is heavily writing-led with reflective journals, casework reports and policy essays alongside the placement workload.
Example first-year subjects
- Introduction to Social Work and Human Services
- Human Behaviour and the Social Environment
- Australian Social Policy and Welfare History
- Indigenous Australians, Land and Society
- Foundations of Communication and Interviewing Skills
- Diversity and Social Inclusion
How you will be assessed
- Field placement supervisor evaluation and learning plan
- Reflective practice journals after each placement
- Case formulation reports of 2000 to 4000 words
- Policy and advocacy essays in upper years
- Group community-development project
- Final-year research capstone
Placement and industry experience
The BSW requires 1000 hours of supervised field placement across two major blocks, per AASW Australian Social Work Education and Accreditation Standards. ACU matches students with NSW Government agencies (DCJ, NSW Health social work departments), Catholic and faith-based services, NGOs (Mission Australia, the Salvation Army, Wesley Mission, Settlement Services International), Aboriginal community-controlled organisations and community legal centres. Placement is unpaid and typically full-time for a block of around 70 to 80 days. Students cover travel, the NSW Working with Children Check, criminal record check and any specialty training the agency requires.
Career outcomes
- Graduates work as registered social workers in child-protection, mental-health, hospital and family-support settings.
- Common destinations include state-government child-safety roles, community-health centres and not-for-profit support agencies.
- Many alumni progress into clinical specialty practice, policy roles or accredited mental-health social work after further study.
Professional accreditation
- AASW accredited
Typical first jobs
- Social worker at NSW Department of Communities and Justice (child protection, OOHC)
- Hospital social worker in NSW Health (acute, oncology, palliative care, mental health)
- Family and domestic-violence caseworker at NGOs
- Mental health social worker in community and inpatient settings
- School-based social worker (under NSW Education)
- Aboriginal community-controlled organisation caseworker
Graduate starting salary
$70,000 - $80,000 per year
Source: https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/jobs/social-workers. Last reviewed 2026-05-21.
After graduation
Graduates apply for membership of the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) which is the only path to recognised social-work practice in Australia. AASW Accredited Mental Health Social Worker status comes after a Master of Mental Health Practice or comparable. Common postgraduate pivots include the Master of Social Work (Qualifying) for those wanting to switch from another bachelor, Master of Counselling, Master of Public Health and the Master of Disability Practice. Career progression typically moves from generalist caseworker to senior practitioner, team leader and policy roles within five to eight years.
Is this the right degree for you?
You probably thrive here if
- Students with high emotional resilience and people skills
- Those willing to engage with violence, child protection and trauma material
- People comfortable with reflective writing and supervision
- Students happy to do 1000 hours of unpaid placement
- Those committed to a regulated, values-driven profession
It is probably not for you if
- Students who avoid emotional content and difficult conversations
- Those unwilling to take unpaid full-time placement blocks
- Anyone hoping to maximise starting salary out of undergraduate study
Careers this leads to
Australian career pathways that name this Bachelor of Social Work as an entry route. Each page shows uni, TAFE and apprenticeship alternatives.
Related courses at ACU
Sources
Course details are summarised by ExamExplained, not copied from the university. Confirm course content and ATAR cutoffs on the Australian Catholic University handbook and on UAC before applying. Page generated at https://examexplained.com.au/uni/acu/bachelor-of-social-work.