Bachelor of Social Work (Honours)
at La Trobe University, Victoria.
A four-year Bachelor of Social Work (Honours), an entry-to-practice qualification, at Melbourne (Bundoora), Bendigo, Albury-Wodonga, Mildura and Shepparton (ranks shown are for Melbourne). VCE prerequisite is a study score of at least 25 in English other than EAL (or 30 in EAL).
Lowest selection rank
The lowest selection rank (LSR) is the lowest ATAR plus adjustment factors (equity, subject and regional bonuses) that received an offer to the La Trobe Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) for that intake. Universities publish it in their admissions student profiles. Only intakes with a published figure are listed.
| Intake | Lowest selection rank | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 55.35 | delta.vtac.edu.au |
| 2025 | 56.55 | delta.vtac.edu.au |
| 2024 | 56.55 | delta.vtac.edu.au |
A lowest selection rank describes a past intake, not a guaranteed entry score. Check the current entry requirements on the official course page before you apply through VTAC.
Prerequisite Year 12 subjects
Brush up on each prerequisite with our state-syllabus explainers and dot points.
What you will study
Subjects build a foundation in psychology, sociology, human rights, social justice and relationship skills, alongside clinical social work knowledge and practice skills. A Research Honours stream is available.
Placement and industry experience
Students complete supervised social work placements in hospitals and leading health and welfare organisations.
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
- Entry-to-practice social work qualification (Australian Association of Social Workers)
Typical first jobs
- Front-line child protection practitioner with DFFH
- Family-violence case worker at a community service
- Hospital social worker in Victorian public health services
- Mental health clinician at community mental-health services
- NDIS support coordinator or local-area coordinator
- Youth worker or homelessness case worker
- Aged-care or disability social worker
Graduate starting salary
$75,000 - $90,000 per year
Source: jobsandskills.gov.au. Last reviewed 2026-05-21.
After graduation
Graduates can practise as social workers; Research Honours graduates can apply for a Masters by Research and may be eligible for a PhD.
Is this the right degree for you?
You probably thrive here if
- Students with lived or volunteer experience in community services
- Empathic listeners who can hold tough conversations
- People with strong self-awareness and capacity to debrief
- Patient writers who can produce reflective and case-based writing
- Self-starters who pursue advocacy and policy interests
It is probably not for you if
- Students seeking a corporate or desk-only role
- Those uncomfortable with emotional content and vicarious trauma
- People wanting a maths-heavy or lab-based course
- Students unable to complete 1000 hours of placement
Related courses at La Trobe
Sources
Course details are summarised by ExamExplained, not copied from the university. Confirm course content and selection ranks on the La Trobe University website and on VTAC before applying.