Bachelor of Social Work
at Swinburne University of Technology, Victoria.
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 Swinburne University of Technology 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 | VTAC |
| 2023 | ATAR cutoff not published | VTAC |
| 2022 | ATAR cutoff not published | VTAC |
No verified cutoffs are available. Confirm the latest figure on the official VTAC cutoff release.
Prerequisite Year 12 subjects
Brush up on each prerequisite with our state-syllabus explainers and dot points.
What you will study
First year introduces social work theory, human development, social policy, Indigenous Australian studies and introductory communication and counselling. You begin to understand the structural drivers of disadvantage and the role of social work in responding to them. Second and third years cover mental health, child protection, family violence, ageing and disability, fields-of-practice subjects and case-work methods. AASW accreditation requires that you complete two field-education placements totalling at least 1000 hours, usually in third and fourth year. Sites include community health, hospitals, child protection, mental health and family-violence services. Fourth year is the consolidation year: a longer field-education placement, a research-methods subject, advanced practice electives and a capstone. On graduation you are eligible for Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) accreditation and can practise as a qualified social worker, including in Medicare-rebatable mental-health roles after further accreditation.
Example first-year subjects
- Introduction to Social Work
- Human Development Across the Lifespan
- Social Policy and the Welfare State
- Indigenous Australia and Social Work
- Communication for Helping Professions
- Social Justice and Inequality
How you will be assessed
- Supervised field-education placements (1000 hours) with formal evaluations
- Case-study assignments and case formulations
- Reflective practice journals from placement
- Research and policy essays (2000 to 4000 words)
- Role-play and simulated counselling assessments
- Group projects on social policy
- Capstone research project
Placement and industry experience
AASW accreditation requires 1000 hours of supervised field education across the four-year degree, split into two placements (typically 500 hours each in third and fourth year). Swinburne arranges placements across Victorian government and community sector agencies. Students must meet AASW fitness-to-practise requirements and obtain a Working with Children Check and a National Police Check. The degree leads directly to AASW eligibility and registration with the National Disability Insurance Scheme as a registered provider where relevant.
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
- 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: https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/jobs/social-worker. Last reviewed 2026-05-21.
After graduation
Most graduates step straight into front-line social work roles. Postgrad options include the Master of Social Work (Qualifying or Advanced), Mental Health Accredited Social Worker accreditation through AASW, Master of Counselling, Master of Family Therapy, Master of Public Health and PhD pathways for research-oriented practitioners.
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 Swinburne
Sources
Course details are summarised by ExamExplained, not copied from the university. Confirm course content and ATAR cutoffs on the Swinburne University of Technology handbook and on VTAC before applying. Page generated at https://examexplained.com.au/uni/swinburne/bachelor-of-social-work.