Bachelor of Social Work
at University of Southern Queensland, Queensland.
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 University of Southern Queensland 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 | QTAC |
| 2023 | ATAR cutoff not published | QTAC |
| 2022 | ATAR cutoff not published | QTAC |
No verified cutoffs are available. Confirm the latest figure on the official QTAC 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 the foundations of social work: human development across the lifespan, social policy, sociology, communication and interviewing skills, and an introduction to ethics and human rights. UniSQ delivers social work on campus at Ipswich and Springfield and fully online, with a substantial external cohort, so many students study remotely while completing field education near where they live. Second and third year develop practice theory and methods: working with individuals, families, groups and communities, mental health, child protection, trauma-informed practice and Indigenous and cross-cultural practice. The first supervised field placement falls in this period. Final year covers advanced practice, research methods and a second, longer field placement. Combined field education across the degree totals 1000 hours, as required by the AASW, arranged in community organisations, government services and health settings, with many placements in regional Queensland. On graduation you are eligible for AASW membership and accredited social-work roles.
Example first-year subjects
- Foundations of Social Work
- Human Development Across the Lifespan
- Introduction to Social Policy
- Communication and Interviewing Skills
- Sociology and Society
- Ethics and Human Rights in Practice
How you will be assessed
- Supervised field-education placement assessments
- Reflective practice journals and process recordings
- Case-study and intervention-plan assignments
- Essays on social policy, theory and ethics
- Role-play and recorded interviewing assessments
- Research methods report in the final year
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
- Child-safety officer in Queensland government services
- Hospital or community-health social worker
- Mental-health or drug-and-alcohol support worker
- Family-support or domestic-violence case worker
- Youth or homelessness support worker
- Disability or aged-care support coordinator
- Community-development or not-for-profit program officer
Graduate starting salary
$62,000 - $72,000 per year
Source: https://www.qilt.edu.au/surveys/graduate-outcomes-survey-(gos). Last reviewed 2026-05-24.
After graduation
Most graduates move into frontline social-work roles in child safety, health, mental health, family support and community services, with strong demand across regional Queensland. AASW membership opens accredited and Medicare-eligible practice with further experience. Postgraduate options at UniSQ include masters and graduate certificates in mental health, counselling and human services, many available online for study while working.
Is this the right degree for you?
You probably thrive here if
- People who want to support others through hardship and change
- Strong listeners and communicators with emotional resilience
- Students committed to social justice and human rights
- Self-aware learners open to reflective practice and supervision
- Regional and online students who can place locally while studying
It is probably not for you if
- Students wanting a desk-based or purely corporate role
- Those uncomfortable with emotionally demanding situations
- People who dislike extensive unpaid field placement
- Students who prefer maths-heavy or lab-based subjects
Related courses at UniSQ
Sources
Course details are summarised by ExamExplained, not copied from the university. Confirm course content and ATAR cutoffs on the University of Southern Queensland handbook and on QTAC before applying. Page generated at https://examexplained.com.au/uni/usq/bachelor-of-social-work.