Bachelor of Social Work
at Victoria University, Victoria.
A four-year AASW-accredited social work degree at Footscray Park. Most VU courses have no ATAR requirement, and VTAC publishes no lowest selection rank for this one. VCE prerequisite is a study score of at least 20 in English other than EAL (or 25 in EAL).
Lowest selection rank
VU has not published a lowest selection rank for this course for recent intakes. That usually means too few ATAR-based offers were made to report one, or that selection also uses a portfolio, audition, interview or other criteria. Check the current entry requirements on the official course page.
Prerequisite Year 12 subjects
Brush up on each prerequisite with our state-syllabus explainers and dot points.
What you will study
Students study human development, human rights, social justice, social work theories and practice skills, learning how social, cultural and historical contexts shape people's lives and how to work with individuals, families, groups and communities.
Placement and industry experience
Supervised field education placements are part of the degree, as required for AASW accreditation, giving students practice experience in community and human service settings.
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
- Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW)
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 are eligible for AASW membership as qualified social workers and work in health, community services, child protection and government.
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
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 VU
Sources
Course details are summarised by ExamExplained, not copied from the university. Confirm course content and selection ranks on the Victoria University website and on VTAC before applying.