Bachelor of Social Work | Bachelor of Social Work (Honours)

Make a positive difference in the lives of others

Harata Gordon is in her fourth year of the Bachelor of Social Work at EIT Tairāwhiti.

Make a difference in your community. With a degree in social work you will be ready to help empower individuals, families and whole communities to create positive change. Social workers are employed in areas of community development, health and education, child protection, family work, drug and alcohol, domestic violence, probation and reintegration, and more. This inquiry-based degree will prepare you to practice within the bicultural social work context of Aotearoa. As part of your training you’ll be assigned to social work placements in agencies. You will also gain the skills to reflect on your own perceptions, actions, and processes, as well as the ability to promote social justice. Upon graduating, you will be able to apply for provisional registration as a social worker with the Social Workers Registration Board. If you receive high grades in your third year of study, you may be invited to enrol on the Honours programme in your fourth year enabling you to graduate with a Bachelor of Social Work (Honours).

Standard Academic Entry Requirement

• A minimum of University Entrance (UE)

Non-standard Academic Entry Requirements

• Sixty credits of successful study at an approved Level 4 or above programme at an accredited tertiary institution; or
• Where applicants do not meet all entry requirements, they may gain special admission if EIT is satisfied the applicant is capable of meeting the academic requirements of the BSW. You may be asked to complete a written test to demonstrate your ability to study at this level.

Age Requirement

Applicants must be 17 years of age or older at the time of the commencement of the programme.

Health and Professional Requirement

ALL applicants are required to provide a completed Police Vetting Service Form and a Personal Declaration Form (these forms are included in this application pack).

EIT reserves the right to decline entry to the programme should an applicant’s police record, safety check or health difficulties be such that they would be considered unsuitable for social services work. The guidelines on which this decision will be based are the relevant professional association, legislative and registration requirements. The requirement applies to each subsequent year of enrolment.

ALL applicants must also meet the following requirements:

• Be free from criminal convictions which would preclude them from working with vulnerable clients. (For the Social Work Registration Board (SWRB) Policy refer to: swrb.govt.nz/policy then open the ‘Fit and Proper’ policy for further information. Also refer to the Children Act 2014.)
• Provide evidence of the personal and professional qualities appropriate for undertaking a BSW by furnishing two references from persons who are not related to the applicant, using the prescribed Referee Forms. One of the referees must be someone who has observed the applicant interacting with other people.
• Provide a brief CV (no more than three pages) outlining past education, work and voluntary experiences.
• Successfully complete the internal selection process. (The degree is not open entry.)

English Language Entry Requirements

Applicants need to meet SWRB requirements.

Any applicant, who does not have English, Māori or New Zealand Sign as their first language, or who did not undertake their secondary schooling in English, is required to have achieved scores of 6.5 or higher in all academic bands of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

These must have been achieved in one sitting within the previous two years.

Internal Selection Process

If the written application is successful then the applicant is required to participate in an internal selection process. This is the first step to ensure the graduating social worker has the qualities and dispositions which enable them to meet the criteria of the relevant professional bodies and the SWRB.

The selection process consists of either a group or individual interview.

The interview will be conducted in an equitable, professional manner with every endeavour to make applicants feel at ease. Areas considered by the interviewers are:

• Personal and interpersonal qualities
• Professional qualities
• Other work and community experience

Technology Support

If you know how to send an email and access sites on the internet, you will have the basic skills needed to participate in blended activities. We will ensure you receive all support necessary to attain the skills you will need.

Those who have the necessary technology available at home will be able to undertake some of their study from home. This will require:

• Computer with internet access
• Any operating system (preferably less than five years old and has sound)
• Software (Microsoft Office or similar, Adobe and modern internet browser)

If technology is not available at home, it is available at EIT