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

Entry Requirements

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

Entry with Credit

You may already have some knowledge or skills that can be recognised as part of your intended study. This may take a number of different forms including study at a private training establishment, workplace training, other tertiary study, life experiences or voluntary work. If you think you may qualify, you may want to apply for Cross Credit (CC) or Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).

• CC is based on the equivalency of courses or qualifications. You would apply for CC if you have passed a very similar course at the same level. There are a number of considerations applied, significantly, confirmation that a minimum of 80% of learning outcomes match and that the course was completed within the last five years. Practicum completed at another institution cannot be cross credited to the BSW.
• RPL is based on the assessment of your current knowledge and skills. You would apply for RPL if you had gained the relevant knowledge and skills through life experiences and informal learning situations.

You will be asked to provide details of anything that you would like to be considered as credit toward your intended programme of study, as part of your application. An original transcript or notice of results from the institute at which you previously studied (or verified copies) will be required for all applications.

You must apply for CC and RPL for the relevant course/courses prior to enrolment. CC and RPL cannot be awarded for a course if you are already enrolled in that course.

For further information please contact the BSW Programme Coordinator, Charlotte Chisnell, on 06 830 1159.

This qualification has been approved by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority, and the Social Workers Registration Board.

This programme leads to the award of a nationally approved qualification. Similar qualifications may be delivered at a number of other tertiary institutes around New Zealand.

If you were to transfer to one of those other institutes you may be granted academic credit for some of the courses completed but this is at the discretion of the other institute.

Please note: Fees are not transferable between institutes.