The Honours Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) is a four-year, full-time programme that integrates university-based and agency-based learning in order to provide students with academic and professional learning opportunities to develop social work knowledge, skills and values.
To be eligible for the award of the BSW degree a student will be required to have achieved 240 credits by obtaining 60 credits in each of First, Second, Third and Fourth BSW. A student may not register for more than 60 credits in one academic year.
All applicants for admission must satisfy the minimum entry requirements of the College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences. Applicants, who are over 23 years of age, may be considered for entry on the grounds of mature years. (See under "Mature Students" in the Admission to Undergraduate Programmes section of the University Calendar.)
This programme is not open to school leavers. Application is confined to the following:
(i) graduates with other than a Social Science Degree, or its
equivalent;
(ii) holders of a cognate professional qualification (e.g. nursing,
teaching, social care);
(iii) mature students of 23 years or more with substantial relevant
experience who, where possible, have completed a certified access
programme (e.g. Diploma in Social Studies).
Applicants will be shortlisted and invited for interview.
Students, or applicants in receipt of an offer, on this programme will be subject to Garda Vetting as relevant. Students will be prohibited from engaging in a relevant work placement unless the vetting process has been cleared. Click here to view UCC's Student Garda Vetting Policy.
Commencing with the 2013/2014 intake of first year students (including repeats), this programme will be subject to the University's Fitness to Practise Policy - full details may be found here.
(i) Holders of an NCEA Diploma in Social Care or a professional
validated programme in Youth and Community Work may be exempted from
Year I;
(ii) Holders of a UK or NZ Diploma in Social Work (or equivalent
European professional qualification) may be exempted from Year I and
Year II;
(iii) Holders of a BA (Hons) (Early Childhood Studies) or a BA (Hons)
(Social Care) may be exempted from Year I and Year II.
The BSW Degree is a professional training programme accredited by the Health and Social Care Professionals Council (CORU). As a professional training programme, social work students are required to attend every class of each module (including fieldwork placements) unless unavoidably prevented from doing so. If a student's attendance falls below 80% in any module, he/she will be required to repeat that module before being allowed to proceed with their training.The Deputy President and Registrar, UCC will certify whether or not the student's attendance has been satisfactory on the basis of recommendations from the Head of the Department of Applied Social Studies.
Students intending to take leave of absence of a year or more must make application to the College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences Office not later than March of the preceding academic year. Permission will only be granted in exceptional circumstances.
In First Social Work students study prescribed modules to the value
of 60 credits in the five subject areas of Applied Psychology,
Economics, Social Policy, Social Work, and Sociology.
Applied Psychology: AP1022, AP1023 (5 credits per
module)
Economics: EC1121 (5
credits), EC1122 (5 credits)
Social Policy: SS1017 (10 credits) and SS1018 (5
credits)
Social Work: SS1202 (10 credits)
Sociology: SC1012 (5 credits) and SC1013 (10
credits)
Examinations
Full details of regulations governing Examinations for each programme will be contained in the Marks and Standards 2018/2019 Book, and for each module in the Book of Modules, 2018/2019.
Three Year Rule
Students must pass the First University Examination in Social Work within three academic years from the date of first registration for First Year. Failure to comply with this rule means that the student will be ineligible to proceed further with his/her studies. Exceptions to this rule may be granted by the College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences, only for very serious reasons.
No student may register for the Second Year programme until he/she has passed the First University Examination in Social Work. In order to be admitted to the Second University Examination in Social Work, a student must have satisfactorily attended the prescribed modules to the value of 60 credits in all the subjects of his/her programme including the placement.
Students take 60 credits as follows:
Social Policy: SS2208, SS2211, SS2220, SS2224 (5
credits per module)
Social Work: SS2201, SS2214 (10 credits per
module), SS2216, SS2217, SS2225, SS2226 (5 credits per module)
Examinations
Full details of regulations governing Examinations for each programme will be contained in the Marks and Standards 2018/2019 Book, and for each module in the Book of Modules, 2018/2019.
Students must pass the Second University Examination in Social Work within three academic years from the date of first registration for Second Year. Failure to comply with this rule would mean that the student would be ineligible to proceed further with his/her studies. Exceptions to this rule may be granted by the College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences, only for very serious reasons.
No student may register for the Third Year programme until he/she has passed the Second University Examination in Social Work. In order to be admitted to the Third University Examination in Social Work, a student must have satisfactorily attended the prescribed modules to the value of 60 credits in all the subjects of his/her programme including the placement.
Students take 60 credits as follows:
Law: LW3401 (5 credits)
Social Work: SS3206 (20 credits), SS3207 (10
credits), SS3208, SS3209, SS3210, SS3216, SS3217 (5 credits per module)
Examinations
Full details of regulations governing Examinations for each programme will be contained in the Marks and Standards 2018/2019 Book, and for each module in the Book of Modules, 2018/2019.
Three Year Rule
Students must pass the Third University Examination in Social Work within three academic years from the date of first registration for Third Year. Failure to comply with this rule means that the student will be ineligible to proceed further with his/her studies. Exceptions to this rule may be granted by the College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences, only for very serious reasons
The Bachelor of Applied Social Studies (BASS (Hons)) is an alternative degree pathway for students who do not satisfy the pass standard for the placement modules (SS3206 and SS3207) in Third Year of the BSW programme over the summer and/or Autumn Supplemental Examinations, or who decide not to continue with their professional training in the BSW programme. Such students may opt instead to register for the Bachelor of Applied Social Studies (BASS (Hons)). On successful completion of Third Bachelor of Applied Social Studies, these students then progress to Fourth Bachelor of Applied Social Studies where, on successful completion, they qualify with a Bachelor of Applied Social Studies (BASS (Hons)).
Note: Students who opt for this Pathway are not eligible to be considered for registration with the Social Workers Registration Board.
Law: LW3401 (5 credits)
Social Work: SS3208, SS3209, SS3210 (5 credits per
module), SS3212 (20 credits), SS3213 (10 credits), SS3216, SS3217 (5 credits per module)
Note: Exemptions in relevant modules passed as part of BSW III will be carried over to BASS III.
Module Semester Information may be found here.
Module
Descriptions may be found here.
Examinations
Full details of regulations governing Examinations for the programme will be contained in the Marks and Standards 2018/2019 Book, and for each module in the Book of Modules, 2018/2019.
Two Year Rule
Students must pass the Third University Examination in BASS within two academic years from the date of first registration for Third BASS. Failure to comply with this rule means that the student will be ineligible to proceed further with his/her studies. Exceptions to this rule may be granted by the College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences, only for very serious reasons.
Only students who have passed the Third University Examination in Social Work and satisfied all other requirements specified for the Third Year, will be permitted to register for the Fourth Year of the programme. In order to be admitted to the BSW (Hons) Degree Examination, a student must have satisfactorily attended the prescribed modules to the value of 60 credits in all the subjects of his/her programme including the placement. In order to be awarded the BSW (Hons) Degree, candidates must have satisfactorily completed their practice placement.
Social Work: LW4401 (5 credits), SS4208 (20 credits), SS4209 (10 credits), SS4211 (5 credits), SS4212 (5 credits), SS4214 (15 credits).
Examinations
Full details of regulations governing Examinations for each programme will be contained in the Marks and Standards 2018/2019 Book, and for each module in the Book of Modules, 2018/2019.
Three Year Rule
Students must pass the BSW Degree Examination within three academic years from the date of first registration for Fourth Year. Failure to comply with this rule means that the student will be ineligible to proceed further with his/her studies. Exceptions to this rule may be granted by the College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences, only for very serious reasons.
The Bachelor of Applied Social Studies (BASS (Hons)) is an alternative degree pathway for students who do not satisfy the pass standard for the placement modules (SS4208 and SS4209) in Year 4 of the BSW programme over the Summer and/or Autumn Supplemental Examinations or who decide not to continue with their professional training in the BSW programme. Such students may opt instead to register for the Bachelor of Applied Social Studies (BASS (Hons)) and to make up the remaining credits, to a total of 60, from the list of modules for Fourth BASS, in consultation with the School of Applied Social Studies, to be submitted to the Summer Examination Board. After successfully completing these modules these students will then qualify with a Bachelor of Applied Social Studies (BASS (Hons)).
Note: Students who opt for this Pathway are not eligible to be considered for registration with the Social Workers Registration Board.
Social Research Project
Social Policy: SS4210 (10 credits), SS4215 (20 credits)
and 30 credits from the following:
Society, Welfare and Politics
Social Policy: SS3032 (10 credits)
Social Policy and Social Services
Social Policy: 15 credits from SS3005, SS3006, SS3008, SS3010
(5 credits per module)
Social Policy, Community and Society
Social Policy: 15 credits from SS3009, SS3015, SS3016, SS3021,
SS3033 (5 credits per module)
Note: Exemptions in relevant modules passed as part of BSW IV will be carried over to BASS IV.
Examinations
Full details of regulations governing Examinations for each programme will be contained in the Marks and Standards 2018/2019 Book, and for each module in the Book of Modules, 2018/2019.
Two Year Rule
Students must pass the Fourth University Examination in BASS within two academic years from the date of first registration for Fourth BASS. Failure to comply with this rule means that the student will be ineligible to proceed further with his/her studies. Exceptions to this rule may be granted by the College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences, only for very serious reasons.