Develop your passion for helping others into a rewarding career
Become a registered social worker with Massey’s Bachelor of Social Work. As a social worker, you can advocate for structural change, engage in community development and help people overcome challenges to enhance individual and whānau wellbeing.
The Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) is highly sought-after and internationally recognised. It will offer you a lifelong career that can take you across New Zealand and around the world.
Our degree equips you with all the skills needed to understand and work alongside people and communities in the modern world.
Want to work towards a role that has a positive impact on individuals, families, groups and communities? Want to enjoy a fulfilling career that can give you great employment opportunities and further career development pathways? Open to personal and professional development and keen to work with diverse communities? Join us today on a journey of self-discovery and success.
A social work degree means you can work in many different areas. Social workers work across all age groups and you will have opportunities to work in many different areas, in non-government or statutory organisations, for example:
You may wish to progress to the Master of Social Work when you successfully complete this programme.
New Zealand is a great place to study. Massey University’s reputation is supported by our international rankings, accreditations and associations. We are rated five star plus by the QS World University Rankings.
Massey University has small class sizes, and our lecturers and staff are friendly and approachable.
As an international student, there are entry requirements that will apply to you. We recommend that you apply at least three months before your anticipated start date so your application can be processed in time. There are additional steps you will need to take. These include obtaining a visa and travel bookings if your study is to be in New Zealand.
All students must meet university entrance requirements to be admitted to the University.
The Bachelor of Social Work is a selected entry programme. This means there are a number of extra requirements you must meet.
To enter the Bachelor of Social Work programme you will:
If you are a new-to-Massey student, applications for this programme close on 5 February 2021 (Semester One) and 2 June 2021 (Semester Two).
To study this programme you must meet Massey University's English language standards.
If English, Māori or New Zealand sign language is not your first language, you will need to provide official evidence of your English language competency in the form of:
Massey University English language requirements
We require two people who can act as referees for you. A referee should be someone who has known you for one year or more in the capacity of employer, educator, work colleague or person of community standing, e.g. Kaumatua, Minister or similar. Your referee should not be a friend, flatmate, relative or someone who has not known you for at least a year. The information your referee supplies is confidential to those involved in the selection process.
If you need help with your English language skills before you start university, we have courses and programmes that may help.
If you need to do a course before you start your programme, there may be options for you in Summer School.
Compulsory courses from the Schedule to the Degree, including: Completion of Parts One, Two, Three and Four
Compulsory 100-level courses
(Part One)
Compulsory 200-level courses
(Part Two)
Compulsory 300-level courses
(Part Three)
Compulsory 400-level courses
(Part Four)
100-level elective courses
(Part One)
Completion of at least 120 days of approved supervised field education and associated reports.
There are regulations around completion of Part One before progressing to Part Two etc.
Attend field trips, workshops, tutorials, and practice laboratories as required.
See ‘Courses for this programme’ below for schedules of courses.
| 90 credits | ||
|---|---|---|
| 150103 | Nau mai e noho: Engaging with Māori | 15 |
| 176101 | The Sociological Imagination | 15 |
| 179110 | Introducing Social and Community Work Practice | 15 |
| 179155 | An Introduction to Helping Skills in Social and Community Work Practice | 15 |
| 275102 | Human Development | 15 |
| 279101 | Social Policy: An Introduction | 15 |
| 120 credits | ||
|---|---|---|
| 150201 | Te Kawenata o Waitangi: The Treaty of Waitangi in New Zealand Society | 15 |
| 150205 | Kura Mai Tawhiti: Māori Knowledge | 15 |
| 179202 | Applied Research for Social Policy and Social Work | 15 |
| 179210 | Social Work Theories, Assessment and Interventions | 15 |
| 179230 | The Wellbeing of Pacific Peoples in New Zealand | 15 |
| 179255 | Introduction to Field Education | 15 |
| 279201 | Social Policy: Concepts and Theories | 15 |
| 279203 | Law, Government and Social Policy | 15 |
| 105 credits | ||
|---|---|---|
| 179310 | Integrated Practice with Groups and Families | 15 |
| 179320 | Community Development | 15 |
| 179330 | Māori Development and the Social Services | 15 |
| 179355 | Field Education I | 45 |
| 279301 | Government Policy, Planning and Administration | 15 |
| 135 credits | ||
|---|---|---|
| 179410 | Social Work Fields of Practice | 30 |
| 179420 | Advanced Social Work Practice | 30 |
| 179440 | Management in the Social Services | 15 |
| 179455 | Field Education II | 45 |
| 279401 | Social Policy Evaluation | 15 |
If you study full-time, in your first year, you’ll take eight 15-credit courses, making a total of 120 credits.
If you wish to study over two semesters, you should aim for 60 credits per semester. You may be able to take some courses at summer school. Make sure you include courses that are prerequisites for the next level of courses you wish to study.
The Bachelor of Social Work is a parts-based qualification. That means you must complete the first part, before moving to the second, etc.
Part One provides an understanding of people and society, particularly in New Zealand. Courses can be chosen from a range of social science, humanities and other disciplines.
Part Two brings a deeper understanding of social problems, social work theories, social policy and government, social work and basic interview skills.
Part Three concentrates on developing practical social work skills that are firmly based in social work theory, Māori development, advanced social policy and community work. An exciting feature is attendance at a Noho Marae.
Part Four develops applied skills in specialist areas of social work. These include management, policy evaluation and a variety of fields of practice.
In Parts Three and Four, you will complete supervised placements in social service agencies.
If you work for more than 12-15 hours a week, we recommend you enrol for part-time study.
If you are applying to begin the Bachelor of Social Work in the second semester (mid-year), please contact us to help you plan your degree.
If you study by distance, you will be required to attend in-person compulsory contact workshops (from Year One. Dates for contact workshops are on each course page.
Withdrawing from a course may impact on you being able to progress to the next part of your Bachelor of Social Work. Prior to withdrawing from a course we recommend you make contact with one of the Bachelor of Social Work Coordinators located within the School of Social Work.
A critical part of the degree are two field education courses. These consist of 120 days (in total) of approved work placements supervised by a registered social worker. You must pass these courses to progress to the next part of the degree. Field education is assessed through both academic and practice requirements.
If you are returning to the Bachelor of Social Work at Massey after a break of two years or more, you must apply for re-entry to the programme.
There are maximum time limits to complete some undergraduate and all postgraduate qualifications. If you do not complete within the maximum time, you may be required to re-apply for the programme if you wish to continue your studies.
If you complete this programme within the stated time limit, you will normally be able to graduate with a class of Honours.
Look for further information under ‘Student Progression’ in the regulations for this programme.
Core courses These courses are a compulsory part of your qualification.
Elective courses Follow your interests. Your qualification may have selection guidelines for elective courses.
| Year one |
|---|
| 150.103 Nau mai e noho: Engaging with Māori |
| 179.110 Introducing Social and Community Work Practice |
| 179.155 Helping Skills in Social Work Practice |
| 275.102 Human Development |
| 279.101 Social Policy: An Introduction |
| Sociology |
| Elective |
| Elective |
| Year two |
|---|
| Social Work |
| Social Work |
| Social Work |
| Social Work |
| Social Work |
| Social Work |
| Māori Studies |
| Elective |
| Year three |
|---|
| Social Work field work 45 credits |
| Social Work |
| Social Work |
| Social Work |
| Social Work |
| Year four |
|---|
| Social Work field work 45 credits |
| Social Work 30 credits |
| Social Work 30 credits |
| Social Policy |
| Mangement |
Courses are each worth 15 credits, unless otherwise indicated
Your tuition fees may be different depending on the courses you choose. Your exact fees will show once you have chosen your courses.
There will also be some compulsory non-tuition fees and for some courses, there may also be charges for things such as study resources, software, trips and contact workshops.
If you already know which courses you are going to take, you can use our fees calculator to get an estimate of your fees.
You may be eligible for a student loan to help towards paying your fees.
The New Zealand Government offers fees-free tertiary study for eligible domestic students. Find out more about the scheme and your eligibility on the Fees Free website. To use the site's eligibility checking tool, you will need your National Student Number.
Current and returning Massey students will find their National Student Number on their student homepage.
“
I chose social work without fully understanding the concept, but I knew it was about people and I knew that people mattered.
” Blake Gardiner
“
I had thought about getting a qualification in youth work, but then someone suggested social work as it provided greater scope in terms of areas I could work in.
” Courtney Gray
“
Studying at Massey University has provided me a broad and sound knowledge of what social work is all about. The day of a social worker is never the same, encountering different situations and people impacted by social and personal issues.
” Kaysha Whakarau
The Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Applied Social Work are accredited by the New Zealand Social Workers Registration Board. Upon completion you can apply for provisional registration as a registered social worker.
Compare qualifications and academic information across different New Zealand institutions.
Review this important information before you apply for this programme. This gives you full details of the rules and regulations about what you need to study and what you must achieve in order to graduate with this qualification. That includes structure, courses and requirements. These regulations should be read in conjunction with all other Statutes and Regulations of the University including the below.
If you are ready to apply, have a look at our application checklist. It will help you get prepared with what you need. Please also check the entry requirements carefully before you apply.
You will apply for the programme using the Apply now button on this page. You’ll also choose your specialisation (major, subject or endorsement) if applicable.
Some programmes have additional requirements such as the submission of a portfolio or CV. Click on Apply now and you will be able to submit those documents as part of the application process.
You will receive an Admission Offer of Place when you have been accepted into the programme. You need to accept this before you can enrol in your courses. International students also need to pay their fees at this point.
You’ll then get access to your own student homepage (also known as the student portal). This is where you can enrol in courses. Any updates on your application or enrolments will also be on your student homepage. Make sure you check this regularly.
When you choose courses, ensure you check for any requirements that apply including:
Each of our courses has its own webpage where you can find this information. You can use our course search to find course pages.
More information on courses is in the ‘Courses for this programme’ section on this page.
You can find information on application due dates and semester dates on the key dates page.
We look forward to welcoming you to Massey!
If you have any questions, contact us through the Enquire button on this page.
Each Massey programme is made up of courses (in some tertiary institutions they are called ‘papers’).
You will have some compulsory courses and some you can choose from.
Each course is worth a certain amount of credits (often 15 credits, but this does vary). You must gain a set number of credits to be able to graduate from this programme.
There may also be some rules about which courses you need to pass to progress to the next year, or stage, of your study (known as progression). There are also courses you must pass to graduate with a specialisation.
The first three digits of our course numbers show you which subject the course is about.
The second three digits show you the level and course ID number. For instance:
| 1 | 6 | 2 | . | 3 | 0 | 1 | |
| Subject area | Level | Course ID number | |||||
Use this tool to help determine how much time you will need each week to complete your studies.
For returning students, there may be changes to the majors and minors available and the courses you need to take. Go to the section called ‘Transitional Provisions’ in the Regulations to find out more.
If you are returning to the Bachelor of Social Work at Massey after a break of two years or more, you must apply for re-entry to the programme.
In some cases the programme or specialisation you enrolled in may no longer be taking new enrolments, so may not appear on these web pages. To find information on the regulations for these programmes go to the Massey University Calendar.
Please contact us through the Enquire button on this page if you have any questions.
There are a number of scholarships available for new and current students. They could relate to your situation, achievement or interest.