Ngā Poutoko Whakarara Oranga

Every day in the news we're reminded of the need for services that help us have a thriving society in Aotearoa. We need qualified practitioners who have what it takes to become fully registered social workers.

Do you want to learn how to make a difference in people's lives? Social work is challenging, rewarding and makes a vital contribution to the wellbeing of our society. Get the qualifications you need for a professional career in working with others to make a difference.

On successful completion of this degree you'll be eligible to apply to register with the Social Workers Registration Board (SWRB).

Upon successful completion of this programme, you will receive the following qualification:

• Bachelor of Bicultural Social Work (Level 7)

• world views
• colonisation and decolonisation
• takepū (principled positions) and their application
• biculturalism in Aotearoa New Zealand
• Māori and non-Māori theories, models and practice
• working with individuals, whānau, hapū, iwi and hapori (communities).

You can take this further by enrolling on our Postgraduate Diploma in Bicultural Professional Supervision or applying for our master's degree, He Waka Hiringa - Master of Applied Indigenous Knowledge.

With skills at this level you can work in health, justice, welfare, or other social service providers.

This is a full-time programme that consists of 120 credits per year (total 4 years full-time study consisting of 480 credits) .

Throughout the first year of the programme you will be required to attend:

Year 1*:

• 8 x noho marae (29 hours each)
• 1 x wānanga whaiti per week (5 hours)

It is important to note that additional learning (approximately 22 hours per week) will also need to be completed outside of class time.

*Year 2, 3 and 4 commitment requirements will be discussed towards the completion of each year.

To enrol in this programme, a potential student must:

• be at least 16 years of age
• be a New Zealand citizen (or citizen of Australia, Tokelau, Niue, Cook Islands) or permanent resident
• have completed:
  • Te Tiwhikete Ngā Poutoko Whakarara Oranga Certificate in Social Services (Biculturalism in Practice) Level 4
  • or any Level 4 qualification of at least 120 credits
  • or have two years full-time work experience within the field of social services.
• provide supportive references from two appropriate people within the field of social services
• complete a police vetting form
• demonstrate personal suitability.

The 2020 fees for this degree are:

Year 1: $4,127.31

Year 2: $3,694.00

Year 3: $3,694.00

Year 4: $3,694.00

GST inclusive.

Are you eligible for fees-free study?

First time tertiary students studying fee paying programmes may be able to study fee free in their first year. To find out whether you are eligible for fees-free study for our fee paying programmes visit: feesfree.govt.nz.

This programme is subject to approval from the Social Worker’s Registration Board for delivery in 2020. The outcome of this review is expected to be finalised in December 2019. We will update this page to confirm further details once we are in receipt of them.