Bachelor of Social Work/Bachelor of Criminology and Justice

This is a five-year double degree that puts two professions side by side: social work and criminology and justice. You graduate with both qualifications, which matters because the two fields overlap constantly, child protection, youth justice, corrections, family violence, court liaison, community legal work. Studying them together means you understand both the person in front of you and the system they are caught up in.

What you actually study

Social work units cover human development, social policy, counselling and interviewing skills, group work, community development, ethics and law, and working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Criminology and justice units cover the criminal justice system, policing, courts and corrections, youth justice, victimology, crime prevention and research methods. The two halves feed each other. You might study a social policy unit in the morning and a sentencing and punishment unit in the afternoon.

Social work is a regulated profession in Australia. Graduates apply to the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) for accreditation, and the degree must include a set number of supervised placement days, usually two separate placements totalling around 1,000 hours across the degree. That is not optional; it is what makes you eligible to register and work as a social worker. Criminology and justice placements tend to be shorter and can include corrections, youth justice, police-adjacent services, courts and community organisations. Confirm placement structure, AASW accreditation status and any conditions on the official course page.

How the degree is structured

Australian bachelor degrees are built on units of study, each worth a set number of credit points, usually delivered over two semesters a year with an optional summer trimester at some universities. A five-year double degree like this one stacks the core units of both programs, plus electives, into a longer sequence than either single degree. You will typically complete the social work placements in the later years, once the theory units are done. There is usually a capstone or final-year integrative unit that pulls the two disciplines together. Check the official page for the exact unit list, credit point totals and whether placements are full-time blocks.

Who this suits

This suits someone who wants to work with people in contact with the justice system, not just talk about crime, but sit with the person it happens to and the person who did it. If you are only interested in policing or only interested in counselling, a single degree is probably a better fit. If you want to work in child protection, youth justice, family violence services, homelessness, drug and alcohol services, or community corrections, the double degree gives you a wider set of doors. It is a long degree. Five years is a real commitment, and the placement hours are demanding. But you finish with a professional qualification and a second field of expertise, which is a strong combination in the Australian community services sector.

Studying in Australia as an international student

UniSC is based on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, with a campus culture that leans practical. International students on a Student visa can work up to 48 hours per fortnight while studying and unlimited hours during scheduled course breaks. The Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream lets eligible graduates stay and work in Australia after finishing. Social work sits at the higher end of English requirements, IELTS Academic 7.0–7.5 overall is typical for this field, because you will be communicating with vulnerable people and writing court and case reports. Confirm the exact English requirement, tuition and intake dates on the official CRICOS listing and the university's course page.

• Social worker, hospitals, community health, mental health services, aged care, disability services, family support agencies
• Child protection officer, state and territory child safety departments
• Youth justice caseworker, youth justice centres, diversion programs, community youth services
• Family violence practitioner, refuges, men's behaviour change programs, court support services
• Community corrections officer, state corrections departments, parole and probation services
• Court liaison or support officer, magistrates' courts, victim support agencies, legal aid
• Drug and alcohol counsellor, rehabilitation services, harm minimisation programs
• Homelessness and housing support worker, crisis accommodation, social housing providers
• Policy or research officer, government departments, justice agencies, NGOs working on crime and social policy
• Victim support worker, victims of crime services, sexual assault services, domestic violence advocacy