Study plan - Bachelor in Social Work

Autumn 2024

The undergraduate degree programme in social work at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL) revolves around children, adolescents, adults and the elderly living in marginalised and vulnerable situations. This programme of study tackles current societal issues related to exclusion, mental health, drug use, child welfare, inclusion in the workforce and caring for the elderly. The programme is grounded in a humanistic view of humanity, with a special focus on human dignity, the resources inherent to an individual and respect for the individual’s integrity.

Social work is both an academic discipline and a practice-oriented form of teaching, meaning that the bachelor’s degree in social work at HVL works in close proximity and cooperation with the field of practice. The programme consists of working methods specific to the profession that are based on research, experiential knowledge and user knowledge, as well as on the specific ethical standards that pertain to the profession. The student learns about social and interpersonal problems at the individual, family, group, organisational and societal levels, on both a national and a global scale. Knowledge about the opportunities and challenges related to cultural diversity is also a central focus of this programme. The programme provides the student with an understanding of the connection between issues at the level of the individual and the wider societal context of such issues, specifically looking at structures in society that can create social inequality and negatively affect people’s living standards and level of participation. The student is trained to interact with societal challenges from a future-oriented, innovative and sustainable perspective. Upon completion of the programme, the student receives the professional title of social worker.

HVL educates social workers who are motivated to work at the forefront of development, research and teaching, where participation and co-creation are considered core values. This includes participation and co-creation through involving recipients of the service in the development of one’s own individual processes, as well as the services, the workplace, and participation in society. As a social worker, you will strive to promote social inclusion and valued living and formative conditions in cooperation with others in order to highlight and influence framework conditions. The programme ensures that students acquire the competence and mindset required to ensure equality for all members of society in the provision of such services, such as the status of the Sami as indigenous peoples and their right to services provided in their own language and in respect of their culture.

Completion of the course qualifies the candidate to pursue various further education programmes, master’s degrees and, eventually, PhD programmes offered at HVL or other colleges and universities.

Work and professional opportunities after completion of the programme

The degree enables students to work with people of all ages. The work of a social worker takes place in both the public and the private sector and in various organisations, with children, adolescents, adults, the elderly and families. The bachelor’s degree in social work qualifies the student to work for welfare services such as NAV, child welfare, specialist health services, municipal healthcare, substance abuse and care services, agencies that handle immigration and correctional services, schools, the leisure sector and non-profit organisations.

Suitability assessment 
The education has a suitability assessment. The purpose is to determine whether students pose a potential risk to the vulnerable groups they come into contact with during their studies or in future professional practice. Periodic  suitability assessments of all students take place throughout the study. A special suitability assessment shall be carried out if there is reason to doubt whether a student is suitable. A student who is not suitable may be excluded from the education for up to five years and may also not receive a diploma. Suitability assessment is regulated by the Universities and University Colleges Act § 12-3 and the Suitability Regulation (Regulation on Suitability in Higher Education). For more information, see the university's website on suitability assessment. 

Criminal record certificate
All students must provide a criminal record certificate in order to participate in the practical training and clinical teaching components (cf. Chapter 6 in the Regulations relating to admission to higher education). The certificate must have been issued within the last three months.
Students who do not provide a criminal record certificate will not be allowed to partake in the practical clinical studies. A workplace or HVL may request a new criminal record certificate at any time during the course of the programme.

The curriculum for the bachelor’s degree programme in social work is grounded in the Regulations for the common framework plan for health and social studies programmes and the Regulations for the national guidelines for social educator training.

The bachelor’s degree at HVL is a full-time course totalling 180 credits taught over three years.

Learning outcomes

Upon completion of the degree programme, the candidate will have achieved the following learning outcomes, categorised as knowledge, skills or general competence:

Knowledge:
The graduate...

has broad knowledge of the different challenges that individuals and groups may face, as well as an understanding of how societal structures and processes can create and sustain various social issues.
has broad knowledge of the history of social work, its theoretical foundations, experiential and user-based knowledge and the methods used when working with individuals, families, groups and society.
has broad knowledge of communication, relationships and interactions when it comes to children, adolescents, adults and the elderly, at the individual, group and societal levels.
has knowledge of inclusion, equality and anti-discrimination regardless of gender, ethnicity, religion, beliefs, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or age, such that graduates can contribute to ensuring equality for all members of society in their provision of services.
has knowledge of the judicial methods, governing principles, current laws, key conventions and special status of the Sami as indigenous peoples.
has knowledge of the resources, different services and benefits within the welfare sector, of inter-professional cooperation and the coordination of relevant actors within the public, private and volunteer sectors.
has knowledge of welfare policy targets, the importance of welfare policies to social work in practice, the social responsibility of the profession and the standards and methods that promote societal participation.
is familiar with the subject’s academic position and the research and development work that is relevant to social work, both nationally and internationally.

Skills:
The graduate...

can use their knowledge of social issues, transitions and life crises in order to promote mastery and change when working with individuals, families, groups and other collaborators.
can use various methodological approaches at the individual, group and societal levels and, as such, contribute to equality in the provision of services across various areas of the service.
can use rules of law, explain rights and obligations and practise legal and expert social discretion when interacting with individuals, families and groups.
can use their knowledge to identify resources and provide hope when cooperating with people in vulnerable living situations.
can find, assess and use research-based, experiential and user knowledge in their professional practice and present this in oral and written form and act in accordance with knowledge-based practice.
can master current methods for mapping, documenting, analysing and making decisions.
can reflect on their own professional practice and justify this under supervision.
can reflect on how knowledge can be used in new areas and contribute to new ways of thinking and innovation within the services.

General competence:
The graduate...

has insight into the political and administrative decision-making processes and the conditions that contribute to inequality, and can promote societal justice together with people in vulnerable positions.
has insight into humanity and human values in their social work, professional ethics and various theories on ethics, and can handle ethical dilemmas that one can expect to encounter in this profession.
has insight into the power structures and the exercise of such power in society.
has insight into and can critically reflect on their own professional role when it comes to institutional and political requirements relating to their provision of the service.
can plan and implement their work duties in complex situations.
can plan, implement and lead coordinated and inter-professional cooperation between various different services and levels of service.
can disseminate their knowledge of social work, develop their own point of view and experience together with other collaborators and, through this, contribute to general knowledge, service innovation, and systematic and quality-enhancing work processes.
is familiar with the importance of digital communication in professional practice and interactions.

Content

In line with the national guidelines on social worker training, this programme of study is based on two competence areas. The programme will ensure that candidates acquire skills within the following two competence areas:

Frameworks for and perspectives on social work

Knowledge of and working with societal issues

The competence areas are integrated throughout the programme’s 16 courses (including its four elective courses), which are distributed across six semesters. The Building and Academic Craft course is common to all bachelor’s degree programmes at HVL and is taught during the first semester.

The courses reinforce each other and place progressively greater demands on the student’s competence, independence and ability to reflect on their own specialised knowledge.

The language of instruction of the elective courses is English, and these courses are offered to foreign exchange students. The mobility window for participation in exchange programmes is scheduled for the fifth semester.

In the first year of study, the student acquires an understanding of the core concepts used in social work and gains a foundational knowledge of social work as both a discipline and a profession. Other subjects such as psychology, sociology, law, philosophy of science, research methods, ethics, social policy and national and municipal knowledge are also covered in the first year. Social policy targets and priorities affect the living standards of individuals, families and groups across society. The student acquires an understanding of the framework conditions for social work and how these limitations affect the scope for action in their professional practice. This is vital knowledge for the work of the student when they are employed in a coordinating role and must work with people with complex needs for assistance. During the practical placements, the student interacts with individuals, families and groups in situations in which they use the knowledge they have thus far acquired. Throughout the practice period, the student critically reflects on the profession and their own professional practice.

In this second year of study, the student acquires knowledge about and skills for how to work with societal issues and how social work is carried out in practice within the welfare services. The student gains knowledge of social work involving children and families and of the challenges connected to substance abuse and mental health. In this year of study, the student also chooses a 15-credit course. Students can choose between courses taught on campus or online English language courses conducted in cooperation with other students studying at universities across Europe.

In the third year of study, the student gains knowledge of societal work as a working method in social work before going on to participate in another period of practical placements. The student can also opt to carry out the entire fifth semester abroad. By choosing this option, the student gains multicultural competence and global understanding, as well as the opportunity to partake in practical placements in Africa. This year of study focuses on specialisation in the core issues and perspectives related to the role of the profession and the practising of social work. Important dilemmas are discussed on the basis of literature on power, ethics, discretion, professional practice and theories on decision-making. The course pays particularly close attention to the discussion of challenges related to professional practice. In this year of study, the student is required to critically reflect on their own profession and professional practice. To complete the programme of study, the student must complete an undergraduate dissertation totalling 15 credits.

A more detailed description of the learning outcomes, content, work requirements and forms of assessment used on the programme can be found in the course plans.

The electronic learning support system and pedagogical tool used on this course is Canvas.

Completion of the course qualifies the candidate to pursue various further education programmes, master’s degrees and, eventually, PhD programmes offered at HVL or other colleges and universities.

Practice

The practical placements are a key component of the programme and take place in authentic professional situations and in direct contact with those who have sought out or are associated with the social, healthcare or welfare systems. Through the practical placements, the student gains experience in establishing contact, discussing/exploring, assessing and determining/making a decision in cooperation with those who have sought help and any other relevant collaborators. The programme is specifically set up so that the student can participate in practice periods in both the first and third years of study. When possible, the student should gain experience in different fields of practice, and administrative experience should also be a part of the practical placements. During the practical placements, the student participates in collaborative meetings and gains practical understanding of inter-professional and inter-institutional cooperation.

The practical placements are compulsory. 90% attendance is required for the practical placements and the requirement for attendance cannot be waived due to illness (cf. Regulation relating to studies and examinations at the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL)).

The combined scope of the practical placements totals 30 credits.

Teaching

The programme utilises varied teaching and learning methods and many of the learning activities are linked to the learning platform Canvas. Student-active learning methods and learning environments are made use of throughout the programme. Work on developing student-active learning methods and digital learning resources is carried out continually for every course. The programme includes four elective courses, all of which are 100% web-based. Digital learning methods are used on every course.

The teaching methods vary between lectures, supervision, course-wide and group-based presentations, practical placements and independent study, as well as learning through cooperation, action, dialogue and the community of students and tutors. Supervision is delivered both in writing and orally, individually or in a group.

Student-active learning methods such as literature studies, facilitated group processes, project work, poster presentations, skills training in case processing, skills training in communication, roleplay, user involvement in formation, critical reflection on one’s own work and professional development are all important parts of this course.

The student learns how to read and write academic texts. Through the written assignments, the student practises using techniques to carry out a literature review, becomes familiar with the field of knowledge and is able to disseminate the status of knowledge in a certain area of study.

The work methods chosen are adapted depending on the aim of the different parts of the course. Responsibility for one’s own learning is a central part of the programme.

Assessment

The rules set out in the relevant laws and regulations dictate the examinations and approval of practical studies for this programme, as well as the specific adaptations set out in the course plans.

The forms of assessment mirror the student’s development in line with the learning outcome descriptions. The programme is set up so that students can use different methods of acquiring and disseminating knowledge and skills throughout the three years of study. The forms of assessment used on the programme also vary between individual written examinations, individual oral exams, individual written take-home examinations, take-home examinations in the form of digital presentations to be completed in groups and an individual undergraduate dissertation.

Marking is carried out on a pass/fail basis or on a grading scale of A to F where A to E are passing grades and F is a failing grade. Practical placements are assessed as pass/fail.

The forms of assessment used encourage consistent student activity throughout the programme, and the student presentations also document the students’ achievement of the learning outcomes.

The compulsory learning activities for the course must be passed before the student can sit the exam or participate in the practical placement (cf. Regulations relating to studies and examinations at the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL)).

Examples of compulsory learning activities used on this programme include written submissions, oral presentations, project work and compulsory participation in teaching activities (cf. Regulations relating to studies and examinations at the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL)).

Required progression

All courses taken in the first semester, including SABP1 and examination right in SAB140, must be passed before the student can begin the second year of study.

All first-year courses must be passed before the student can begin the fourth semester (spring semester, second year).

All first-year and third semester courses must be passed before the student can begin the fifth semester (autumn semester, third year).

All first- and second-year courses must be passed before the student can begin the sixth semester (spring semester, third year).

Study progression requirements also apply within each year of study. See the individual course plans for more information on the prerequisites for each course.

Students who do not fulfil the requirements for progression will be moved down a cohort to repeat the year and will be given an adjusted individual education plan so that they can satisfy the unfulfilled requirements. When moved to a new cohort, the curriculum for that year will apply.

Internationalization

In the fifth semester, the student has the opportunity to apply for a foreign exchange programme. In the event that the student wishes to do so, they must choose a course that corresponds with SAB310 and SABP3. For more information, see the Regulations relating to exchange programmes.

For many years, the social work programme of study has worked with various international educational institutions to offer students three web-based courses totalling 30 credits. These courses include “Social work from an international perspective”, “Exclusion and inclusion in practice in social work” and “Community work from an international perspective”. The language of instruction for these courses is English.

Students can also choose the course “Sociocultural diversity and social differences in social work”, which is delivered on campus. The language of the instruction and literature for this course is also English.