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Bachelor of Social Services (Specialty)

Our industry-relevant programme will prepare you to enter the social service sector as a counsellor, or to offer holistic services in the health and wellbeing sector such as mental health support.

You'll learn how to empower clients to overcome social and personal disadvantages, achieve their aspirations and realise their individual and community potential. And you’ll develop knowledge and awareness of the cultural diversity of Aotearoa, so you’re prepared to work with clients in a culturally competent way that upholds the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

At the end of your first year, you'll choose your specialty - Counselling, or Health and Wellbeing Practice - then complete placements during your second and third year to build your industry experience and contacts.

Graduating with a high-level of self-awareness and the communication skills to engage a diverse range of people, you’ll be able to provide professional practice within the community, demonstrate social responsibility and will meet the standards needed to be eligible for membership with the Professional Association for your chosen specialty.

Campus Information

Dunedin Campus

This is the main Otago Polytechnic campus. We're just ten minutes' walk from the city centre, with its great shopping and superb cafés, restaurants, museums and galleries. We're right near the harbour, mountain bike tracks, sports facilities, the cricket oval and Forsyth Barr Stadium, and a short drive away from excellent surf beaches, and outlying suburbs that have their own cool village vibe.

Intakes

Application Processing Time in Days: 10

Minimum English Language Requirements

English Level Description	IELTS (1.0 -9.0)	TOEFL IBT (0-120)	TOEFL CBT (0-300)	PTE (10-90)
Expert	9	120	297-300	86-90
Very Good	8.5	115-119	280-293	83-86
Very Good	8	110-114	270-280	79-83
Good	7.5	102-109	253-267	73-79
Good	7	94-101	240-253	65-73
Competent	6.5	79-93	213-233	58-65
Competent	6	60-78	170-210	50-58
Modest	5.5	46-59	133-210	43-50
Modest	5	35-45	107-133	36-43
Limited	4	32-34	97-103	30-36
Extremely Limited	< 4	< 31	< 93	< 30

Job Opportunity Potential

Career planning and decision making
Career is a whole of life concept and not just what you are currently doing as a ‘job’. It is the Interrelatedness of all things currently in your life – study, leisure, family, friends, voluntary and/or community work, and how you fit it all together.

Career Planning

There are so many choices and options available and this can make planning your career quite difficult. The new 'world of work' requires you to be in charge of creating your own career; managing it will be a life-long journey.

Your most important asset is yourself. Therefore, the more you invest in yourself in the form of skills and knowledge development, self-awareness, networking and gaining relevant experiences, the more you expand your opportunities.

Self-assessment
Self-assessment or self-understanding is the process of knowing yourself. Before you can decide what you want to be, you first have to define who you are.

As you continue to develop both personally and professionally throughout your career, it will be necessary for you to re-assess yourself periodically in relation to your career goal provider.

Career Exploration - The World of Work
It is important to explore the 'world of work' before making a career decision to ensure that you are well informed of the work environment. Knowing where the jobs are and how easy it is to get them will influence your choices. Being aware of the obstacles or trends in the world of work will help you make career enhancing decisions to enable you to transition into successful employment.

Career pathways
From the information from your research select the one job that most appeals to you. Taking into consideration all of the information that you have gathered so far about yourself, and any other information, identify why you have chosen one particular path over the other. You could do this by drawing up a table where you list advantages and disadvantages.

Developing your action plan
Once you know what direction your career goal is in, you need to develop a career action plan. A career action plan helps to clarify directions and decision making.

Put the plan into action
The final step in the career plan is Deliver. Now you need to put your plan into action and make it happen. Start the journey towards a career you will love.

PSW Opportunity

During study, all students on a student visa can work up to 20 hours per week during semester and full time during vacations.
After completing Level 7 Bachelor’s Degree or Higher Qualification, a student will get a three years open post-study work visa.
After completing Level 8 Post Graduate courses of 1 year, students get 1 year PSW.

Admission Requirement / Eligibility Criteria

NCEA Level 2
Equivalent entry requirements for certificates and diplomas

At least 55% average across 4 academic subjects in CBSE, HSC or ISC with at least 60% in English, or equivalent in other boards

NCEA Level 3
Equivalent entry requirements for bachelors' degrees and selected diplomas

At least a 70% average over 4 academic subjects in CBSE, HSC, or ISC with at least 60% in English, or equivalent in other boards.

Certificate at Level 3
General or Academic score of 5 with no band score lower than 5.

Certificate at Level 4
General or Academic score of 5.5 with no band score lower than 5.

Certificate or Diploma at Level 5
Academic score of 5.5 with no band score lower than 5.

Certificate or Diploma at Level 6, Diploma or degree at Level 7, Graduate Certificate or Diploma at Level 7
Academic score of 6 with no band score lower than 5.5.

Post-graduate Diploma or Post-graduate Certificate at Level 8, Bachelor Honours Degree at Level 8, Master’s Degree at Level 9, Doctoral Degree at Level 10
Academic score of 6.5 with no band score lower than 6.

Otago Polytechnic

Auckland , North Island ,New Zealand