BA and Bachelor of Social Work - Political Economy in Darlington Australia | The University of Sydney

This five-year program provides an extensive and adaptable combined degree that certifies you as an accredited social worker, while enabling you to enrich your credentials with complementary majors and minors alongside the Bachelor of Social Work. Although a major or minor in Sociology, or a minor in Social Policy, is mandatory, you have the option to select another major or minor from diverse fields like diversity studies, gender studies, Aboriginal Studies, or philosophy. You will engage in integrated coursework covering social sciences, social policy, and social work theory and practice, with a significant focus on Australian and comparative social welfare studies. During the final two years, all students complete the professional social work curriculum, which involves two supervised fieldwork placements in various settings guided by expert practitioners. We establish field education learning goals throughout the program, striving to cultivate values, skills, and knowledge that progress from beginner to practitioner level, aligned with the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) Practice Standards. Political Economy examines the interconnections among the economy, society, and political interests. You will gain the ability to comprehend various competing economic theories and apply them to analyze urgent economic challenges in today's world, such as inequality, economic development, crises and transformations, and the tension between economic growth and environmental sustainability. Additionally, you will explore the historical evolution of capitalist economies and their institutional bases. In your first year, you will be introduced to the main schools of economic thought and the global economy's historical development. Second and third-year courses build on this foundation, deepening your grasp of core political economy topics. You can focus on specific approaches to economic understanding and select from a variety of current political economic issues. This major encompasses essential research and teaching areas, including economic development, income and wealth distribution, the political economy of human rights, finance, neoliberalism, environmental issues, business cycles, and global political economy and gender. Upon graduation, you will possess the analytical skills needed to address contemporary economic concerns with social and political dimensions.