Bachelor of Social Science (BSSC) - BSocSc

QTAC code (Australian and New Zealand applicants): Toowoomba campus: 909291; External: 909295

CRICOS code (International applicants): 059206K

This program is offered only to continuing students. No new admissions will be accepted. Students who are interested in this study area should consider the BART Bachelor of Arts which will be offered from Semester 1, 2018.

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Program aims

Social scientists study people, groups of people and interactions between people. The Bachelor of Social Science program is intended for those who want to work with people - in the public sector, non-governmental organisations, etc - to deliver community welfare and social justice. This requires a blend of critical appraisal and consultative skills in tasks including community consultation and policy analysis, skills which are useful in a changing labour market and which help students to make more sense of their lives.

The program aims to produce graduates who will have:

• a broad understanding of people, society and human services within society

• a specialist interest in the characteristics and needs of a particular service area (such as education, human rights or sustainability)

• some practical experience at appraising and evaluating human services and/or introducing innovations and improvements.

Graduates should obtain job satisfaction through working with people from across society: applying their problem solving skills to produce sustainable improvements in the targeting, delivery and outcomes of human services in society.

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Program objectives

On completion of the Bachelor of Social Science program, graduates will:

• have developed a sound understanding of society, people and systems within society, and methods for evaluating society

• have developed a specialist understanding of a selected aspect of society via the designated majors

• be able to apply their knowledge and skills in an interdisciplinary context to address society’s problems

• have acquired communication, numeracy, and research skills appropriate to the field

• be able to demonstrate knowledge of the key theories in social science.

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Program Information Set

View USQ’s admission criteria, student profiles and a summary of all offers made under Course Admission Information Set via the QTAC website.

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Admission requirements

To be eligible for admission, applicants must satisfy the following requirements:

• Have achieved a minimum Overall Position (OP) 16, tertiary entrance rank 64 or equivalent qualification.^

• Subject pre-requisite: English (4, SA) or equivalent.

• English Language Proficiency requirements for Category 2.

All students are required to satisfy the applicable English language requirements.

If students do not meet the English language requirements they may apply to study a University-approved English language program. On successful completion of the English language program, students may be admitted to an award program.

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Program fees

Commonwealth supported place

A Commonwealth supported place is where the Australian Government makes a contribution towards the cost of a students' higher education and students pay a student contribution amount, which varies depending on the courses undertaken. Students are able to calculate the fees for a particular course via the Course Fee Finder.

Commonwealth Supported students may be eligible to defer their fees through a Government loan called HECS-HELP.

Domestic full fee paying place

Domestic full fee paying places are funded entirely through the full fees paid by the student. Full fees vary depending on the courses that are taken. Students are able to calculate the fees for a particular course via the Course Fee Finder.

Domestic full fee paying students may be eligible to defer their fees through a Government loan called FEE-HELP provided they meet the residency and citizenship requirements.

Australian citizens, Permanent Humanitarian Visa holders, Permanent Resident visa holders and New Zealand citizens who will be resident outside Australia for the duration of their program pay full tuition fees and are not eligible for FEE-Help.

International full fee paying place

International students pay full fees. Full fees vary depending on the courses that are taken and whether they are studied on-campus, via distance education/online. Students are able to calculate the fees for a particular course via the Course Fee Finder.

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Program structure

The program comprises 24 units as follows:

• 4 units of core courses (listed below)

• Major 1 (8 units) chosen from:

  1. Interdisciplinary Social Science

  2. Applied Social Science

  
  

• Major 2 (8 units) chosen from:

  1. Anthropology

  2. Behavioural Science

  3. Communication and Media Studies

  4. History

  5. Indigenous Studies

  6. International Relations

  7. Language and Culture

  
  

and either

• 4 electives

  or

• one 4-unit minor chosen from:

  1. Anthropology

  2. Communication and Media Studies

  3. Community Welfare and Development

  4. History

  5. Indigenous Studies

  6. International Relations

  7. Journalism

  8. Public Relations

  
  

Students may need to select courses as electives that constitute prerequisites for courses within their chosen Majors.

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Required time limits

Students have a maximum of 9 years to complete this program.

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Core courses

The following table sets out the core courses and the recommended enrolment pattern in the core courses by full-time on-campus students.

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Major studies objectives

Major 1

Major 1 is a specified group of courses with a strongly social scientific ethos and with a value of eight units. Within the major there is a great deal of flexibility, enabling students to select courses that reflect their interests and aspirations, with the proviso that it will contain at least two courses at third level (i.e. courses whose code begins with three letters and then the number 3, e.g. SOC3000, ANT3006). The following options are offered for Major 1, and more detailed information is available below:

Major 2

Major 2 is a specified group of courses, normally in a discipline area which is either within or cognate to the social sciences. They also contain at least two courses at third level. The following options are offered for Major 2, and more detailed information is available below:

Non-Arts Majors

Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Social Science may take the Behavioural Science Major, which consists of courses offered by the Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences. Enrolment in this major is subject to pre-requisites, quota availability and timetabling constraints. Students wishing to pursue graduate study in Psychology should consult with the Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts regarding acceptable content areas in the Bachelor of Social Science. Some of the other Majors include courses from outside of Arts undergraduate programs; enrolment in these courses is also subject to pre-requisites, quota availability and timetabling constraints.

Enrolment

All students are urged to adhere to the recommended enrolment patterns as detailed in relevant sections. Completion of enrolment requirements will be necessary before a student will be permitted to enrol in more advanced courses.

Major 1

Interdisciplinary Social Science

Note: students who are considering Honours or postgraduate study, or a career in research, are advised to take some or all of the following courses: ANT2007 Ethnographic Methods: Making Anthropology and STA3100 Data Analysis in the Social Sciences. STA3100 Data Analysis in the Social Sciences is subject to offer by the Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences.

Applied Social Science

Major 2

Anthropology major

Behavioural Science major

The behavioural sciences provide an understanding of human behaviour in relation to individual agency within social, cultural, group, and organisational contexts. It informs the social scientist of ways to understand, evaluate and change behaviour associated with many aspects of social issues and community engagement. Graduates with a behavioural science major are employed in the public, private and community sectors where effectiveness requires particular knowledge of human behaviour and relationships factors. While this degree does not contain all of the components required for progression into a career as a psychologist, students who wish to complete an accredited major in Psychology and be eligible to progress to an Honours degree in Psychology, can apply to transfer to the Bachelor of Sciences degree.

Communication and Media Studies major

History major

Note: HIS3004 Approaches To History is recommended for students considering study in history at Honours level.

Indigenous Studies major

International Relations major

Language and Culture major

Note: upon presentation of evidence of successful completion of language and cultural studies at an appropriate competency level in the relevant country (China or Germany), students may apply for course credit and/or unspecified credit towards their major. Students who wish to study LAC3004 In-Country Study/Professional Placement must contact the Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts to discuss to discuss their enrolment plan.

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Minor Studies

In this section:

• Anthropology
• Communication and Media Studies
• Community Welfare and Development
• History
• Indigenous Studies
• International Relations
• Journalism
• Public Relations

Minor studies are designed to enable students to widen their knowledge and perspectives, or to complement their choice of major. Students who take one of the following Minor Studies may reduce the number of core courses in the degree to four, subject to the restrictions stated above. The recognised Minors in the Bachelor of Social Science degree are as follows:

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Anthropology

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

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Communication and Media Studies

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

Students should select four courses from the Communication and Media Studies major, subject to pre-requisite requirements:

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Community Welfare and Development

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

Students cannot study both HMT2000 and CDS2000 within the one degree.

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History

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

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Indigenous Studies

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

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International Relations

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

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Journalism

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

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Public Relations

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

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Electives/Approved courses

Elective courses are designed to enable students to further increase their knowledge and widen their perspectives. Choice of an elective will depend on the availability of the course(s), time tabling constraints, quotas, and other restrictions such as prerequisites and entrance requirements. Where students select to take elective courses, they are encouraged to select the following courses:

Students may already being doing some of these courses within their program, and the others are particularly relevant to a social science degree. However, electives can be freely chosen from across the university.

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IT requirements

Access to an up-to-date computer is necessary. On-campus students can access appropriately equipped laboratories, but should consider acquisition of their own computer. External students should be able to access a computer with the following minimum standards. All students should have access to email and the Internet via a computer running the latest versions of Internet web browsers such as Internet Explorer or Firefox. The University has a wireless network for on-campus students' computers. In order to take advantage of this facility and further enhance their on-campus learning environment, students should consider purchasing a notebook/laptop computer with wireless connectivity. A notebook/laptop may be required for some courses.

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Residential schools

The attendance requirement of residential schools within this degree is indicated by the following letters: V = Voluntary; O = Optional; C = Compulsory; R = Recommended; HR = Highly Recommended; M = Mandatory. To find out more about residential schools, visit the Residential School Schedule to view specific dates for your degree, or visit the Policy and Procedure Library.

Some courses in this program will have compulsory residential schools. Please consult course specifications for details.

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Credit

Although not all students are full-time, the degree is split into a first year, a second year and a third year (as per the recommended enrolment plans). Students who transfer into the degree may be able to enter the second or third year directly, depending on their prior qualifications. Students who, in the past ten years, have already passed the equivalent of 8 course units of social science or 12 course units from other disciplines may enter the second year of the degree, and students who have passed the equivalent of 16 units of social science or 24 course units from other disciplines may enter the third year of the degree. Where such block credit is given, the courses to be taken shall be determined by the Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts, and students may be permitted to graduate with one major rather than the usual two. Alternatively, credit transfer may be given on a course-by-course basis, enabling students to be exempt from specific courses in the Bachelor of Social Science as long as they have passed other courses in the past ten years that are comparable in content and level.

No course may be counted towards more than one part of the degree under any circumstances, the parts of the degree being defined as the Core, Major 1, Major 2, a recognised Minor, and Elective courses.

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Other information

Please note that all recommended enrolment patterns are subject to approval.

Recommended enrolment patterns

In this section:

• Major 1: Interdisciplinary Social Science / Major 2: Anthropology
• Major 1: Interdisciplinary Social Science / Major 2: Behavioural Science - recommended enrolment pattern
• Major 1: Interdisciplinary Social Science / Major 2: Communication and Media Studies enrolment pattern
• Major 1: Interdisciplinary Social Science / Major 2: History recommended enrolment pattern
• Major 1: Interdisciplinary Social Science / Major 2: Indigenous Studies recommended enrolment pattern
• Major 1: Interdisciplinary Social Science / Major 2: International Relations recommended enrolment pattern
• Major 1: Interdisciplinary Social Science / Major 2: Language and Culture enrolment pattern
• Major 1: Applied Social Science / Major 2: Anthropology recommended enrolment pattern
• Major 1: Applied Social Science / Major 2: Behavioural Science recommended enrolment pattern
• Major 1: Applied Social Science / Major 2: Communication and Media Studies enrolment pattern
• Major 1: Applied Social Science / Major 2: History recommended enrolment pattern
• Major 1: Applied Social Science / Major 2: Indigenous Studies recommended enrolment pattern
• Major 1: Applied Social Science / Major 2: International Relations recommended enrolment pattern
• Major 1: Applied Social Science / Major 2: Language and Culture enrolment pattern

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Major 1: Interdisciplinary Social Science / Major 2: Anthropology

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

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Major 1: Interdisciplinary Social Science / Major 2: Behavioural Science - recommended enrolment pattern

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

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Major 1: Interdisciplinary Social Science / Major 2: Communication and Media Studies enrolment pattern

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

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Major 1: Interdisciplinary Social Science / Major 2: History recommended enrolment pattern

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

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Major 1: Interdisciplinary Social Science / Major 2: Indigenous Studies recommended enrolment pattern

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

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Major 1: Interdisciplinary Social Science / Major 2: International Relations recommended enrolment pattern

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

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Major 1: Interdisciplinary Social Science / Major 2: Language and Culture enrolment pattern

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

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Major 1: Applied Social Science / Major 2: Anthropology recommended enrolment pattern

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

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Major 1: Applied Social Science / Major 2: Behavioural Science recommended enrolment pattern

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

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Major 1: Applied Social Science / Major 2: Communication and Media Studies enrolment pattern

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

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Major 1: Applied Social Science / Major 2: History recommended enrolment pattern

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

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Major 1: Applied Social Science / Major 2: Indigenous Studies recommended enrolment pattern

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

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Major 1: Applied Social Science / Major 2: International Relations recommended enrolment pattern

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

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Major 1: Applied Social Science / Major 2: Language and Culture enrolment pattern

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

Note: Students who wish to study LAC3004 In-Country Study/Professional placement must discuss this with the Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts in the context of their enrolment plan.