Bachelor of Social Science
Course Overview / Course Structure
| Course Name | Bachelor of Social Science |
| Level | Undergraduate |
| Type | Full-time or part-time |
| Mode | On-campus or by distance education |
| Duration | 3 years (full-time equivalent) |
| Credit Points | 240 |
| Starting Semesters | 1 & 2 |
| Course Code | SS11 |
| CRICOS Code | 045357K |
| Host School | Social Sciences |
Course Specific Enquiries
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Email: enquiries@chc.edu.au
Credit for Prior Study Enquiries
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Admissions, Enrolments & General Enquiries
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Email: enquiries@chc.edu.au
General Information
The Bachelor of Social Science is a three year fulltime course of study (or part-time equivalent). It offers serious critical reflection about the nature of human society, culture and behaviour as a means of enabling individuals to contribute in meaningful and constructive ways to the well-being of the wider community.
Career Outcomes
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Attendance
Full-time students undertake 3-4 units per semester. Each unit is equivalent to 10 credit points). Students may enrol in fewer units per semester and extend their degree over a longer period. Australian students enrolled in three or more units may be eligible to claim Austudy benefits. International students are required to study a minimum of 30 credit hours (3 subject equivalent) per semester to fulfil Australian study visa requirements.
Workload for the Course
The Bachelor of Social Science requires 240 credit points for completion. Each credit point indicates an expected student involvement of one hour per week for one semester in both formal contact hours and individual study. A standard unit carrying a weighting of 10 credit points will normally involve an expected ten hours of study and research per week. Students undertaking fulltime study will have a semester load of 40 credit points.
Units in the course are offered at three levels. Introductory units, categorised as 100-level, are units for which there are no pre-requisites. Advanced units, for which some studies at introductory level will normally be a pre-requisite, are identified by 200-level unit codes. Units with a 300-level code normally have advanced (200-level) pre-requisites.
Students may apply for transfer of credit from previous studies. Application for transfer of credit is to be made at the time of entry into the course. During their course of study, students may also apply to engage in cross-institutional study towards the requirements of the course. A maximum of 50% of the course may be undertaken through transfer of credit and/or cross-institutional study.
Course Structure
The Bachelor of Social Science embodies a traditional Bachelor degree structure based around two areas of specialisation:
MODEL 1
| Major Major Core / Elective Units TOTAL |
80 credit points 80 credit points 80 credit points 240 credit points |
A second model for the Bachelor of Social Science consists of one major area of study and two minor areas of study, and is designed for to provide a greater breadth of studies:
MODEL 2
| Major Minor Minor Core / Elective Units TOTAL |
80 credit points 40 credit points 40 credit points 80 credit points 240 credit points |
Core requirements
The Core requirements consist of Professional Studies units and Christian Studies units. There is considerable flexibility as to how students may incorporate the Core requirements into the structure of their course. For instance, they may be included in the Elective units component, stand alone as a Minor, or be extended to become a Major. Moreover, where appropriate, individual units may be counted towards Majors in other relevant areas.
Professional Studies
Students undertake four core units which develop basic skills in academic and professional communication, and foundational perspectives and approaches in the Social Sciences. These units may be counted towards major and minor requirements where appropriate.
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Professional Studies units LA110 - Academic Communication SO101 - Australian Society: Introduction to Sociology SO242 - Social Science Research Methods SO302 - Understanding Humanness |
Christian Studies
Students undertake four units which provide the foundational Christian worldview that underlies the course. In particular, these units give expression within the course to the College's fundamental commitment to constructive engagement and integration between Christian perspectives and social and cultural issues. These units are directed towards three main areas: personal growth, theological understanding, and Christian perspectives on philosophy, society and culture. Because of the diverse nature of student experience on entry to the course, specific units in personal growth and theology are not required; rather, students are given a number of options for the fulfilment of the necessary studies in these areas, subject to the availability of units.
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Christian Studies units |
Areas of study
The areas which may constitute Majors or Minors in the Bachelor of Social Science, and the units available in each area, are as follows. With the approval of the Course Coordinator, Majors and Minors may be imported from other Schools of the College, subject to the fulfilment of course rules. Part-time study arrangements are not available to Overseas students.
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Study of Society units |
Relationship to other courses
Students may exit the Bachelor of Social Science after one year of fulltime study and obtain a Diploma of Social Science, or they may exit after two years of fulltime study to complete the award of Associate Degree in Social Science, subject to course rules.
Students may apply to transfer to any of the other Bachelor of Social Science courses offered by the College, subject to entry requirements. The suite of Bachelor of Social Science courses share most elements of the Core requirements, and many of the units can be applied to various structures within the courses. Students who transfer course are then subject to the rules of their new course.
Summary of Course Rules – Bachelor of Social Science
1) A total of 240 credit points are required for graduation.
2) Completion of two majors, or one major and two minors, is required for graduation.
3) A major consists of 80 credit points completed in a field of study, of which at least 50 credit points must be completed at advanced level, including at least 10 credit points at 300-level.
4) A minor consists of 40 credit points completed in a field of study, of which at least 20 credit points must be completed at advanced level.
5) A minimum of 120 credit points must be completed in units offered at the advanced level.
6) A maximum of 160 credit points may be completed in any single field of study.
7) No unit may be credited towards more than one major.
8) At least 120 credit points must be completed within the School of Social Sciences.
9) No more than 120 credit points gained in prior studies at another institution may be credited towards the requirements of the award.
10) No more than 80 credit points gained in concurrent studies at another institution may be credited towards the requirements of the award.
11) With the approval of the Dean, prior studies at another institution for which no award has been received may be considered as fulfilling the requirements of one major, provided that the structural requirements for a major are fulfilled, and that tests of recency, academic standing, standard of achievement and relevance to the College program are satisfied.
12) No more than 30 credit points gained in approved concurrent studies at another institution may be counted towards the requirements of a major in a discipline offered by the College.
13) The maximum allowable time for completion of the award is TEN years.
14) Variations of course rules must receive the approval of the Dean and the Board of Studies.
