Programme description for Bachelor's Programme in Social Work (2026–2029)

Learning Outcomes The program’s learning outcomes are based on the Regulations on National Guidelines for Social Work Education, https://lovdata.no/dokument/SF/forskrift/2019-03-15-409. Upon completion of the program, it is expected that students will have acquired the following knowledge, skills, and general competencies:

Knowledge

The candidate:

• Possesses broad knowledge of the theoretical basis, history, traditions, characteristics, and place of social work in society and how social work can contribute to preventing, reducing, and solving social problems
• Possesses broad knowledge of social problems at the individual, group, and societal levels and how societal structures and welfare policy goals and measures impact living conditions, participation, and social inequality
• Possesses broad knowledge of communication, relationships, and interaction with children, youth, adults, and the elderly at the individual, group, and societal levels
• Possesses broad knowledge of caregiving competence, neglect, conditions for human development, coping, resources, and involvement in different life stages
• Has knowledge of legal methods, administrative principles, current laws, human rights, central conventions, and indigenous people's rights and status
• Has knowledge of social science methods, science-theoretical positions, and principles for evaluating scientific quality

Skills

The candidate:

• Can apply professional knowledge and methodological approaches for mapping, analysis, and documentation in working with children, youth, adults, and the elderly at the individual, group, and societal levels
• Can apply professional knowledge about relationships and communication in systematic change work and can guide users, patients, and relatives in learning, coping, and change processes
• Can find, evaluate, and refer to information and various forms of knowledge and present this both orally and in writing
• Can apply legal rules, inform about rights and obligations, and exercise legal and social work judgment in interactions with individuals, families, and groups
• Can reflect critically on their own and others' professional practice when working with people in vulnerable life situations and can adjust their practice through guidance
• Can work knowledgeably and make professional assessments and decisions in cooperation with individuals, groups, families, and collaborators

General Competence

The candidate:

• Has insight into human perspectives, values, and ethical theories in social work and can handle ethical dilemmas in professional practice
• Has insight into political and administrative decision-making processes and can reflect on their professional role in meeting institutional and political demands
• Has insight into power structures and power exercise in society and can promote practices contributing to a more inclusive society
• Can plan, implement, coordinate, and lead interdisciplinary collaborative processes in social work
• Is familiar with and can contribute to new thinking, change, and innovation processes in social work
• Has insight into the significance of digital communication in professional practice and interaction

The social work education is a practice-oriented, academic program in social work. The purpose of the social work education is to train reflective professionals who can assist individuals, families, or groups in preventing, reducing, and coping with social problems. This also involves being able to shed light on and counter structures in society that create social inequality and diminish people's living conditions and participation. Students learn profession-specific work methods based on theory and research, experiences from various professional fields, user knowledge, and ethical professional values.

The work as a social worker starts from the understanding that there are connections between individual problems and the societal context in which such problems occur. Social work derives from an understanding that people can actively and relationally relate to their fellow humans and the structures they live under. The field targets work with people of all ages, and social workers operate in the public, private, and voluntary sectors.

Throughout the program, students meet and collaborate with various stakeholders. This includes users and user organizations, practitioners in various welfare services, and voluntary organizations. UiA has formalized and extensive collaboration with the professional field through Praxis-Sør: https://www.uia.no/senter-og-nettverk/praxis-soer.

Students receive guidance from academic staff, practitioners, users of the aid apparatus, and mentors during the study, including in the program's internship periods. There are multiple internship periods during the study, and UiA utilizes all municipalities in the entire Agder region when allocating placements. More information about internships in the program can be found here: https://www.uia.no/om-uia/fakultet/fakultet-for-samfunnsvitenskap/institutter/institutt-for-sosiologi-og-sosialt-arbeid/praksis-i-sosialt-arbeid.

Students can also participate in ‘Nattergalen’, a mentoring program for school children aged 8-12 with minority backgrounds: https://www.uia.no/om-uia/fakultet/fakultet-for-samfunnsvitenskap/nattergalen.

The Bachelor's degree in social work is a three-year full-time and integrated bachelor's program. The curriculum is based on the regulations on a common framework for health and social education, see https://lovdata.no/dokument/SF/forskrift/2017-09-06-1353, as well as the national guidelines for social work education, see https://lovdata.no/dokument/SF/forskrift/2019-03-15-409.

Continuous suitability assessments are conducted for all students throughout the study. These evaluations are part of a comprehensive assessment of the student's academic and personal prerequisites for functioning as social personnel. If there is justified doubt about a student's suitability, a special suitability evaluation must be conducted. Read more about suitability and suitability assessments here: https://www.uia.no/studier2/opptak/linkeblokksamling/skikkethetsvurdering.

Academic Profile At the University of Agder, we have chosen to emphasize the following three areas that are consistently interwoven in the social work education:

Experience and User Knowledge in Education Our goal is to educate social workers who focus on close collaboration with users, see hope and opportunities, and base their work on users' own desires and needs for control over their lives. We believe that personal experiences can constitute valuable and important knowledge in social work. Students encounter individuals with experiential and user knowledge through teaching, skills training, and mentor groups. Additionally, we emphasize that students should have an awareness of how their own experiences, values, and attitudes can influence them as social workers.

Ethical and Critical Reflection We emphasize training social workers who have a solid ethical awareness in their professional practice. This involves being able to identify ethical issues and make sound and well-considered decisions in situations where what is right or wrong is not clear. Furthermore, we focus on students being able to critically examine their own practice and the organizational and conceptual ways of thinking of the welfare state. We believe that no knowledge is neutral, using theory to challenge practice and practice to challenge theory. Focus on power perspectives and diversity thinking is particularly central in the education.

Practice-Driven, Practice-Relevant, and Future-Oriented Our students have two longer internship periods in their studies, and they go on field visits to the practice field. We have close cooperation with various stakeholders in the practice field, from voluntary organizations and private and public services. Students meet practitioners in teaching and internship periods. We continually work to ensure that our education is relevant to the practice field. However, the goal is also that our students acquire and develop future-oriented knowledge beneficial to the practice field. Among other things, we focus on knowledge of green and sustainable perspectives in social work, as well as equipping students to contribute to digital development in the sector.

The first year is primarily introductory, where students become familiar with key frameworks, problem areas, theories, and methods in social work. They also practice fundamental communication and interaction skills and complete an introductory internship.

In the second year, students gain more knowledge about specific subject areas and training in various skills and concrete methodological approaches. They learn about scientific methods and critical and ethical thinking in social work.

In the third year, students acquire an even broader knowledge of professional issues and should be able to critically reflect on their profession and professional practice. They are expected to perform independent work under supervision, both in the form of a longer internship period and writing a bachelor's thesis where they specialize academically in a selected issue.

Throughout the study program, students train in practical skills through mandatory skills training. Here, it is expected that students work on their professional development by challenging their attitudes, values, backgrounds, and preconceptions through critical reflection.

The methods vary between lectures, group work, skills training (practicing communication and interaction), and internship studies. Guidance is provided individually and in a group. Attendance at lectures is generally not compulsory, but attendance is required in parts of the subjects, such as skills training, seminars, internships, and teaching in collaboration with the practice field.

In the first year, a 5-week internship period is included, and in the third year, an internship of one semester is included. We have internship placements throughout Agder, and for some students, the internship placement will involve travel.

The program uses international curriculum literature and draws on global perspectives that are central to several subjects taught. The study emphasizes developing knowledge about diversity, the consequences of globalization and migration, and culturally complex societies. In the Nattergalen mentoring program, you can gain experience working with children with minority backgrounds. The language of instruction is primarily Norwegian, but some teaching will be offered in English.

We recommend our students take the opportunity to study abroad. An exchange with one of our partners provides unique experience and the opportunity to gain international perspectives beneficial for the study and later professional practice. In the 3rd semester, it is possible to apply for an exchange to all educational institutions the program collaborates with. In the 5th semester, students may apply to complete an internship abroad at various institutions. Internship exchange should be to places with which we have a cooperation agreement and should primarily be associated with a university.

There are several good exchange agreements, including Erasmus+. For more information on where students can go on exchange, see UiA's website about student exchange: https://www.uia.no/student/utveksling.

Programme coordinator Heidi Esma Dahl Bønnhoff or student adviser May Lis Furenes.

• This program requires a police certificate. Information about the police certificate can be found on UiA's website: http://www.uia.no/politiattest
• A confidentiality declaration must be signed electronically in connection with semester registration on Studentweb
• There is a requirement for continuous suitability assessment of all students in the bachelor's program in social work and several other programs. You can read more about this on UiA's website, see http://www.uia.no/soeknadsfrist-og-opptak/skikkethetsvurdering
• Some courses are taught together with students from other programs.
• All students at UiA are required to have their own laptop for use in teaching and exams, see the regulations on study and exam requirements at the University of Agder § 12d.