Bachelor of Social Work (Honours)

at La Trobe University - Bendigo Campus Australia

Life in today's world brings harsh challenges. Poverty, addiction, mental illness, domestic violence and personal crisis can severely impact a person's ability to feel safe, find a stable home and pursue opportunities.

Build tomorrow’s world.

The world's population is set to grow by more than 40 per cent between now and the end of the century.* With an extra 3 billion more humans to feed, shelter and nurture, there's an urgent need for experienced planning professionals who can create sustainable and liveable communities for all. With the Australian Government forecasting strong future job growth for urban and regional planners, there's never been a better time to advance your career in this important field.**

If you've always wanted to help shape the world around you – or you're already working in planning and would like to advance your career – La Trobe's accredited Master of Planning offers a unique opportunity to excel in this high-demand field. Develop advanced knowledge of complex planning processes and learn how to create sustainable towns, cities and regions.

Explore the big issues in planning. How do we ensure communities have equitable access to housing, food, transport, education and healthcare? Can we make our communities safer and more resilient? And how can we ensure communities are meaningfully consulted about changes that affect them?

In this comprehensive planning degree, you'll examine the latest social, economic and environmental trends and explore the latest research on planning best practice. You'll learn how to design innovative solutions to existing and emerging problems, and understand how to transform key policies for urban, regional and rural communities in Australia and overseas.

Pursue your area of interest and gain high-level skills when you choose a specialisation, such as community planning, and urban and regional planning. You'll graduate with your specialisation on your academic transcript, so future employers can recognise your expertise.

In this multidisciplinary degree, you'll also choose from a wide range of electives so you can explore the subjects that interest you most. Passionate about politics, advocacy, public health or transport? Explore complementary subjects from La Trobe's international relations, civil engineering and public health departments, and develop the expertise you need for your dream career.

Develop your professional portfolio, expand your networks and build your experience while you study. In this highly practical degree, you'll have the opportunity to work on live projects for local councils and government agencies, and directly shape policies that affect real-life decisions. You'll complete a research thesis as part of your studies, which means you could study a PhD once you've successfully completed your Master's.

Learn from award-winning professional planners who have extensive industry experience and up-to-date knowledge of best practice. The Master of Planning is accredited by the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA), making it easier for employers to recognise your advanced skills and knowledge.

If you're keen to graduate faster, it may be possible to complete your degree in just 1 to 1.5 years (equivalent full-time study) if you've completed previous study or have experience in a related field.

Graduate ready to shape a better future your community, with a degree recognised by industry.

You'll learn:

    Professional planning practice
        Develop planning skills for working in a diverse range of urban, regional and rural environments.
    Planning policy and law
        Learn how to interpret and apply planning policies and frameworks. Understand how to promote sustainability and social equity.
    Sustainable development principles
        Understand key development principles and learn how to create sustainable towns and cities.
    Spatial planning
        Learn how to create liveable, designed environments. Create innovative solutions that balance economic considerations with cultural aspirations.

Infrastructure is a chief priority for the Australian government. Large-scale projects are being devised to address issues such as urban congestion and national connectivity, and civil engineers are in high-demand to make these projects a reality.

La Trobe's Bachelor of Civil Engineering (Honours) equips you with the skills to be at the forefront of the rapidly evolving civil engineering industry. Build your knowledge in a range of engineering specialties and be prepared to lead the way in creating efficient, sustainable and innovative solutions to complex engineering challenges.

Learn the technical aspects of geotechnics and hydraulic systems. You'll also develop strong foundations in structural and electrical engineering, while exploring the countless possibilities of mechanical engineering.

Understand the importance of high-quality infrastructure design, civil construction, and computer-aided design. As you progress, you'll have the opportunity to undertake research in sustainability, urban irrigation and advances in concrete technologies.

The course is delivered by leading academics in our high-tech facilities where you'll undertake large-scale projects such as integrating energy efficient solutions into smart buildings. In your final year, you can also complete a work placement and gain valuable industry experience with a real-world company.

Every stage of our Bachelor of Civil Engineering (Honours) equips you for your future career. You have the option to exit after your first year with a Diploma of Engineering Technology or after your second year with an Associate Degree in Engineering Technology. You can also continue building your engineering expertise with our Master of Engineering (Civil).

Graduate ready to work across a wide range of sectors, including government, construction, natural resources, renewable energy, oil and gas, and mining.

With global communities facing challenges of increasing complexity and urgency, we need confident and experienced professionals who can leverage the latest innovations and provide ethical governance. We need leaders in every industry who make decisions not just for today’s generation – but for tomorrow’s.

If you're ready to become a global leader, La Trobe's prestigious Master of Business Administration (MBA) will give you the world-class skills to advance your career, move into a new field or launch your own start-up. Tap into La Trobe's exclusive network of powerful business leaders and develop the essential experience to become an influential modern leader.

We've carefully designed the La Trobe MBA to suit your needs. Choose to study on campus, online or a blend of the two. You can also choose from a wide range of regional campuses. You'll keep your career moving forwards, even while you prepare to step up to the next level.

With La Trobe's internationally-renowned MBA, you'll immerse yourself in learning as you grow your business acumen and develop valuable human skills. Co-designed and co-delivered by leading industry partners such as Mercer, you'll be absorbed in interactive learning and develop critical business skills. Our MBA is built on evidence-based coursework – so you'll have the confidence to understand the issues facing global businesses, tackle real-world business problems and develop lifelong leadership skills.

Study with international leaders who are dedicated to building a better world. Globally regarded for our commitment to sustainable leadership, you'll gain the skills and knowledge to balance both economic and sustainability outcomes. Our MBA is built on the United Nations-backed Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) and we are proud to be the first Australian university to become a PRME Champion.

When you access the La Trobe MBA Alumni network, you'll join an exclusive network of high-performing senior executives. You can attend professional networking events and guest lectures, as you learn how to provide good corporate governance in challenging environments.

You'll transform your career when you choose from a wide range of carefully curated specialisations. You can also complete your MBA without a specialisation, and undertake a life-changing study tour or work placement (subject to government travel restrictions).

You can also receive support for your start-up. Through partnerships with the Melbourne Innovation Centre and Fishburners, you can access space in start-up hubs, individualised mentoring and more.

Graduate prepared to become an influential global leader – and change the world for the better.

You'll learn:

• Responsible leadership and corporate governance - Understand how to manage people and operations, and achieve ethical and sustainable outcomes.
• Entrepreneurship - Be ready to take your business plans from conception to completion.
• Innovation and design thinking - Learn how to think creatively and drive change across an organisation
• Business analysis - Explore how data can shape strategies and inform smarter decision-making.
• Accounting and financial management - Refine your skills in accounting and finance to better analyse business practices.

If you're passionate about making a positive difference, La Trobe's Bachelor of Health Sciences will give you the skills and confidence to build a rewarding career in this diverse field. Whether you want to work with individual people or whole populations, you'll have the opportunity to fine-tune your skills and get the real-world experience that'll set you apart

Look at health from every angle. While we often measure health through the body, we can also examine the way our minds, our society and our environment – not to mention our political structures – affect the health of every individual, family and community. You'll learn how to use data as a powerful tool to improve the health of everyday people and develop the research skills to make a real impact.

Delve deeper into subjects you're fascinated in, with the option to take up to two majors if you want to develop broad expertise and keep your career options open. You'll also have the option to study an open access major or minor from across the university to gain extra skills and explore your passions.

Gain deep knowledge of the most impactful areas of the health sciences and build a meaningful career. Through your studies, you can aspire to make positive differences at local, national and international levels. You'll learn the skills employers are searching for. Hone your abilities in critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, research, leadership and teamwork, then use them to address the biggest issues in health and wellbeing.

You'll graduate ready to make a positive impact on health policy and practice – for both current and future generations.

Psychological Science

Discover psychology using a scientific approach. In this fascinating major, you’ll deepen your understanding of how people think, behave and relate to one another. Expand your understanding of psychological health and illness, while learning how to assess psychological functioning in individuals.

Explore how culture and society can shape our experiences and health choices. You’ll investigate how our thoughts, feelings and behaviours are influenced by other people and you’ll learn how to use statistical techniques to understand the differences between groups of people.

Investigate a range of evidence-based psychological interventions and develop your research skills by conducting an in-depth investigation into an area of psychology. Throughout your studies, you’ll build practical skills in analysis, evaluation and communication. Learn how to apply psychological theory and research to real-world individuals and their communities.

If you're passionate about making a positive difference, La Trobe's Bachelor of Health Sciences will give you the skills and confidence to build a rewarding career in this diverse field. Whether you want to work with individual people or whole populations, you'll have the opportunity to fine-tune your skills and get the real-world experience that'll set you apart

Look at health from every angle. While we often measure health through the body, we can also examine the way our minds, our society and our environment – not to mention our political structures – affect the health of every individual, family and community. You'll learn how to use data as a powerful tool to improve the health of everyday people and develop the research skills to make a real impact.

Delve deeper into subjects you're fascinated in, with the option to take up to two majors if you want to develop broad expertise and keep your career options open. You'll also have the option to study an open access major or minor from across the university to gain extra skills and explore your passions.

Gain deep knowledge of the most impactful areas of the health sciences and build a meaningful career. Through your studies, you can aspire to make positive differences at local, national and international levels. You'll learn the skills employers are searching for. Hone your abilities in critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, research, leadership and teamwork, then use them to address the biggest issues in health and wellbeing.

You'll graduate ready to make a positive impact on health policy and practice – for both current and future generations.

You'll learn:

Professional scientific thinking

• Learn how science contributes new knowledge and finds solutions to problems in our society.

Lab and fieldwork skills

• Learn how to collect data and use specialist technical skills to develop new findings in the laboratory and in the field.

Problem-solving

• Learn to develop solutions to complex scientific problems.

Collaboration

• Collaborate and work effectively in teams to solve problems and achieve shared goals.

Professional conduct

• Learn about ethical conduct when working as a scientific professional and how to promote and communicate your professional identity to potential employers and peers.

Communicating as a professional scientist

• Gain experience communicating to a range of audiences, both in written and verbal formats.

Health, wellbeing and performance

Develop skills to facilitate improved mental health and wellbeing in sport and broader community settings. With a focus on positive psychology, communication and counselling skills, and principles of effective performance, you’ll develop the skills you’ll need to promote wellbeing and performance with individuals and small groups.

Rapid evolutions in science and technology mean our advancements sometimes outpace the law. Get the skills to stay ahead.

In La Trobe's Bachelor of Laws(Honours)/Bachelor of Science, you can pursue multiple interests and gain a powerful combination of legal skills and cutting-edge scientific knowledge.

From stem cell research to how personal information is collected, stored and shared, advances in science and technology have real human impacts. This double degree uniquely prepares you to address contemporary challenges from a scientific, legal and ethical perspective.

Benefit from our progressive approach to legal education with a law degree you can shape to your own career goals. You'll get a solid grounding in the basics of law and hone your expertise in advocacy, negotiation and dispute resolution – skills valued by employers across industries.

Your science degree offers you huge flexibility, with an extensive range of majors to choose from. Follow your interests in emerging areas like cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and data science or traditional fields including chemistry, botany and genetics. Bring knowledge to life in world-class facilities, including the La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science (LIMS), and learn from academics who are leaders in their fields.

Take your skills into the real world while you study. You'll have the opportunity to do placements in a range of legal settings, including community legal centres, law firms, government agencies, and judges and magistrates (subject to availability). On the science side, you could complete a placement with one of our industry partners – previous students have worked with CSIRO, Bayer Crop Science, and various government departments.

You will graduate ready to start your career as an expert legal practitioner, with an advanced understanding of scientific concepts or a science professional with a solid understanding of regulatory environments and how they impact scientific work.

Molecular biology

From treating disease to finding new ways to create energy, molecular biology helps us solve some of the world’s biggest problems. Explore physiology, biochemistry and analytical techniques, learn how organisms function, and pursue a wide range of career options.

From conservation to exploration, there’s a rewarding future waiting for you in the great outdoors. Turn your passion for the natural world into a career connecting with your community and the world around you.

La Trobe's Bachelor of Outdoor and Sustainability Education takes you beyond the classroom. Get hands-on outdoor experience and build a deeper understanding of sustainability and environmental education.

Enjoy opportunities to build and enrich your outdoor adventuring skills while you explore nature. You could spend more than 70 days on field trips* and extended outdoor journeys while building a vital understanding of research on climate change and experiential learning. From bushwalking to kayaking, you'll prepare to lead groups while they explore outdoor environments and you develop your skill in outdoor learning.

You'll also be ready to help foster respect and appreciation for the world around you. Explore the social and scientific aspects of sustainability, including Indigenous understandings of our environment, and learn how to manage and teach outdoor education programs.

Whether you want to guide adventures or educate the community, we'll help you be ready for your future. You'll develop the skills and confidence to lead, teach and communicate in any situation.

Outdoor education

Explore the relationship between humans and the natural world through outdoor experiences. Become an outdoor education expert with skills in outdoor leadership, safety management, natural and cultural history, environmental interpretation and sustainability.

To create an optimal legal system, we need to understand human behaviour and what clients need. More than ever, employers are searching for experienced professionals with expertise in law and psychology who can create innovative solutions to our most pressing legal challenges.

In La Trobe's Bachelor of Laws (Honours)/Bachelor of Psychological Science, you'll build an adaptable skillset that combines skills-based legal training with expertise in psychological teaching, preparing you for a rewarding career.

As you study law, you can tailor your degree to your personal career aspirations with a wide range of elective subjects and opportunities for hands-on professional experience. We combine outstanding legal training with a progressive approach that prepares you for employment. You'll build legal expertise in key areas of law and develop skills that are highly valued by all employers, like advocacy, negotiation, and dispute resolution.

In your accredited psychological science degree, you'll enjoy the full benefits of having access to academics who are experts in their fields. Explore the environmental factors that affect our mental health and understand how community members cope with mental and physical disorders. Thanks to our electives and specialised minors, you'll be able to further ensure your study meets your specific career goals.

With access to real-world placement opportunities in both law and psychology, you'll also have opportunities put your knowledge into practice – whether it's working at a community legal centre, law firms and government agencies, or undertaking a psychology-related field placement.

You'll gain discipline expertise to teach across the stages of schooling, with specialisation in one double (Drama, Mathematics, Physical Education and Visual Arts) or two single method-teaching areas from the following disciplines:

• Business Management
• Commerce and Business Studies
• Drama
• English
• Health
• Humanities
• Languages
• Mathematics
• Media
• Outdoor Education
• Physical Education
• Psychology
• Science
• SOSE
• Technology Studies
• TESOL
• Visual Arts

Professional experience is based around inquiry and experiential learning with iterative skill development opportunities linking knowledge, context and experience to understanding the theoretical dimensions needed to understand practice in school and other learning contexts. You'll complete 60 days of professional experience during the course.