Bachelor of Social Work (Honours)

at La Trobe University - Melbourne Campus Australia

Print. Online. Radio. TV. Podcasts. Social media. Mobile storytelling. There are many ways to create content and break the news. As digital storytelling rapidly evolves, employers need graduates who are more than just writers or presenters. They need producers, designers, videographers and podcasters – people who understand the core elements of a powerful story, with the technical skills to make stories shine.

With La Trobe's Bachelor of Media and Communication, you'll learn how to tell stories across any medium. Graduate with a portfolio of work, industry experience and specialised knowledge to meet the demands of the rapidly changing media and communication landscape. With majors in journalism, sports media, media industries, creative and professional writing, or marketing – you can make your degree your own.

Cover news and feature stories as part of Upstart and Upstart Live. Our industry-grade newsroom boasts a three-camera television studio, professional radio broadcast spaces, a dedicated audio recording studio and digital editing suites. You'll experience the adrenaline of live television and radio broadcasting as a presenter, producer and vision switcher – all under the mentorship of highly experienced teachers.

And you won't just create news. You'll also look behind the headlines and investigate the ethical and legal questions that confront journalists every day. Explore the new dilemmas created by rapidly evolving technologies and draw on the expertise of a wide range of experts and media professionals.

Shape your own future with this interdisciplinary degree. You'll choose one major, then explore your interests or build further skills when you choose an optional second major, minors and electives from across the university. You'll graduate with your primary major on your academic transcript, so future employers can recognise your expertise.

Gain real-world experience and build valuable connections that will shape your career. Take on an industry placement at a media organisation or study overseas through international exchange.

Media industries

The media industries are undergoing change at an unprecedented rate. The ways in which stories are produced and delivered are changing. The ways that audiences consume and interact with stories are changing. Business models are changing. For many it’s a time of great concern. For others it’s a time of great opportunity.

Media students today are preparing for jobs that might not exist yet, and we’re wholeheartedly embracing this reality at La Trobe. Our practice-based approach delivers one of the most innovative degree programs in media and communication in Australia. Our academic staff are passionate media practitioners whose expertise is sought after nationally and internationally, and who are working on a number of collaborative projects with our students as part of the coursework. The media industries major will allow you put theory into practice and develop engaging stories, delivered across multiple platforms.

The media landscape is evolving, and we need new legal frameworks. In our digital age, journalists and members of the public often find themselves navigating with laws designed for an analogue world. A double degree in law and media and communication prepares you to stay one step ahead.

La Trobe's Bachelor of Laws (Honours)/Bachelor of Media and Communication gives you the skills and experience to navigate media as it is now – and as it evolves in the future.

In your law studies, you'll cover key areas of legal practice and build transferable skills that you can take into a range of workplaces – such as advocacy, negotiation and dispute resolution.

You'll also build expertise in media and communication as you build your understanding of contract management, media regulation and representation.

Ready to get your hands dirty? Get to work in our student-run media outlet, Upstart. You'll also have the opportunity to undertake placements in a range of legal settings, including community legal centres, law firms, government agencies and with judges and magistrates (subject to availability). If you want to take things further, you can put your legal skills to the test with both local and international law competitions.

Graduate ready to take your place in the exciting and ever-changing world of media.

Journalism

Quality journalism is more important than ever. Learn to tell stories that matter through a myriad of platforms, including social media, digital news channels, podcasts and television. You’ll graduate with practical experience and a portfolio of work to show future employers.

Explore your passions and build a rewarding career.

Today’s workplaces are rapidly evolving. Governments, businesses and law firms need passionate professionals who not only have advanced legal expertise, but also the ability to think critically, analytically and creatively.*

La Trobe's Bachelor of Laws (Honours)/Bachelor of Arts lets you enrich your legal education by pursuing your interests and passions. Open doors to a diverse range of rewarding careers, while exploring how to make a difference in your community.

Learn the fundamentals of criminal, constitutional, property and company law. Explore the legal system and understand how it can be used as a powerful and positive force in society. Develop key skills in advocacy, negotiation and dispute resolution.

You'll also choose from our list of arts majors and explore your area of interest. Broaden your knowledge and experience by studying areas like politics, languages, sociology, history, philosophy and media studies. Learn how to communicate effectively and think critically, analytically and creatively.

You can also choose to complete law electives that complement your arts specialisation. For example, a politics major can be matched with related subjects like public international law and human rights law. While a language or philosophy major could be augmented by subjects in areas like Indigenous Australians and the law, intellectual property law or family, society and law.

Enhance your classroom learning by taking advantage of optional internships, work experience, and our study abroad program*. Gain hands-on experience working with community legal centres, law firms and government agencies. Find out what it takes to interview clients, prepare legal advice and work with senior lawyers to develop legal solutions.

Graduate ready to make a positive difference. With combined expertise in law and arts, you can build a career as a solicitor or barrister, in-house counsel or corporate consultant, working in commercial law firms or community legal centres. You could also work in the public service as a government lawyer or support social justice initiatives in the not-for-profit sector.

The Greek Studies major offers you the opportunity to study aspects of Greek language, culture, history and politics from the ancient world to contemporary Greece. In this major you will develop a critical understanding of the evolution of Greek culture in its original homeland and the diaspora, including multicultural Australia. Melbourne’s large Greek community provides you with a stimulating cultural and social environment in which to observe and practice what you learn. You can pair language subjects at a variety of levels with cultural subjects focussed on ancient and modern Greek literature, history and society. The skills obtained in this major will prepare you for a variety of work including teaching, translating, interpreting, health, banking, tourism, and related industries in Australia and overseas. You will also be encouraged to study in Greece or Cyprus through exchange programs or La Trobe’s overseas short study program “Connecting with Language and Culture in Greece.” (Please note: overseas programs may be impacted by travel restrictions.) Depending on your prior knowledge and/or qualifications in the Greek language, you may commence at Beginners, Intermediate, Advanced (post-VCE) or Extended levels.

Organisations in every industry are asking big questions. With a Master of Data Science under your belt, you’ll have the skills to help answer them.

Data science professionals are in high demand in today's data-driven world. Whether you're already working in data science, or you're ready to make a career change, our Master of Data Science prepares you for a successful career in this exciting field.

Designed in collaboration with our industry partners, this degree gives you the knowledge, skills and hands-on experience to transition from university to the workplace. And with two early exit points along the way, you can be sure that every subject is contributing to your career.

You'll build fundamental skills in programming, databases, probability, statistics, data exploration and analysis. Got a particular interest in artificial intelligence, bioinformatics or sport analytics? This degree allows you to specialise in these areas and others, such as big data and cloud computing, business applications and data modelling and analytics.

As you study, you'll have opportunities to work with our industry partners on real-world projects and take on an industry work placement. If your sights are set on a research career, you can choose to undertake a thesis in computer science or statistics.

If you can't let go of unanswered questions. If you love learning. If you're passionate about the world around you. Then it's time to start your journey at La Trobe.

With our flexible Bachelor of Arts, you can choose from an incredible array of majors and minors. You'll have access to around 50 majors and minors from humanities, social sciences, business, health and science, keeping your career options open. Pursue your passion and your profession.

Shape your own future with this interdisciplinary degree. You'll choose one arts major, then explore your interests or build an essential skill when you choose secondary majors, minors and electives from across the university. You'll graduate with your primary major on your academic transcript, so future employers can recognise your expertise.

Create your own path. Want to major in sociology, with a second major in psychology, then take Chinese as an elective? Go for it. Or perhaps you'd like to pair economics and English. Or crime, justice and legal studies with linguistics. Build your own future – we're here to help you achieve your dream. No matter which path you choose, you'll learn from world-class academics and leading researchers.

In your first year, you'll explore your interests and passions. Try a language; or get a taste for history, English, politics or creative writing. In your second and third years, you'll delve deeper while also choosing electives and minors that broaden your skills and knowledge. You may also choose to develop professional skillsets in areas like psychology, public health, marketing, science, sport management and more.

This flexible degree also offers a range of study options. You can choose to study face-to-face at our Melbourne Campus and enjoy our on-campus facilities, or you can study online – knowing your experience will mirror on-campus students, with tutorials delivered in a synchronous manner. Unlike many other online degrees, at La Trobe you can login to live sessions and engage directly with academics and your fellow students in real time.

Gain real-world experience and build valuable connections that will shape your career. Take on an industry placement at organisations like SBS Radio, the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre or the United Nations Association of Australia or travel overseas for an international sustainability experience.* Many of our exchange programs are financially supported. Your dedicated course advisor will help you to find your path and explore new opportunities.

The world is waiting for you. Step into it.

With a Japanese studies major, you'll build competence in the modern Japanese language and study Japanese society, civilisation and culture.  You will learn to see the world from multiple perspectives through the study of language and culture. You will be taught by enthusiastic staff who specialise in sociology and anthropology of education, minorities, Koreans in Japan, gender, literary studies and popular culture. Japanese Studies major graduates have found employment in teaching, hospitality industry, diplomacy, government, international business, publishing, tourism, and translating, both in Japan and Australia. Japanese is one of the major LOTE subjects in Australian schools. You are encouraged to participate in an exchange program (one or two semesters) at one of the many universities with which La Trobe has exchange agreement. (Please note: overseas programs may be impacted by travel restrictions.) Japanese is taught at a number of levels, from beginners through to advanced. A placement test and interview may be used to determine a student’s suitability for entry level.

Due to the global effects of population growth and the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of people living with chronic conditions is on the rise. As a result, the demand for nurses in all specialised fields is expected to rapidly increase.*

La Trobe's Master of Nursing lets you match your study to your career aspirations. Enhance your knowledge and skills in specialist areas by choosing from a range of clinical and non-clinical subjects.

If you're a registered nurse working in Australia, you'll have access to a wide variety of specialisations. Enjoy a flexible, blended learning approach that combines face-to-face workshops with online study that you can fit around your work commitments and access from anywhere. For a clinical specialisation you will also undertake advanced clinical training in your own hospital's relevant work setting.

If you're looking to pursue a career as nursing educator, academic or manager, you'll have access to our online non-clinical specialisations. Develop advanced knowledge of nursing research along with the critical thinking, problem-solving and communication skills you need to thrive as a nursing researcher, educator or leader.

La Trobe's Bachelor of Global Studies gives you a strong grounding in the issues facing key regions and countries around the world. We've designed this degree to introduce you to global problems and their policy responses, so you'll develop the tools to tackle the challenges of the future.

Study core subjects examining the history of international relations and geopolitics, contemporary security issues – such as American power, the rise of China, contemporary armed conflict and terrorism – and the emerging challenges of human and environmental security.

Look at international cooperation and conflict. Analyse the dynamics of power, sovereignty and security, exploring transformational changes in 21st century international relations. Investigate the powerful role of international law – including humanitarian, environmental and refugee law.

Whatever your ambition, tailor your degree with specially curated majors and minors that allow you to explore the geopolitical and humanitarian forces shaping our world. Choose from majors such as international relations, human rights, conflict and negotiation, Asian politics and security, government and policy, sustainability and development, Chinese, Japanese, Hindi, Spanish, Greek, French and Italian.

Global experiences are a vital part of global studies. Get out of the classroom and into the real world with a study experience at one of our overseas partner universities and build both your skills and your professional network. You'll also have the opportunity to do an internship, either in Australia or overseas, that's tailored to your career goals.

Human rights

The Human Rights major will train you to analyse the social and political dynamics of human rights struggles across the world. In this major you will explore the extent to which states institutionalise human rights norms and how different movements seek justice using the power of human rights discourse. Across a variety of countries and issues including social justice, gender, sexuality, and Indigenous politics, you will learn to evaluate various human rights situations and develop responses to improve them.

Undertaking a Human Rights major at La Trobe will connect you to experts in democracy and democratisation, political theory, the international politics of human rights, gender, sexuality and diversity, human trafficking, and the history of Australian Aboriginal struggles.

If you can't let go of unanswered questions. If you love learning. If you're passionate about the world around you. Then it's time to start your journey at La Trobe.

With our flexible Bachelor of Arts, you can choose from an incredible array of majors and minors. You'll have access to around 50 majors and minors from humanities, social sciences, business, health and science, keeping your career options open. Pursue your passion and your profession.

Shape your own future with this interdisciplinary degree. You'll choose one arts major, then explore your interests or build an essential skill when you choose secondary majors, minors and electives from across the university. You'll graduate with your primary major on your academic transcript, so future employers can recognise your expertise.

Create your own path. Want to major in sociology, with a second major in psychology, then take Chinese as an elective? Go for it. Or perhaps you'd like to pair economics and English. Or crime, justice and legal studies with linguistics. Build your own future – we're here to help you achieve your dream. No matter which path you choose, you'll learn from world-class academics and leading researchers.

In your first year, you'll explore your interests and passions. Try a language; or get a taste for history, English, politics or creative writing. In your second and third years, you'll delve deeper while also choosing electives and minors that broaden your skills and knowledge. You may also choose to develop professional skillsets in areas like psychology, public health, marketing, science, sport management and more.

This flexible degree also offers a range of study options. You can choose to study face-to-face at our Melbourne Campus and enjoy our on-campus facilities, or you can study online – knowing your experience will mirror on-campus students, with tutorials delivered in a synchronous manner. Unlike many other online degrees, at La Trobe you can login to live sessions and engage directly with academics and your fellow students in real time.

Gain real-world experience and build valuable connections that will shape your career. Take on an industry placement at organisations like SBS Radio, the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre or the United Nations Association of Australia or travel overseas for an international sustainability experience.* Many of our exchange programs are financially supported. Your dedicated course advisor will help you to find your path and explore new opportunities.

The world is waiting for you. Step into it.

The French Studies major enables you to participate in a dialogue with the French-speaking world by developing your proficiency in the language and your knowledge of French history, society and culture. The French Studies major will give you access to a vast network of international communication and a rich body of literary, historical and scientific knowledge. French is spoken on all continents and in various organisations such as the United Nations and Médecins Sans Frontières. The language prepares you to excel in numerous fields including education, translating and interpreting, foreign affairs and trade, international law and humanitarian work. You will be strongly encouraged to apply for an exchange program with one of La Trobe’s partner universities in France. (Please note: overseas programs may be impacted by travel restrictions.) You should enrol in the appropriate stream at first-year level: Beginners (students with little or no prior knowledge of French), Intermediate (students with Year 11 French or equivalent), Advanced (students with Year 12 French or equivalent) or Extended (native or near-native competency).

In the era of globalisation, having advanced language skills is becoming increasingly valuable. Organisations need professionals who not only communicate effectively, but also have the multilingual and cross-cultural knowledge that can help them thrive on an international scale.*

La Trobe's Bachelor of Languages and Linguistics introduces you to the foundations of human communication. Learn about the structure and history of languages, while examining how communication skills are acquired and developed. You'll also select from a range of language majors and explore the culture from which your chosen language emerged.

Develop an advanced understanding of linguistics, investigating the sound systems used for communication, how sentences are structured, and the ways we use language and interpret meaning.

Focus on the language you're passionate about by selecting from Chinese, French, Greek, Italian, Spanish, Japanese or Hindi. You'll also be able to select a starting point that suits your language proficiency, including beginner, intermediate and advanced studies.

From there, you'll investigate a variety of other languages, examining their evolution, structure and use. Explore the nuances of linguistic variation in communities, looking at the social, ethnic and age factors that influence the variation.

Enhance your language proficiency by taking advantage of our study abroad opportunities.* Immerse yourself in your chosen language and build a greater understanding of its everyday application.

Build your communication, team-working, problem-solving and analytical skills, which experts suggest will be highly sought after by the workplaces of tomorrow.**

Through optional minors, you'll also have the chance to explore further languages, including Auslan, or broaden your studies into complementary areas such as psychology, philosophy and history.

Graduate with the advanced languages skills to boost your global career.

Japanese studies advanced

With a Japanese studies major, you'll build competence in the modern Japanese language and study Japanese society, civilisation and culture.  You will learn to see the world from multiple perspectives through the study of language and culture. You will be taught by enthusiastic staff who specialise in sociology and anthropology of education, minorities, Koreans in Japan, gender, literary studies and popular culture. Japanese Studies major graduates have found employment in teaching, hospitality industry, diplomacy, government, international business, publishing, tourism, and translating, both in Japan and Australia. Japanese is one of the major LOTE subjects in Australian schools. You are encouraged to participate in an exchange program (one or two semesters) at one of the many universities with which La Trobe has exchange agreement. (Please note: overseas programs may be impacted by travel restrictions.) Japanese is taught at a number of levels, from beginners through to advanced. A placement test and interview may be used to determine a student’s suitability for entry level.

Politics, philosophy and economics degrees have produced political and community leaders who have shaped our world, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, journalist and film activist Tariq Ali, and former Australian Prime Ministers Malcolm Fraser and Bob Hawke.

The world needs creative leaders to respond to society’s greatest challenges, including the global effects of the climate crisis and the social impacts of inequalities in resources, opportunity and power.

La Trobe's Bachelor of Politics, Philosophy and Economics gives you a multi-disciplinary perspective on the political and economic systems that shape the world. Develop the skills to respond to urgent problems and make a positive social impact

Through the study of politics, you'll enhance your knowledge of political institutions and their history. Analyse who is disadvantaged by existing institutions, and identify what opportunities exist for creative policy development.

Take subjects in philosophy that explore the debates around human rights and justice. Refine your critical thinking and logical reasoning skills and consider how our conceptions of self are informed by society.

Through the study of economics, you'll learn how the economy works in a world of globalised and interdependent markets, examining the relationships between economic systems, institutions, and policy.

Explore how governments can manage their economies to achieve important social objectives. Investigate competing theories of political economy, including institutional, feminist, post-Keynesian, behavioural, and ecological economics.

Equipped with these disciplinary skills, you'll discover the interconnections between philosophical thinking, the study of politics, and economics. From there, you'll apply these interdisciplinary insights to a range of policy contexts.

Tailor your degree to your interests and passions. Choose from five majors, including political economy, politics, economics, political philosophy, and philosophy. Depending on your major, you'll be able to build specialist knowledge in inequality, global institutions, climate change, human rights, political processes and behavioural science.

In your third year, you'll have the option of gaining practical experience and expanding your professional network through a work-based learning placement. Previous graduates have enjoyed internships in the public service and with the Victorian Parliament, as well as a range of non-government organisations and businesses, including Trades Hall, the Grattan Institute, and charitable organisations.

Graduate ready to tackle real-world problems, including climate change, the need for sustainable innovation, and the unequal distribution of wealth, opportunity, and power.

Political philosophy

This Political Philosophy major can only be taken by students in either the Bachelor of Politics, Philosophy and Economics or the double degree with Law (Law (hons)/ PPE). The goal of this major is two-fold. First, in conjunction with PPE degree cores, the major’s core units ensure that students cover a minimum amount of Economics, Politics and Philosophy in their PPE degree overall. Second, core-choice in the major then allows students to specialise in one of three thematic modes of study in philosophy, modes that are particularly relevant to interdisciplinary analysis that also employs knowledge and skills from the disciplines of politics and economics too. In this Political Philosophy major, students can choose to study normative questions about how we should act both as individuals and as a collective (featuring debates about ethics, human rights and the nature of justice). Or students can refine their critical thinking and logical reasoning skills, and apply these skills to the social and behavioural sciences. Or students can cultivate a nuanced understanding of identity, by considering how our conceptions of self are informed by society. Equipped with one of these specialisations, you will be able to consider how our shared institutions might be designed, in view of achieving certain social objectives, supporting the broader aims of your PPE degree.

Undertaking a major in Political Philosophy will connect you with experts in philosophy, political theory, game theory, rational choice, “gender, sexuality and diversity studies,” and environmental humanities.