This course operates under a student workload model based on 100 credit points for a full-time academic year. One credit point is deemed to be equivalent to one hour of student work per week over a semester, whether in contact with staff or in private study. Four units of study will generally be taken each semester. The typical student's average weekly workload during a semester is therefore deemed to be 50 hours. Total student contact hours, including lectures, classes, tutorials, flexible learning and laboratory and field sessions will vary in different semesters, but will be less than 20 hours per week.

(Students holding an international student visa are required to study full-time and on campus and cannot study part-time.)

To qualify for the award of Bachelor of Social Science, students:

• Must complete 300 credit points (usually 24 x 12.5 credit point units)
• Must complete the compulsory non-credit bearing unit HAC0001 Careers in the Curriculum (0 credit points)
• May complete a maximum of 125 credit points of Stage 1 units
• Must complete a minimum of 50 credit points of Stage 3 units
• Must complete at least one capstone unit (12.5 credit points)
• Must complete at least one Social Science major (a major comprises either 100, 150, or 200 credit points). The remainder of the program will comprise subsequent majors and/or minors (a minor is comprised of 50 credit points), and/or electives
• May complete a maximum of 100 credit points of non-Arts and Social Science units, excluding those units that are required for an Arts or Social Science major/minor
• May complete up to 100 credit points of elective units (i.e. units that do not contribute to either a major or a minor)
• May complete an optional Industry Based Learning (IBL) placement, which is usually taken prior to the final year of study. IBL is not available to students holding an international student visa

A unit of study can only be counted once. Where there are overlaps between majors and/or minors, students in the first instance choose another unit from the list of units available in the major/minor. Where there are no available units, students will be required to complete an alternative Arts or Social Science unit, as approved by the Program Convenor.

Students who complete a major comprising a minimum of 150 credit points may choose to graduate with a tagged outcome. Only one major may be tagged. Where a major comprises 100 credit points and there an extended major available, a student may choose to complete the additional 50 credit points in order to graduate with a tagged outcome. Where a student chooses not to complete an extended major, and chooses to complete a 100 credit point major, the student may only graduate with an untagged degree outcome i.e. Bachelor of Social Science.

Careers in the Curriculum (CIC)
In addition to the above, students must complete a compulsory unit of study Careers in the Curriculum (HAC0001) to be awarded the degree. Careers in the Curriculum (CIC) is an innovative unit designed to assist Swinburne students to enhance their employability and career prospects. It is usually undertaken in the second year of their course and is compulsory for all undergraduate students. Students studying CIC will not incur a HECS or fee debt as the cost will be met by the university as part of an initiative to enhance students' career skills.

Winter and Summer Term
This program also provides opportunities to undertake study in an optional six-week Winter and/or Summer term allowing students to complete extra study between the standard semesters. These terms are not mandatory. However, if students wish to vary their study load they may want to consider this option.

Majors
A major may comprise 100 credit points of studies (eight units of study), 150 credit points (12 units of study) or 200 credit points (16 units of study) relevant to the particular discipline or field of study. A major will normally include requisite foundation units, have a clearly identifiable professional outcome and satisfy any relevant external professional-body accreditation requirements.

Where a student has completed the requirements of the degree including a 150 or 200 Social Science major, they are eligible to apply to graduate with the appropriate tagged degree outcome. Only one major may be tagged.

Where a major comprises 100 credit points and there an extended major available, a student may choose to complete the additional 50 credit points in order to graduate with a tagged outcome. Where a student chooses not to complete an extended major, and chooses to complete a 100 credit point major, the student may only graduate with an untagged degree outcome i.e. Bachelor of Social Science.

A major in Social Science is designed to provide students with appropriate breadth and depth of knowledge in a particular field of study and provide suitable preparation for professional graduate employment. It may be based on a single, recognised discipline, or it may be inter-disciplinary in character.

The following majors are offered in the Bachelor of Social Science: 
Community Health Major ***
Criminology and Forensic Science Major  *
Security and Counter Terrorism Major *
Politics and Public Policy Major  **

Psychology Major - Arts and Social Sciences ***
Psychology and Forensic Science Major  ***
Psychology and Sport Science Major ***
Sociology Major  **

* A tagged major/tagged degree outcome is not available for this major.
** Students may choose between the tagged or untagged major. Students wishing to graduate with a tagged outcome must complete the tagged major and other degree requirements.
*** Students may choose between graduating with a tagged degree outcome or an untagged degree outcome following completion of this tagged major and other degree requirements.

Minors

A minor (50 credit points or four units of study) is a set of units that may broaden a student’s learning. A minor is typically derived as a subset of a major, and it may be based on a single, recognised discipline, or it may be inter-disciplinary in character. Minors usually contain no elective choice.

Minors can be taken from any discipline across the university, timetabling permitting. Credit cannot be given for any minor which contains more than two units of study in common with any other minor, co-major or major that student is undertaking.

The following minors are offered in the Bachelor of Social Science: Communication Minor

Community Health Minor
Criminology Minor
Cultural Studies Minor
Digital Media Minor
Forensic Science Minor
Games and Interactivity Minor
International Studies Minor
Italian Minors (Arts)
Japanese Minors (Arts)
Journalism Minor
Literature Minor
Media Minor
Security and Counter Terrorism Minor
Philosophy Minor
Politics and History Minor
Politics and Public Policy Minor
Psychology Minor (Arts & Social Sciences)
Psychophysiology Minor (Arts)
Sociology Minor
Sport Science Minor
Statistics Minor
Sustainability Management Minor

Students also have the option to select their minors from other faculties/areas however students should note that a maximum of 100 credit points of non-Arts and Social Science units may be undertaken, excluding those units that are required for an Arts or Social Science major/minor. Note: Undertaking certain majors/minors may impact on anticipated course completion.

Community Health Major 
All units are valued at 12.5 credit points each unless otherwise indicated.

To be eligible for a Community Health Major, students must complete 150 credit points from the approved list of Community Health units as specified below, including the capstone unit: HES4710 Environmental Health Services Evaluation.

Compulsory units
HBSL100 Introductory Law
HAS113 Sociology of the Environment
HES1718 Sustainable Health Policy and Planning
HES2710 Health and Environmental Law 1
HAS203 Families, Relationships and Sexuality
HAS314 Sociology of Health
HES4710 Environmental Health Services Evaluation 
HES1710 Philosophy and Practice of Public and Environmental Health

Elective units - any four from the following:
HAS111 Sociological Foundations
HES2735 Communicable Disease Control
HES2715 Built and Sustainable Communities
HAS317 Qualitative Research Methods
HAS318 Social Research Design: Principles and Methods
HAS304 Research Project
HAS303 Genetics and Society

Students who successfully complete the requirements of the Bachelor of Social Science program, including the Community Health major, are eligible to apply to graduate with the associated tagged outcome.

A detailed Program structure is available at the Faculty of Life and Social Sciences website.

The Bachelor of Social Science (Community Health) aims to:

• Develop in students a mastery of the basic theoretical and practical principles of public and environmental health and its relationship to human behaviour, social health and the environment
• Develop students’ insights into the distribution of health and illness in Australia
• Appreciate the value of examining Australian health policy and health system in a global context
• Evaluate the social context of ideas and experiences of health and illness
• Understand the major recent shifts and trends in health policy and in the provision and management of health and environmental services in Australia and internationally
• Critically evaluate the impact of policy changes in health and service delivery
• Understand the political economy of health care in Australia
• Examine social and cultural factors in public and community health and in the treatment of sick persons

There is a growing need to develop professionals who can contribute to government policy initiatives in the health field through their skills in, and understanding of, the key determinants of health. Graduates completing this degree will be able to identify and manage threats to the environment, as provided by the health science discipline, and apply the theory of working with individuals, families, groups and communities as provided by the social science discipline.

Graduates are employable across a range of vocational areas such as community and public health promotion and planning, policy development, social and market research, risk management and health education.