Overview2025
This course may not be available to international students. Please see the list ofdistance courses(i.e. online and taken outside Australia) that are offered to international students
View archived years for this course
For years prior to 2015, please view theCourse and Unit Handbook Archive
View thecurrent year's course page
- Bachelor of Social Science (A3D) (three-year version)
- Bachelor of Social Science with Honours (A4D) (four-year version)
The Bachelor of Social Science is a specialist course of study for those who are interested in working with people and in affecting social and political change.
The degree brings together disciplines that relate to human experience and behaviour, exposure to how contemporary organisations work and an understanding of national and international social and political issues. Students may also be able to gain experience through a variety of internships in politics, non-government organisations or the public sector as part of their degree.
Studies are based in either Sociology or Public Policy majors, with a choice of complimentary majors in Criminology, Political science, International relations or from other disciplines including Psychology, Human resource management, Geography and Environmental Studies.
Whether you wish to work in community development, foreign affairs, politics or social welfare, the Bachelor of Social Science is the perfect degree to provide you with the knowledge and expertise for solutions in the real world.
Course objectives
The Bachelor of Social Science aims to give undergraduates a broad exposure to applied social science, while allowing them to study social science and management issues within a non-professional educational context. Students will be able to link the disciplinary bases of management and administrative studies to their practical applications.
The program will develop a student's general abilities in the areas of:
- written expression
- linguistic skills
- creative self-expression
- capacity to analyse and interpret in a dispassionate and objective manner
- capacity for reasoned criticism
- data acquisition and analysis
- research techniques
- marshalling facts in support of arguments, and
- evaluating the possible outcomes of alternative courses of action, with the emphasis varying according to the particular program chosen.
Students will be able to prepare themselves for careers in the post-industrial service sector whilst acquiring a qualification that will certify them in the specific knowledge and skills that social science can offer. Students may obtain professional recognition from the Australian Human Resources Institute if they have completed a Human Resource Management major.
Work placement
Career outcomes
Graduates of the Bachelor of Social Science will be strong applicants for positions in a wide range of fields including social and market research, policy development and analysis, social welfare administration, human resource management, industrial relations and public administration and management in commonwealth, state and local government sectors.
Course structure
Entry requirements
Detailed Admissions Information
Detailed admissions information and advice for all undergraduate courses, including comprehensive, course-level student profiles, is available fromUTAS Admissions.
Fees & scholarships
Domestic students
This is a full-fee course, which means you’ll need to pay the full amount for your studies. Commonwealth Supported Places are not available in this course. However, there are still support options available for eligible students to help you manage the cost of studying this course.
You may be able to fund all or part of your tuition fees by accessing aFEE-HELP loanfrom the Australian Government. FEE-HELP is a loan scheme that assists domestic full-fee students to pay for University, which is repaid through the Australian Tax System once you earn above a repayment threshold. This means you’ll only have to start repaying the loan once you start earning above a specific amount
Ourscholarships and prizes programalso offers more than 400 scholarships across all areas of study. You can even apply for multiple scholarships in one easy application.
Further informationDetailed fee information for domestic students is available atScholarships, fees and costs, including additional information in relation to the compulsoryStudent Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF).
Scholarships
For information on general scholarships available at the University of Tasmania, please visit thescholarships website.
How can we help?
Do you have any questions about choosing a course or applying? Get in touch.
- Domestic
- 13 8827 (13 UTAS)
- International
- +61 3 6226 6200
- Course.Info@utas.edu.au
- Online
- Online enquiries