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International Standard of Church Higher Education Draft 0.9 20 September 2026 For consultation

Part IV · No. 03

A first-cycle degree opens the second cycle. It does not decide ordination.

Social Work·Level 6 · First Cycle·Church Degree · suffix C

B.S.W.C.

Bachelor of Social Work — Church Degree

Preparation for social and diaconal work in Church, charitable, and community organisations.

CHEQF Level6
Qualification typeFirst cycle, professional-academic
Admission requirementsAccess to higher education; compliance with safeguarding and practice-placement requirements.
Normative volume240 EAC recommended; at least 400 hours of supervised field placement.

Content · Outcomes

Content is what is taught. Outcomes are what is verified.

What the programme must contain

  1. foundations of social work
  2. psychology and sociology
  3. social policy and vulnerable populations
  4. casework and community work
  5. ethics, safeguarding, and confidentiality
  6. Church social ministry
  7. supervised field placement

What the graduate must demonstrate

  1. conducts basic needs assessment and support planning
  2. works with individuals, families, and communities within the limits of professional competence
  3. identifies risks and applies safeguarding procedures
  4. coordinates with public and non-governmental services
  5. distinguishes pastoral care from professional social work.

Final · Progression

Final capstone work and dissertations may not be transferred from elsewhere.

How the programme closes

Assessed field placement and an integrative capstone/project.

Where it leads

Access to M.S.W.C. and related Level 7 programmes.

Status

Black is what the degree certifies. This is what it does not.

B.S.W.C. does not automatically confer the right to use the legally protected professional title of social worker in a particular country.

“This is an ecclesiastical academic qualification awarded within the Church system of higher education. It is not represented as a state-awarded or state-accredited academic degree unless such recognition has been separately granted by the competent authority of the relevant jurisdiction.”

Recommended status statement on every diploma, Article 17

Verify a diploma in this degree →