Bachelor of Social Work
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
Faculty of Health Sciences4 years
Subject requirements
Maths 40%+Technical Maths 40%+Maths Lit 65%+English 50%+
NBT components: AL, QL
What you need in matric
You must have
- English (Home or First Additional Language)
Also good to have
- Life Orientation
- Life Sciences
- History
- Another language
University requirements
Compare the APS and subject requirements for programmes that can lead to Social Worker. Universities use different APS scales, so check your marks against each university separately.
Bachelor of Social Work
DegreeAPS 350
Bachelor of Social Work
North West University
Faculty of Health Sciences
Subject requirements
Maths 40%+English 50%+
NBT components: AL, QL
Bachelor of Social Work
Stellenbosch University
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences4 years
Subject requirements
English 50%+Afrikaans HL 50%+IsiNdebele HL 50%+IsiXhosa HL 50%+IsiZulu HL 50%+Sepedi HL 50%+Sesotho HL 50%+Setswana HL 50%+Siswati HL 50%+Tshivenda HL 50%+Xitsonga HL 50%+Afrikaans FAL 50%+IsiNdebele FAL} 50%+IsiXhosa FAL 50%+IsiZulu FAL 50%+Sepedi FAL 50%+Sesotho FAL 50%+Setswana FAL 50%+Siswati FAL 50%+Tshivenda FAL 50%+Xitsonga FAL 50%+
NBT components: AL, QL
Bachelor of Social Work
The University of South Africa
College of Human Sciences
No subject marks are available for this course yet.
Bachelor of Social Work (BSW)
University of Cape Town
Faculty of Humanities
Subject requirements
English HL 50%+English FAL 60%+
NBT components: AL
Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) - Band A
University of Cape Town
Faculty of Humanities
Subject requirements
English HL 50%+English FAL 60%+
NBT components: AL
Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) - Band B
University of Cape Town
Faculty of Humanities
Subject requirements
English HL 50%+English FAL 60%+
NBT components: AL
Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) - Band C
University of Cape Town
Faculty of Humanities
Subject requirements
English HL 50%+English FAL 60%+
NBT components: AL
Bachelor Of Social Work
University of Fort Hare
Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities
Subject requirements
English 50%+
NBT components: AL, QL
Bachelor of Social Work
University of Johannesburg
Code B7025QFaculty of Humanities
Subject requirements
Maths Lit 50%+English 60%+
NBT components: AL, QL
Campus: APK
Bachelor of Social Work
University of Limpopo
Faculty of Humanities4 years
Subject requirements
Maths 40%+Maths Lit 50%+English HL 50%+English FAL 50%+Afrikaans HL 50%+Afrikaans FAL 50%+IsiNdebele HL 50%+IsiNdebele FAL 50%+IsiXhosa HL 50%+IsiXhosa FAL 50%+IsiZulu HL 50%+IsiZulu FAL 50%+Sepedi HL 50%+Sepedi FAL 50%+Sesotho HL 50%+Sesotho FAL 50%+Setswana HL 50%+Setswana FAL 50%+Siswati HL 50%+Siswati FAL 50%+Tshivenda HL 50%+Tshivenda FAL 50%+Xitsonga HL 50%+Xitsonga FAL 50%+History 50%+
Bachelor of Social Work
University of Mpumalanga
Faculty of Economics, Development and Business Sciences
Subject requirements
Maths 30%+Maths Lit 40%+English HL 50%+English FAL 50%+Afrikaans HL 30%+Afrikaans FAL 30%+IsiNdebele HL 30%+IsiNdebele FAL 30%+IsiXhosa HL 30%+IsiXhosa FAL 30%+IsiZulu HL 30%+IsiZulu FAL 30%+Sepedi HL 30%+Sepedi FAL 30%+Sesotho HL 30%+Sesotho FAL 30%+Setswana HL 30%+Setswana FAL 30%+Siswati HL 30%+Siswati FAL 30%+Tshivenda HL 30%+Tshivenda FAL 30%+Xitsonga HL 30%+Xitsonga FAL 30%+
Bachelor of Arts in Social Work
University of Pretoria
Faculty of Humanities
Subject requirements
English 60%+
Bachelor of Social Work
University of Venda
Code HSBBSWFaculty of Humanities, Social Sciences and Education4 years
Subject requirements
English HL 50%+English FAL 59%+
B Social Work
University of Zululand
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Subject requirements
English HL 40%+English FAL 50%+
Bachelor of Social Work
University of the Free State
Faculty of the Humanities
Subject requirements
English HL 60%+English FAL 60%+
Bachelor of Social Work
University of the Western Cape
Faculty of Community and Health Sciences
Subject requirements
Maths 40%+Maths Lit 50%+English HL 50%+English FAL 50%+Afrikaans HL 40%+Afrikaans FAL 40%+IsiNdebele HL 40%+IsiNdebele FAL 40%+IsiXhosa HL 40%+IsiXhosa FAL 40%+IsiZulu HL 40%+IsiZulu FAL 40%+Sepedi HL 40%+Sepedi FAL 40%+Sesotho HL 40%+Sesotho FAL 40%+Setswana HL 40%+Setswana FAL 40%+Siswati HL 40%+Siswati FAL 40%+Tshivenda HL 40%+Tshivenda FAL 40%+Xitsonga HL 40%+Xitsonga FAL 40%+
Social Work
University of the Witwatersrand
Faculty of Humanities
Subject requirements
English HL 60%+English FAL 60%+
Bachelor of Social Work
Walter Sisulu University
Faculty of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences
Subject requirements
English HL 50%+English FAL 50%+Afrikaans HL 60%+Life Sciences 50%+
NBT components: AL, QL
Ways to become a social worker
The best way is first. If your marks are not enough for one way, try the next one down.
DegreeNQF 74 years480 creditsBest way
Bachelor of Social Work (BSW)
To get in: About 22 APS or more. English, A bachelor's (degree) pass in matric. The marks you need change from one university to the next. See the list below.
Most universities have this degree. It is the only way to become a full social worker. You can sign up and work as a social worker.
Sign up as a student when you start. Sign up as a social worker when you finish.
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Higher certificateNQF 51 year120 creditsSAQA 93971
Higher Certificate in Social Auxiliary Work
To get in: About 15 APS or more. English, A matric certificate. You need much lower marks than the degree, about 15 APS.
This trains you as a social auxiliary worker (a helper who works with a social worker). UNISA teaches it from home (by distance). Some non-profit groups teach it too. You help full social workers. You work as a social auxiliary worker under a full social worker.
Sign up as a social auxiliary worker before you start. You also fill in Form 30 for the Child Protection Register and give a police clearance.
This helps you get into the degree later. You start small and grow.
Marks too low for the degree? Start here. You need about 15 APS. You earn money and learn, then move up to the degree.
If you don’t get in yet
Are your marks too low for the degree? You still have real choices.
Start as a social auxiliary worker
Do the Higher Certificate in Social Auxiliary Work. You need about 15 APS. It takes one year. You sign up, earn money, and learn. Then you can move up to the degree.
Ask about an Extended Programme
Some universities offer an Extended Programme (also called a foundation or extended degree). You do the first year over two years, with extra help. It is for students who are close but a bit short. Ask each university if they have one for social work.
Upgrade your matric
You can upgrade your matric: rewrite some subjects to get better marks. The government runs a free Second Chance programme for this. Then you can apply again.
Get ready to apply →How to sign up to work
You sign up with the South African Council for Social Service Professions (SACSSP).
- You must sign up. You cannot use the name 'social worker' or do the work without it.
- Sign up as a student when you start the degree. Sign up again as a social worker when you finish.
- Social auxiliary workers sign up in their own group.
- You work with children, so you also go on the Child Protection Register. You do this with a form called Form 30.
- You must give a police clearance. You also pay a small fee each year to stay signed up.
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