Diploma of Applied Social Science

Graduates will have a broad and coherent theoretical and technical knowledge of youth work practice and youth issues from multiple disciplines.  This includes sociological and psychological academic disciplines, as well as spiritual traditions, cultural humility and community services perspectives on contemporary and persistent youth issues, practice modalities, sector dynamics, social policy, self-care and professional ethics.

Graduates will have well developed cognitive, technical and communications skills to select and apply methods and technologies to:  

• Evaluate knowledge of personal, social and political dimensions of complex issues relating to youth and young people within diverse cultural contexts for the benefit of young people.  
• Independently create, transmit and critique solutions to assist young people, youth services and other youth and community stakeholders in relation to complex and unpredictable youth issues and youth work practice.  
• Critically synthesise interpersonal, social, spiritual, cultural, ethical and global perspectives on youth, young people, youth work practice as well as relevant policy and procedures. 
• Creatively communicate knowledge, skills and ideas about young people, youth services and the social context to relevant parties in a clear and coherent manner appropriate to both the professional and informal environments of the youth sector. 

Graduates will be able to: 

• Reflexively apply theoretical and technical youth work knowledge and skills for the benefit of young people to independently address routine and emerging problems relating to young peoples’ social needs and opportunities in diverse contexts. 
• Demonstrate informed ethical judgement and autonomy on issues relating to young people and offer advice within broad legal and policy parameters. 
• Employ self-reflective and reflexive practices, in collaboration with others, regarding professional practice and self-care. 
• Reflexively evaluate programs and interventions, in the context of emerging scholarship, to identify and action professional development and service improvement.