Foundations of Community Work
Undergraduate
UNE-HDCW125 2026Course information for 2026 intake View information for 2025 course intake
Get ready to work with socially and culturally diverse communities to improve their wellbeing. Get to know the boundaries between what’s private and public. Explore your own personal biases. Be ethical and equitable in your decisions and caring.
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Enrol by
- 21 June 2026
- Entry requirements
- Part of a degree
- Duration
- 16 weeks
- Price from
- $2,459
- Upfront cost
- $0
- Loan available
- FEE-HELP available
Foundations of Community Work
About this subject
Upon completion of this subject, students will be able to:
- describe the theoretical considerations required for effective community development and community capacity building through planning, implementation, evaluation of community-based programmes;
- discuss the ways in which self-reflective practice and the revision of best practice influences personal and professional development;
- discuss how personal biases and lived experience can influence service delivery in the context of ethical and equitable community work; and
- distinguish between public and private issues arising in community development work.
- Topics will be available to enrolled students in the subjects Learning Management System site approximately one week prior to the commencement of the teaching period.
This subject was previously known as Foundations of Community Health Work.
This subject introduces the essential knowledge and skills you will need to advance you career in community health and welfare, with opportunities for you to use self-reflective practice to develop personally and professionally for effective community sector case work. With an emphasis on the ethics, values, theories and philosophies underpinning community health work, you will build theoretical foundations to apply when providing community services across multiple settings and instances. Examining distinctions between private and public issues in community development work, you will learn to effectively plan, coordinate, deliver, evaluate and improve community service activities. You will also explore ways to optimise individual outcomes when working in socially and culturally diverse settings.
Assessment 1: 1500 words (equivalent). Activities, group work, quiz. Relates to Learning Outcomes: 1-4;
Assessment 2: 1500 words (equivalent). Written assignment. Relates to Learning Outcomes: 1, 2, 4;
Assessment 3: 2000 words (equivalent). Written assignment. Relates to Learning Outcomes: 1-4.- Assessment 1 - May include activities such as online group work, online Quiz, and online participation. (15%)
- Assessment 2 - Written assignment (40%)
- Assessment 3 - Written assignment (45%)
For textbook details check your university's handbook, website or learning management system (LMS).
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Entry requirements
To enrol in this subject, you must be admitted into a degree.
Others
Candidature in the Diploma in Community Welfare and Wellbeing
Additional requirements
- Equipment requirements - Headphones or speakers (required to listen to lectures and other media). Headset, including microphone (highly recommended). Webcam (may be required for participation in virtual classrooms and/or media presentations).
- Software requirements - It is essential for students to have reliable internet access in order to participate in and complete your units, regardless of whether they contain an on campus attendance or intensive school component. Please refer students to link for requirements: UNE Hardware Requirements: https://www.une.edu.au/current-students/support/it-services/hardware
- Other requirements -
Textbook requirements:
Textbook information is not available until approximately 8 weeks prior to the commencement of the Teaching period.
Students are expected to purchase prescribed material.
Textbook requirements may vary from one teaching period to the next.
Study load
- 0.125 EFTSL
- This is in the range of 10 to 12 hours of study each week.
Equivalent full time study load (EFTSL) is one way to calculate your study load. One (1.0) EFTSL is equivalent to a full-time study load for one year.
Find out more information on Commonwealth Loans to understand what this means to your eligibility for financial support.