Training Objectives and Standards

The programme aims to cultivate professional persons who are needed for the construction of a harmonious society in China and qualified in terms of ethics, intellect and physique and who can be engaged in social work in social services organisations involving social welfare, social assistance, charity work, disabled rehabilitation, preferential treatment and compensation arrangement, health services, juvenile services and judicial correction. They shall grasp the basic theories and knowledge, master the laws and regulations pertinent to social work in China, and have a strong capability for social work and the research skills for undertaking social investigations.

Requirements for the course are as follows: The students for the progamme mainly study the basic theories of social work, establish the value idea of social work, study and grasp skills and methods for social work so as to equip the students with methods and skills for undertaking social investigations, and with basic capabilities in the various aspects of theoretical analysis, case study, and social practice.

Curriculum Modules

The programme offers 7 modules. They are respectively common subjects, specialised basic subjects, specialised subjects, general-knowledge subjects, extension subjects, final practicals and make-up subjects.

Duration of Study and Graduation

The course uses a credit-based system. Credits received within 8 years of registration are valid. The Open University of China (OUC) has designed this as a three-year part-time study course.

The shortest school period shall be no less than two and a half years.

The minimum number of credits required for graduation is 71. Graduates obtaining the required number of credits are awarded a nationally recognised bachelor's degree certificate of higher education.

Courses Description   

Curriculum and Teaching Management

• The course includes compulsory subjects, optional modules, and practicals.
• The compulsory subjects offered by the OUC employ uniform syllabus, teaching materials, examinations and standards of marking. The teaching process management is strengthened via centralised tutorials, inspections on teaching and on examinations, among others.
• Regarding the optional modules, it is up to the local universities to make their selections when they draw up their teaching plans. Optional modules taking during the diploma period do not need to be repeated during the degree period.
• Those graduated from non-social work majors at or above diploma levels must make up the following subjects when they engage their studies for the degree programme of social work. These are the specialized foundation subjects such as An Introduction to Social Work, Group Work, Individual Case Work and Community Work. Each of the subjects carries 3 credits and students have to make up 9 credits in total. The local open universities can offer either Group Work or Community Work according to their individual need. The OUC will provide course descriptions, unified syllabus (or teaching requirements), recommended teaching materials and assessment requirements, and support services for examinations and students' autonomous study.
• The final practicals includes social practice and graduation thesis. Social practice is mainly done in form of internship by having the students arranged to work in related social services organisations, such as social rescue stations, rehabilitation centers, community health service institutions and social work service organisations so as to learn the basic contents, operation methods, procedures, and relevant laws, regulations, policies and industrial regulations, increasing their direct experience of social work; to meet the purpose of resolving the problems for the customers with professional methods and technical assistance according to a social services plan; the graduation thesis is an overall examination of the students' comprehensive and independent use of specialised theoretical knowledge of the programme and a comprehensive test on the students' study during their schooling. The selected topics can be diversified, but must conform to the requirements of the programme. The final practicals cannot be exempted.

Teaching Method

To show the characteristics of distance education and meet the needs for the study of individuals, teaching is organised in accordance with the principles of centralised online study guidance, individual tutorials, and emphasis on pre-graduation practice.

Teaching Media

Modern distance learning technology is used to support students' autonomous study.

The main study media are printed materials, audio-visual materials, IP courseware and CAI courseware, with printed materials being the primary medium.

Face-to-face tutorials, correspondence tutorial, online teaching, BBS, e-mail, VBI, telephone and two-way video conferencing, and televised teaching are also used to support students.

Teaching Evaluation and Supervision

Teaching evaluation and supervision on distance open education is an effective measure to insure the implementation of teaching plans and teaching quality. Problems are examined and resolved in practice via evaluation work to promote the improvement in overall teaching quality. The pilot open universities shall provide the following materials according to the related OUC documents on teaching.

• Specialised teaching plan for implementation;
• Executive regulations for specialised teaching;
• Syllabus and teaching implementation plan for compulsory subjects.

The examination team organised by the OUC shall give regular examinations and selective examinations on the teaching process in pilot open universities, which mainly include the following contents:

• The use of teaching resources and the offering of teaching hardware and software;
• The centralised tutorials and the ask & answer part between teachers and students;
• Formative assessment assignments, and the implementation of subjects practice and the final practicals;
• The graduation thesis, the defense, and the comments;
• Examinations and test papers;
• Examinations and selected examinations on the teaching process in pilot tutorial centers and learner support and services, as well as the assessment on tutors and course leaders given by the pilot open universities.

Requirements for Graduation

The credit system is used for the programme of social work. The graduation credits for the degree programme are 71 at least. (The lowest number of credits for a student whose diploma major is not social work is 71 + credits of make-up subjects). The participants are granted the right to graduate and issued an HEI degree graduation certificates recognised by the state after they get the stipulated credits for graduation through study, complete the pre-graduation practice and meet the training objectives and requirements. The graduates can be awarded a bachelor's degree of legal science by China University of Political Science and Law(CUPL) when they meet the qualifications made by the CUPL.