School of Social Sciences

• Welcome 
• Areas of Expertise
• Locations
• History

Welcome to the School of Social Sciences

The School of Social Sciences is part of the College of Arts at the University of Western Sydney.

The disciplines and areas of study that make up the Social Sciences are amongst the most exciting and important in the contemporary university. The School of Social Sciences at UWS strives to achieve excellence in research and teaching and seeks to develop a culture that encourages intellectual development and fosters community engagement. The School aims to provide innovative and relevant undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.  We offer a range of courses and vocational areas, including Sociology, Criminology, Social Work, Tourism Studies, and Geography. Many of the programs that are managed by the School lead to professional recognition in areas such as Social Work, Counselling, Planning, Community Welfare and Policing, whilst others have been developed in consultation of the relevant industry and public sectors. We are also proud of our achievements in research training.

With a highly motivated academic and administrative team, the School seeks to establish an atmosphere that is supportive of student learning and research activity.

The School of Social Sciences is committed to build on its reputation through:

• Conducting cutting-edge research and scholarship that contribute to international debates and result in the generation of new knowledge and inform our teaching;
• Undertaking engaged research that addresses many of the challenges facing contemporary society;
• Providing a high quality undergraduate and postgraduate education for students from Greater Western Sydney and beyond;
• Offering ground-breaking programs that meet accreditation and industry standards and prepare graduates for employment and professional memberships leading to rewarding careers;
• Developing stimulating academic and industry collaborations in research and teaching that are local, national and international in scope.

The School offers courses and specialisations that are underpinned by the latest research and provide students with the skills and knowledge to work in a range of professional and vocational fields.  The School is a member of the Council for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (CHASS) and the International Association of the Schools of Social Work (IASSW), and individual staff are members of a number of significant national and international professional associations.

On behalf of the School it is my pleasure to welcome you to this site and to invite you either to contact us directly or to visit this website again for up-to-date information about the School’s undergraduate and postgraduate offerings and its achievements and initiatives in research and community engagement.

Professor Deborah Stevenson
BA (Hons) PhD (Newcastle)
Head of School 

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Areas of Expertise

Staff in the School of Social Sciences bring to their teaching and research a stimulating combination of disciplinary and professional expertise that ensures our work engages with, and is informed by, contemporary debates and the latest developments in the field.

Our areas of expertise underpin courses and specialisations in the following areas: 

• Sociology and political theory
• Urban theory, policy and planning;
• Human and cultural geography;
• Tourism and heritage studies;
• Criminology and policing;
• Expressive therapies and counselling;
• Applied social research;
• Community studies and community education;
• Humanitarian and development studies;
• Studies in social work and welfare.

Locations

The School of Social Sciences offers programs on the Bankstown and Penrith (Kingswood) campuses.  

History

The University of Western Sydney has taught and researched in the Social Sciences since its formation. The School of Social Sciences was established in 2006 from the amalgamation of the several groupings from across the University, including from the School of Applied Social and Human Sciences, the School of Construction, Property and Planning and the School of Environment and Agriculture.

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