Social Work Degree Approval for BTI

As a result of requests from faith-based social work agencies across New Zealand, and in partnership with them, Bethlehem Tertiary Institute (BTI) has developed a Bachelor of Social Work programme that has been given approval by NQZA and the Social Work Registration Board.

Social workers are much in demand in New Zealand and BTI feels uniquely positioned to educate and mentor a new breed of social workers who desire to be God's hands in our world.

The purpose of the Bachelor of Social Work is to prepare passionate social and community workers who follow the call in Micah 6:8 to ‘do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with their God'. Students will gain a deep and rich understanding of this Kingdom-mandated heartbeat and learn how to integrate this into their professional practice, partnering with God to, as one writer put it, “increase the net amount of shalom in the world”.

Social work is about change – transformation not only of individuals, but also of families, communities, systems, societies and even whole countries. BTI believes God desires shalom – peace and wellbeing for His children - and is actively working to put right the disadvantage, injustice and oppression that people and society suffers. Social workers seek to bring change towards greater wellbeing, justice, empowerment and liberation.

The first cohort of students commences study at the end of January 2012.