A new social degree is being introduced into the Bethlehem Tertiary Institute's new curriculum.

The Bachelor of Social Work was launched at the campus with a celebration attended by a kaumatua, academic and social work agency guests, along with staff and students.

BTI dean Dr Andrew Smith says the social work degree was developed during the last four years in response to conversations with faith-based social work agencies around the country.

He says those conversations highlighted the growing need for social workers who were able to integrate professional practice with faith-based approaches.

'In developing a degree programme with an underlying Christian worldview and motivation, BTI has formed strategic partnerships with the Open Home Foundation, the Salvation Army and Te Aroha Noa in Palmerston North.”

During the launch of the degree last week, BTI associate dean of Counsellor and Social Work Education Richard Cook emphasized the importance of working in partnership with agencies and connecting learning with experience.

'We want to grow not starting from books and then leading to experience, but starting from experience and then engaging with theories and ideas.

'At our first intensive we have two current practitioners. We have these on-going partnerships so that not only will people come from these agencies to work with our students, but our students will also go and work with them.”

For more details on the degree visit www.bti.ac.nz