Master of Social Work (Qualifying)

Overview

Build on your existing knowledge and passion for social justice and human rights with practical experience and flexibly delivered case-based learning. Gain the skills necessary to address barriers, inequality and injustices faced by marginalised and disadvantaged groups in Australia's socially and culturally diverse society. With a focus on rural and regional communities, UNE's Master of Social Work (Qualifying) will provide you with the tools to thrive in this rewarding and rapidly-evolving profession.

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Why study the Master of Social Work (Qualifying) with UNE?

Social workers address the barriers, inequality and injustices faced by many disadvantaged and marginalised individuals and groups in our community. UNE's Master of Social Work (Qualifying) is designed for people who wish to change their career direction, or for those already working in the community services who wish to boost their career trajectory.

If you have a passion for social justice and human rights, and you already hold an undergraduate degree that includes the equivalent of one-year full-time study of social science (typically 48 credit points (8 units) or equivalent — depending on the university), our Master's course will build on your existing knowledge to provide you with the practical and theoretical skills for a career in the growing and dynamic field of professional social work.

What makes our course different?

At UNE, our social work courses include a focus on issues that face rural and regional communities. They are designed to provide an understanding and respect for the varied social, ethnic, cultural and religious groups that make up Australian society, with an emphasis on marginalised and Indigenous people. Our Master of Social Work (Qualifying) will enable you to effectively respond to the rapidly changing social and environmental issues affecting individuals and communities.

Study flexibly to work in with your lifestyle, professional situation, and learning needs, either full-time or part-time, on-campus or online (with some mandatory, on-campus intensive schools).

Choose your elective unit from a variety of specialist areas of practice, including mental health, substance abuse, leadership and management in healthcare and working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Complete your 1000 hours of professional fieldwork (clinical) placements in diverse social work settings in Australia and internationally. Clinical placements are supervised by experienced practitioners who support you in developing the skills needed to practice social work effectively in complex environments, with disadvantaged and marginalised individuals, groups, and communities.

Prove your enhanced discipline knowledge and research skills with the capstone unit HLTH554A, a research unit in a specialised area of your choice, usually completed alongside your second field placement. This unit of study will enable your critical thinking skills and evidence-based practice tools gained as you produce a piece of independent professional research.

Study with a highly rated university. UNE is consistently awarded the maximum 5-star ratings for Overall Experience and Student Support in The Good Universities Guide.

This is an approved Student Income Support course. Eligible students may apply for Youth Allowance or Austudy.

Before starting your first field placement, there are a number of requirements that you must meet. These include vaccinations for Category A Health Care Workers (NSW Health), a current National Criminal History Check, and a NSW Working with Children Check. Some of these take some time to complete, so we encourage you to commence processing these as soon as you have enrolled in the course.

To be eligible for admission to this course, the equivalent of 48 credit points for social science units from your previous degree may include units in courses such as accounting, anthropology, economics, education, geography, history, law, linguistics, marketing, management, political science, social medicine, sociology and statistics.

If you are seeking to commence this course in Trimester 1 2024 and hold an undergraduate degree related to health/allied health or physical science which does not include the equivalent of 48 credit points of social science units, you may also be able to satisfy the entry requirements by undertaking 12 credit points of study with UNE in sociology and social policy concurrently with approved units from the Master of Social Work (Qualifying). Please note: this pathway is not available for students commencing in Trimester 2 2024.

In order to meet the accreditation requirements of the Australian Association of Social Workers, you must complete a minimum of 140 hours (20 days) of face-to-face learning, even if you are studying online. For units where face-to-face learning is required, this is achieved by attendance at mandatory intensive schools that are held on campus.

Study online

Most of our students choose to study online across three study periods with 24/7 tutor support* and fit study around work and family commitments. Uniquely, our online students are mostly over 30 and bring valuable experience with them. They form a community of adults juggling the same challenges and priorities and who bring their life and work experience together at UNE in order to become future-fit and better respond to a rapidly changing world.

Study on campus

Many of our students choose to take advantage of the on-campus lifestyle in Armidale, in the beautiful New England region, with access to unparalleled support, accommodation and sporting facilities. These students are often starting their first degree and have left school recently. Through access to academic and career support they get a fantastic start to their careers.

* 24/7 tutor support includes: essay feedback (within 24 hours); live chat 24/7 for generic feedback on academic writing; and subject-specific help at a foundation or first-year level for subjects including mathematics, chemistry, biology, physics, business, accounting, microeconomics, macroeconomics and statistics. There are also a wide range of workshops, resources and courses available in academic skills support to assist you and help you to succeed.