Master of Social Work

at University of Melbourne

Over two years you will enrol in 175 points of coursework subjects and 50 points of field education subjects. You will undertake four theory subjects totaling 50 credit points per semester in your first year. At mid-year you will undertake a block of supervised field placement of 500 hours (approx. 67 days) duration, worth 25 credit points. In the second year you will undertake three theory subjects totaling 37.5 credit points per semester with a mid-year block of supervised field placement, also of 500 hours (approx. 67 days) duration worth 25 credit points. In the final semester one subject is an elective subject. By completing 25 credit points of research (taken in the MSW as Researching Social Work Practice 1 and 2), you are eligible to apply for the PhD directly after your MSW.

First year
 

• Counselling and Interviewing Skills

• 12.5 pts
   

• Lifespan Risk and Resilience

• 12.5 pts
   

• Social Policy for Social Work Practice

• 12.5 pts
   

• Social Work Theory and Practice

• 12.5 pts
   

• Supervised Field Placement 1A

• 12.5 pts
   

• Supervised Field Placement 1B

• 12.5 pts
   

• Assessing Risk and Vulnerability

• 12.5 pts
   

• Legal and Ethical Contexts of Practice

• 12.5 pts
   

• Social Work Practice: Indigenous Peoples

• 12.5 pts
   

• Researching Social Work Practice 1

• 12.5 pts
   

Second year

The following subjects, plus an elective subject in semester 2.
 

• Engaging with Families

• 12.5 pts
   

• Working with Groups and Communities

• 12.5 pts
   

• Program Planning and Evaluation

• 12.5 pts
   

• Working in Human Service Organisations

• 12.5 pts
   

• Researching Social Work Practice 2

• 12.5 pts
   

• Supervised Field Placement 2A

• 12.5 pts
   

• Supervised Field Placement 2B

• 12.5 pts

•  In order to be considered for entry, applicants must:
   

• have completed an undergraduate degree with at least one year of full-time studies in social sciences or equivalent, with studies to have been completed within 10 years of commencing the Master of Social Work, or

• have completed an older undergraduate degree and more recent graduate study that demonstrates current capacity for graduate study, and

• provide a current Curriculum Vitae (CV) that details education, workplace experience and other relevant skills and training; and

• provide contact details for a professional referee.
   

Meeting these requirements does not guarantee selection.
 

•  In ranking applications, the Selection Committee will consider:

• prior academic performance; and

• work experience and other training completed as detailed in the CV.

• The Selection Committee may seek further information to clarify any aspect of an application in accordance with the Academic Board rules on the use of selection instruments.
   

Relevant work experience may be paid or unpaid, and may be full-time or part-time, but for part-time experience, at least 40 hours should normally have been obtained in a single three-month period.

• Indicative first year fee AUD$46,480
   
• Indicative total course fee AUD$85,523

• Whether you want to work directly with individual clients or with communities more broadly, the Master of Social Work can prepare you to address societal disadvantages and develop solutions.

• Extremely high employment prospects await graduates of this in demand course. Large numbers of students secure employment during or soon after graduation from the course. Graduates of this course also often experience rapid career advancement and promotion to senior positions.

• Previous graduates of this program have progressed to rewarding careers in a range of human service contexts around Australia and the world. Graduates have been employed in key roles within health and mental health facilities, the criminal justice system, disability services, child protection and family violence, as well as in human service design and government policy. Some graduates also move into private practice and become registered with Medicare to provide mental health counselling services.

• Students seeking a career change experience great success in this course. Those already working within the sector leave the degree with a greater possibility of a promotion to higher level positions and new specialisations within international and national NGOs and the government sector.