Master of Social Work

Universal Higher Education is planning to offer a Master of Social Work (Qualifying) in March 2027, and that enrolments will be available to students once the course has received accreditation from the AASW as per the Australian Social Work Education and Assessment Standards (ASWEAS).

Turn your commitment to social justice into meaningful professional practice with the Master of Social Work. Based in a supportive, student focused Melbourne campus, this course combines trauma informed theory and strengths based perspectives with authentic field placements across healthcare, community care, and advocacy. You will gain the real world capabilities and ethical confidence required to walk alongside individuals, uplift communities, and lead lasting social change.

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DURATION

2 years full time

LOCATION

On campus (Melbourne)

NEXT INTAKES

March, July 2027

FEES

$59,200.00

How to Apply

Enquire

Course Overview

Social work is a profession that supports individuals, families and communities to improve wellbeing and navigate life’s challenges. It is grounded in human rights, social justice, dignity, equity and respect for lived experience. Becoming a social worker offers the opportunity to build a meaningful career that creates positive change with people and communities. It also develops practical, ethical and reflective skills that can be applied across diverse professional fields and settings.

The Master of Social Work is designed for students committed to people, inclusion and lasting social change. In a supportive inner-city Melbourne college, you will be known by name, guided with care and encouraged to reach your potential. The course helps you connect theory, ethics, research and policy with professional practice through case studies, skills workshops, reflective learning, role plays and supervised preparation for placement.

Authentic practice education is central to your experience. Through placements in real-world agencies, professional supervision and constructive feedback, you will apply your learning, build confidence and develop your professional identity. Placement opportunities may include health, mental health, community services, family violence, disability, aged care, child and family services, refugee and migrant support, education, justice, policy, advocacy and not-for-profit organisations.

You will learn to listen deeply, assess thoughtfully, communicate clearly and make ethical decisions with empathy, courage and integrity. Trauma-informed and strengths-based practice skills will help you work respectfully with people affected by adversity, violence, displacement, loss and systemic disadvantage while recognising cultural knowledge, personal capability and community resources. The course also develops culturally responsive practice with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities. Accessible educators, responsive feedback and a welcoming learning community support your belonging, academic confidence and readiness for professional social work practice.

Field Practice Education

Put your learning into practice through industry-aligned field education embedded within your Master of Social Work degree. Full-time students undertake two supervised placements, a 500-hour placement in their first year and a second 500-hour placement in their second year, completing 1,000 hours of field education across the course.

You will gain practical experience with an approved partner agency under the supervision of a qualified social worker. Each placement gives you opportunities to apply classroom learning, develop professional judgement and build your confidence in social work practice. Preparatory workshops and integrative seminars support your learning and help you connect theory with practice throughout your placements.

Course Information

CRICOS Course Code

121720F

Accreditation

TEQSA accreditation https://www.teqsa.gov.au/course/master-social-work-2

Campus

Level 1, 131 Queen Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

AQF Level

Master degree (level 9)(ASCED Field of Social Work: 0905 Human Welfare Studies and Services)

Course Duration

Full Time: 2 Years
(6 Terms)

Total Course Fee

A$59,200 (Tuition Fee)
+
A$300 Enrolment Fee
(Non Tuition Fee)

Credit Points

160 credit points
14 subjects across six full-time study terms, including two field education placements worth 20 credit points each. The four coursework terms are worth 30 credit points each.

Delivery Mode

Face–to-Face Delivery at UHE campus

Entry Requirements

Academic requirements — domestic and international students

You must have completed a relevant bachelor degree of at least three years (AQF Level 7) at a recognised higher education institution. Your degree must include at least one year of full-time study, or the equivalent, in the social and behavioural sciences.

Relevant study areas may include community and human services, psychology, sociology, social sciences, criminology, health, community development, gender studies, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander studies, and cultural studies.

English requirement — international students

You must demonstrate English language proficiency equivalent to an overall IELTS score of 7.0, with no individual band score below 7.0.

Other requirements — domestic and international students

When applying for the course

A 500-word personal statement explaining why you wish to study the Master of Social Work and pursue professional social work practice.
A current CV outlining relevant qualifications, practical experience and employment history.

During your first term

National Criminal Record Check (NCRC)
Students must complete a National Criminal Record Check (NCRC) during their first term of enrolment. Those who have lived overseas for six months or longer must also provide a police check from the relevant country covering that period. A valid NCRC must be maintained throughout each placement.

Before commencing placement

Working With Children Check
Students must hold a valid Working with Children Check issued by Working with Children Check Victoria before the commencement of their first field placement.
Vaccinations
Students must also meet the immunisation and vaccination requirements of the host placement organisation.

Inherent Requirements

Inherent requirements describe the essential abilities, knowledge and skills needed to achieve the learning outcomes of UHE’s Master of Social Work, including its supervised field placements. They are distinct from the academic and English language requirements for admission.

Before applying, we encourage you to read UHE’s Inherent Requirements and consider whether you may need support to meet these requirements throughout your studies.

If you anticipate any challenges, including those associated with a disability or ongoing health condition, please contact UHE’s Admissions team as early as possible. We will discuss your circumstances and explore reasonable adjustments that may support you in meeting the course requirements. If these requirements cannot be met with reasonable adjustments, we can discuss alternative study options to help you make an informed decision.

For full details, please refer to UHE’s Admissions Policy and Procedure.

Credit Transfer & Recognition of Prior Learning

UHE recognises that students entering the Master of Social Work bring diverse academic and professional experience. Through credit transfer or recognition of prior learning (RPL), you may receive academic credit where your previous studies, work experience or other learning meet the course’s subject learning outcomes.

Credit Transfer

If you have completed equivalent subjects at a recognised higher education institution, you may be eligible for credit towards UHE’s Master of Social Work. Credit is assessed in accordance with UHE’s Academic Credit Policy and Procedure and the course’s specific requirements and may reduce the study needed to complete your qualification.

Applicants who have completed an eligible three-year social welfare course may be granted credit for up to 25 percent of the Master of Social Work, subject to assessment of their prior learning.

Recognition of Prior Learning

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) assesses the knowledge and skills you have gained through previous study, work experience and other achievements against relevant course learning outcomes. In UHE’s Master of Social Work, eligible applicants may receive credit for part or all of Practice Education A where their prior learning meets the required learning outcomes and professional capabilities.

Eligibility

To be considered for RPL, you must:
Demonstrate knowledge, competencies and skills consistent with those expected of a social work student at the end of Practice Education A.
Have substantial, relevant work experience equivalent to at least three years of full-time work in a field of practice that clearly aligns with social work settings.
Have completed at least the final year of the work experience being claimed within five years of applying for RPL.

Evidence and assessment

You must provide a documented portfolio and other appropriate evidence demonstrating achievement of the relevant learning outcomes and professional capabilities. The duration or nature of previous employment alone is insufficient. Your evidence will be assessed against:

The relevant MSWQ Practice Education learning outcomes.
The Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) Practice Standards.
The applicable Australian Social Work Education and Accreditation Standards (ASWEAS) requirements.

RPL will not be granted if the evidence does not establish equivalence, or if granting credit would compromise the course’s professional integrity or accreditation requirements.

Completing Practice Education B

All students granted RPL must complete Practice Education B under the direct supervision of a qualified social worker.

For full details, please refer to UHE’s Academic Credit Policy and Procedure.

Career Pathways

Mental Health Social Worker

Social Policy Advisor

Healthcare Social Worker

Child Safety Officer

Aged Care Case Manager

Disability Coordinator

Family Violence Specialist

Justice Support Worker

Course Learning Outcomes

Social work is a profession that has a variety of fields of practice, and there are many employment opportunities that include the following areas: domestic and family violence prevention; sexual assault of adults and children; child protection; violence; health and mental health; drug and alcohol treatment and recovery; working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities; cross cultural practice; casework; family work; group and community work; research; policy and legal contexts.

At the conclusion of the MSWQ, you will be able to demonstrate the following course learning outcomes:

Analyse, synthesise and apply complex information, concepts, theories and models of professional practice with a specific focus on trauma-informed practice and human rights.
Explore a range of generalist and specialist fields of practice, including but not limited to areas such as mental health, trauma-informed practice, family and domestic violence, substance use, cross-cultural and intercultural contexts, work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and responses to sexual violence.
Apply inclusive methods of social work professional practice when working with individuals, families, groups, communities, and organisations, agencies, services or providers.
Design and implement complex (a) biopsychosocial assessments and (b) interventions.
Demonstrate advanced level communications skills across a range of practice settings.
Implement critical thinking and reflective practice skills.
Conduct and evaluate research and evaluation projects and integrate with evidence-based practice.
Integrate theory, methods, and research as a foundation for professional practice.
Demonstrate ethical and respectful cross-cultural practice skills with diverse communities.
Implement cultural competencies and cultural safety when working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, families, and communities. Work in collaboration with respect for history and contemporary cultural practices and self-determination with community leaders and Elders, living on Country, and integrate cultural and intellectual property rights.

On successful completion of the MSWQ you will be eligible for membership of the AASW.

UHE Graduate Attributes

1. Strong Habits of Mind

UHE graduates can differentiate between tested and untested propositions, know how and when to seek and provide justification and engage in evidence-based practices.

2. Enacted Emotional Intelligence

UHE graduates complement their cognitive intelligence, developed through curriculum, with the ability to read the room, convey a sense of confidence, trust and security, and know when it is advisable to talk and when to listen.

3. Digital Competency

UHE graduates apply digital technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), thoughtfully, ethically and responsibly. They demonstrate sound professional judgement in evaluating, adopting and applying emerging technologies to enhance productivity, innovation and decision-making through effective Human–AI collaboration.

4. Social Justice

UHE students collaborate with others from diverse cultures and contexts and in so doing, develop their passion for a caring world, their empathetic response to others and the mechanisms to advocate for a better world.

5. Cultural Competency

UHE graduates demonstrate cultural competence by engaging respectfully and effectively with people from diverse cultures, perspectives and communities. They acknowledge and appreciate the privilege of learning on the lands of the world's oldest living culture and embrace Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing, being and doing while developing the global awareness required to contribute confidently in an interconnected world.

ADMISSIONS
OPEN

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Address

1/131 Queen St, Melbourne VIC 3000

Phone

+61 39600 0087

Email

info@uhe.edu.au

Master of Social Work

DURATION

LOCATION

NEXT INTAKES

FEES

Course Overview

Field Practice Education

Course Information

CRICOS Course Code

Accreditation

Campus

AQF Level

Course Duration

Total Course Fee

Credit Points

Delivery Mode

Entry Requirements

Credit Transfer & Recognition of Prior Learning

Career Pathways

Course Learning Outcomes

Fee Structure

Non-tuition Fees

ADMISSIONS
OPEN

Address

Phone

Email

Connect

Master of Social Work

DURATION

LOCATION

NEXT INTAKES

FEES

Course Overview

Field Practice Education

Course Information

CRICOS Course Code

Accreditation

Campus

AQF Level

Course Duration

Total Course Fee

Credit Points

Delivery Mode

ADMISSIONS OPEN

Address

Phone

Email

Connect

ADMISSIONS
OPEN