Public Administration & Services in Australia

Gain the skills and knowledge required to provide vital scientific evidence to health professionals like General Practitioners, Physiotherapists, and Occupational Therapists.

The Graduate Diploma in Social Work will enable you to reflect on and formulate your practice, read about and appraise alternative practices and theories, and assess their work problems and clients' needs in new ways.

You will learn how to evaluate existing practice and provision critically, with a view to promoting change and improvement in services offered and outcomes affected in the lives and situations of clients. It offers opportunities for the analysis and investigation of theories and initiatives in social policy and their impacts.

Subject to meeting progression requirements in the graduate diploma, you may apply to transfer to the Master of Social Work.

This course presents you with an integrated approach to the study of social work practice.  It is purposefully designed to enable you to learn how to apply and use professional social work knowledge, make sound and ethical judgements whilst exercising discretion and self-regulation. The curriculum emphasises the importance of effective social work practice through the use of critical thinking and evidence-informed decision making. The course will provide you with frequent opportunities for practice via simulations and structured field work placements will develop you into a highly skilled, professional, work ready and globally minded social work practitioner. 

La Trobe's Master of Social Work is for graduates of other disciplines who wish to move into social work from a related area. The course will prepare you to work in direct practice, social policy, social research, organisational planning and administration, and to conduct effective community work.

Studying with passionate students from a range of disciplines, our program will encourage you to draw on your relevant experience and challenge the way you think. Throughout the course, you'll be guided by highly qualified teaching staff with a wealth of industry experience. You'll make new contacts, grow your networks, and acquire the skills you'll need to step into a professional practice career in social work.

Our curriculum is based on a philosophy of social justice. You'll develop the knowledge and skills to work effectively in a range of social policy, community and direct practice areas in the government, community and private sectors.

Practical placements allow you to gain valuable skills and experience in the field by working alongside professionals. In each year of your course, you'll complete a 70-day block placement during which you'll be supervised by a qualified social worker and will work towards developing the skills required for professional practice. You might even choose to complete your placement overseas with one of our partner organisations in Fiji, India, Nepal or the Philippines.

You'll have the opportunity to work in diverse and challenging fields of practice including community development, advocacy, research, mental health, education, child and family, disability, health and youth.

You can study the course for two years full-time or three to four years part-time at our Albury-Wodonga, Bendigo, Melbourne, Mildura and Shepparton campuses. (Shepparton campus only available to Domestic Students).

The qualification awarded on graduation is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) as Level 9.

The Master of Social Work provides graduates with an internationally recognized qualification in social work and is accredited by the Australian Association of Social Workers.

The Master of Social Work is a vibrant and challenging program. You will be encouraged to build on your existing knowledge and experience, and gain a sound understanding of social work values and practice approaches. The course emphasises social justice, human rights, and achieving the best possible outcomes for the most marginalised and disadvantaged members of our community. You will be taught by leading social work practitioners and academics, with a strong focus on experiential learning.

Social workers address barriers, inequality and injustices faced by many groups, particularly those who are socially excluded. UNE's Bachelor of Social Work is an innovative and flexible social work degree with an emphasis on rural and complex communities. Learn online or on campus with interactive problem-based learning.

Covering the core requirements of an accredited professional social work degree, the course gives you the skills to understand how human behaviour interacts with complex social environments and institutions.

With a shortage of social workers in many countries, your UNE qualification can take you around the world. Our social work degrees are recognised internationally and locally.

Our Bachelor of Social Work is delivered flexibly, and we focus on developing both your theoretical and practical skills to fully equip you to work in a broad range of professional contexts. We offer opportunities to:

• Study flexibly —either on campus or online (with on campus intensive schools for some units), Choose the option that suits your lifestyle and learning needs by studying with us — we understand that students come to UNE at different stages of their lives and professional careers.
• Learn theoretical skills, enabling you to future proof your career in diverse areas of social work, including work with Indigenous peoples, child protection, rights-based practice, mental health and the law.
• Learn practical skills by undertaking 1000 hours of professional fieldwork (clinical) placements in diverse social work settings, either locally or internationally.

Our clinical placements are supervised by experienced practitioners who support you in developing the skills needed to work with disadvantaged and marginalised individuals, groups, and communities. Our approach uses a social justice framework in counselling, advocacy, and community development to enhance people's health and wellbeing.

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 teaching, even if you are studying online. For most units of the course, this can be achieved by way of the mandatory intensive schools that are held on campus.

Applying for advanced standing for existing professional experience could be an option if you have already completed:

• Diploma (AQF Level 5) or advanced diploma (AQF Level 6) from a Vocational Education Training (VET) Community Services Package
• Vocational Education Training (VET) Health Training Package in one of the following areas, or
• Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Care, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Care Practice, Nursing.

Our honours stream for the Bachelor of Social Work is worth considering to progress your studies, solve complex problems, and to develop your research and analytical thinking skills. Places are offered on academic merit, based on grade point average. Successful completion of the honours stream will equip you with the skills necessary for further postgraduate research, and allow you to demonstrate enhanced discipline knowledge.

UNE is Australia’s longest continuous provider of distance (now online) education and we're highly rated by our students. Year after year, students award UNE the maximum 5-star ratings for Overall Experience and Student Support in The Good Universities Guide.