University of Canberra
Master of Social Work (Qualifying) Online
- Delivery: Online
- Study Level: Postgraduate
- Duration: 3 years
- Course Type: Master's
Turn your commitment to social justice into a professional career. Build specialist knowledge and practical experience through online study, in-person intensives and 1,000 hours of supervised placements.
Course overview
Support people through complexity and challenge the conditions that hold them back. The University of Canberra’s Master of Social Work (Qualifying) prepares graduates from related disciplines to enter social work, combining professional knowledge with practical experience to work with individuals, families, groups and communities.
Explore trauma-informed practice, psychological health, cultural diversity and working with children, young people and families. Examine how inequality and oppression influence lived experiences, while developing your understanding of social justice, ethical practice and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives. Extend your capabilities through research, evaluation, policy and organisational leadership.
Translate learning into practice through case scenarios, simulations and four compulsory one-week in-person intensives. Complete 1,000 hours of supervised field education across two placements in different organisations and practice fields, building experience responding to diverse needs and professional situations.
Study 12 units over three years part-time, combining online coursework with intensive and placement commitments. The course holds provisional accreditation with the Australian Association of Social Workers and prepares you for opportunities across healthcare, community services, child and family support, policy and other social work settings.
Key facts
March, 2027
May, 2027
July, 2027
August, 2027
October, 2027
What you will study
Students must pass 48 credit points as follows:
- Social Work in Global, Regional and Local contexts PG
- Working with Diverse Communities PG
- Psychosocial Health Across the Lifecycle PG
- Ethical and Legal Contexts of Social Work Practice PG
- Theoretical Approaches to Social Work Practice PG
- Research and Evaluation in Social Work Practice PG
- Policy Development, Leadership and Organisational Practice PG
- Trauma Informed Social Work Practice PG
- Working with Families, Children and Young People PG
- Groupwork Practice in Social Work PG
- Field Education Placement 1 PG
- Field Education Placement 2 PG
Entry requirements
To be eligible for the Master of Social Work (Qualifying), applicants must have:
- An Australian Bachelor’s degree or equivalent or a higher-level qualification in a related field from a recognised tertiary institution.
- Completed at least one year of full-time study or equivalent, at a minimum of AQF Level 7 in social sciences and human behaviour.
Examples of related areas of study include:
- Psychology, research and policy studies
- Allied health, including midwifery, occupational therapy, nursing, audiology, health promotion, physiotherapy and pharmacy
- Counselling and therapeutic studies, including play therapy, rehabilitation, drug and alcohol work, counselling, art therapy, music therapy, disability and inclusion
- Clinical areas such as child development, medicine, emergency services and working with older people
- Education and teaching
- Indigenous studies, culture and human diversity, media, gender studies, social theory and population studies
- Human resource management and marketing studies, including diversity, inclusion and wellbeing, leadership and coaching, managing people and change management, negotiation, regulations and ethics
- Community services, human services, social welfare and youth work.
English language requirements
You can demonstrate your proficiency in a number of ways, including through an approved English language test or recognised past study taught and assessed in English.
The Master of Social Work (Qualifying) requires an overall IELTS Academic score (or equivalent) of 7.0, with no band score below 7.0.
Recognition of Prior Learning
Applicants who have completed a three-year Bachelor of Social Welfare or Bachelor of Community Services and have a minimum of three years of relevant work experience may be eligible to receive credit for up to 25% of the Master of Social Work (Qualifying), which is the equivalent of four units. Recognition of Prior Learning applications will be assessed on a case-by-case basis by the course convener.
Career outcomes
Learning outcomes
- Demonstrate and articulate social work knowledges, theoretical frameworks, and values in working with diversity and difference.
- Analyse intersectionality and the forms of oppression that influence lived experiences and the implications for social work practice.
- Assess, design, and reflect on complex social work engagement strategies at an individual, group, community, and societal level.
- Evaluate decision-making processes and professional judgements within social work's code of ethics.
- Plan, design and undertake social work research and evaluation.
- Critically reflect on social work's engagement with and understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and ways of knowing, being and doing.
- Synthesise knowledge of social, economic, and ecological justice for application in social work practice.
- Demonstrate the autonomy, expert judgement, and adaptability necessary for leadership roles and a lifelong career in human services.
Career outcomes
- Aged care social worker
- Disability support social worker
- Child and family social worker
- Child protection social worker
- Justice and corrections social worker
- Hospital and healthcare social worker
- Mental health social worker
- School social worker
- Research officer
- Social policy adviser or analyst
Fees and FEE-HELP
Total indicative full-course fee in 2027: $42,840 (domestic full-fee place)
Indicative annual fee in 2027: $21,420 (6 units)
Indicative price per unit in 2027: $3,750
Tuition fees are reviewed annually and may change.
You may also need to pay the Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF).