CQUniversity
Master of Social Work (Qualifying)
- Delivery: Face to Face
- Study Level: Postgraduate
- Duration: 24 months
Enhance your critical thinking and deepen your understanding of social justice, diversity, and ethical practices.
Course overview
Elevate your career with the Master of Social Work (Qualifying). This program is designed to cultivate highly skilled, ethical and competent social work practitioners ready to impact diverse communities positively. Integrating theory and hands-on practice will give you the advanced knowledge required for practical social work in complex, real-world settings.
The course emphasises the importance of research-driven approaches and encourages creativity and initiative, particularly during field education placements. You'll explore key issues such as the influence of the environment on health and well-being, the dynamics of social and structural inequality and the different approaches to understanding disability, trauma and mental health.
Graduates will be equipped with versatile skills to work with individuals, families and communities, promoting social change and addressing injustice across various professional contexts. Upon completion, you’ll be eligible for membership with the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW), opening doors to professional practice in Australia and beyond.
Key facts
What you will study
You are required to complete a total of 12 core units, comprising 96 credit points.
- Understanding Social Work: Foundational Knowledge and Skills for Practice
- First Nations Knowledge and Social Work Practice with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
- Psychosocial Health and Well-being Across the Lifespan
- Ethical and Legal Issues in Practice
- Working with Families, Groups and Communities
- Contemporary Social Policy and Social Work
- Intersectionality and Social Justice in Social Work Practice
- Family and Structural Violence
- Social Work Theories and the Practice Context
- Social Work Field Education 1
- Social Work Research for Practice
- Social Work Field Education 2
Entry requirements
Applicants must satisfy academic and English language requirements to be considered for entry to the MSW (Q) course.
Academic Entry Requirements:
- To be eligible for this course, applicants must have completed a relevant three-year AQF 7 or 8 level degree course that includes at least one year (equivalent to 8 units) of full-time social and behaviour sciences studies.
English Requirements:
To meet the English language proficiency requirements, applicants are required to provide documentation confirming completion of one of the following qualifications within the last five years, where the language of instruction was English:
- A secondary qualification (Year 11 and 12, or equivalent).
- A bachelor-level qualification study for at least two years full-time, with a minimum overall GPA of 4.0, completed.
If you do not satisfy any of the above, you will need to undertake an English language proficiency test:
- An International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic) achieving an overall band score of at least 7.0 with a minimum 7.0 score across all four skill areas: reading, writing, speaking and listening.
English test results remain valid for no more than two years between the final examination date and the commencement date of study. They must appear on a single result certificate.
Each student will be assessed individually.
Recognition of Prior Learning
You may be able to get credit for your course based on prior formal, non-formal or informal learning. To apply, you will need to provide supporting documentation outlined by the university. Contact the university for more information.
Outcomes
Career outcomes
Graduates are well‑equipped for social work roles such as case manager, hospital social worker, family support worker, mental health social worker, child and family practitioner, community development practitioner, policy officer and school social worker.
Fees and FEE-HELP
Indicative first-year tuition fee in 2025: $34,080 (domestic full-fee paying place)
The indicative first-year fee is the approximate cost of enrolling in this course for one academic year for a full-fee paying place. For a graduate certificate, this is usually four units studied full-time over one term or part-time over two terms.
A student’s annual fee may vary in accordance with:
- The number of units studied per term.
- The choice of major or specialisation.
- Choice of units.
- Credit from previous study or work experience.
- Eligibility for government-funded loans.
Student fees shown are subject to change. Contact the university directly to confirm.
FEE-HELP loans are available to assist eligible full-fee paying domestic students with the cost of a university course.
