Master of Social Work (Qualifying)
Make a real difference to the lives of individuals, families and communities using a strengths approach for a sustainable future. Upon graduation, you'll be qualified as a professional social worker and will have the skills and confidence to work with diverse populations to advocate for social justice and human rights.
Course essentials
Entry requirements
Credit
Study mode
Duration
Start dates
01 March 2027
19 July 2027
Locations
Gippsland (on campus)
Mt Helen (on campus)
Course overview
Be an advocate for social justice and human rights. Make a real difference to the lives of people in need. Excel in your career in one of the fastest growing professions.
You might be a new graduate looking for a clear career path or an experienced social worker wanting to take the next step in your professional life. Or perhaps you are ready for a career change and want to step into social work.
Whatever your background, we'll prepare you to work across human and community services in government bodies, non-government organisations, community and health services and more. You'll become confident working with migrants, people with alcohol, drug and mental health problems and in palliative care, child protection, youth services and much more.
You'll be exposed to challenging real life situations through 140 days during your studies in social work settings, being mentored by experienced professionals in the field. Then, once you graduate, you can go on to be a qualified social worker, take up management positions or work in national or international policy development. A wide range of scholarships are also available for students to provide you with financial support. Visit our Scholarship page for details.
This is an Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) accredited qualification, and is an entry qualification into the social work profession. It has been deemed to meet the Australian Social Work Education and Accreditation Standards.
This program does not follow the standard published academic calendar (Academic Calendar).
Professional Experience
Professional experience field education placements take place at the end of both the first and second years. This professional experience provides the minimum supervised practice requirement (2 x 70 days = 140 days). However, some applicants may be able to apply for credit/RPL for some or the entire first field education placement if they have completed a 70 day supervised field placement during their undergraduate studies.
A wide range of scholarships are also available for students to provide you with financial support. Visit our Scholarship page for details.
Credits/Recognition of Prior Learning
Credit transfer will be in accordance with the AASW Australian Social Work Education and Accreditation Standards (2020). Further information about credit transfer or Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) can be found through contacting the Program Coordinator.
Delivery format
The program will be delivered sequentially, that is, one course at a time over a period of 6-8 weeks per course. Learning materials and activities will be available for each course online via the FedUni moodle and there will be fortnightly seminars on Fridays for each course. Seminars will be held on-campus from 9.30am - 3.30pm on Fridays (each course outline and moodle will set out the dates of seminars in advance).
IT requirements
To do this course you’ll need a fast and reliable computer and access to high-speed internet. Expect to use about 5GB of data per month for every unit you’re doing. Find out more about the minimum IT requirements for studying with us.
Got questions?
Call us on 1800 333 864, start a live chat or submit an enquiry.
Student support
The support we offer is second to none. Need academic help? No problem. Extra access or financial assistance? Let’s see what we can do. View our student services.
The fine print
The commencement of all courses is subject to available funding and enrolment quotas.
Everything in this course overview is correct at the time of being published. However, the University reserves the right to alter any course, procedure or fee. Please check for changes before you apply or enrol.
Federation University uses Victorian and Commonwealth Government funding (for eligible students) to deliver training.
School department
Social Work, Community & Human Services
Course co-ordinator
Clement Chihota
Career paths
Professional social work positions in hospitals, community health care, child protection, justice, community development, local government, government policy, social research, advocacy and many more.
Professional recognition
Fully accredited by the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW).
Fees and scholarships
Tuition fee information
Commonwealth Supported Places are subsidised by the Australian Government. The tuition fee is called the student contribution amount. The indicative fee above is based on a typical first-year enrolment for this course and should be used as a guide only. For 0.5 EFTSL (60 credit point) courses the certificate fee is displayed. Your fee will depend on the units you chose, your study load, the time it takes to complete your course and any approved credit you receive.
How it's calculated
The government sets the fee each year. The amount depends on the discipline area and band of each unit. 2026 annual student contribution amounts for 1 EFTSL (equivalent full-time student load) range from $4,738 (Band 1) to $17,399 (Band 4). The sample course structure below link to the EFTSL, Band and fee for each unit or you can use our unit search to find these details.
Other fees
You will also need to pay the Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF).
Other study costs
Travel for field placement during your studies, Working with Children Check, Police Check, books and materials.
Fee assistance
If you're eligible for a HECS-HELP loan, you can defer the payment of all or part of your student contribution fee. If you’re also eligible for a SA-HELP loan, you can defer your SSAF payment too. You won’t have to start paying either loan back until your income reaches the compulsory repayment threshold.
Scholarships
There’s a range of scholarships and grants available. Find out what you can apply for.
Course details
Start dates
Semester 2, 2026
20 July 2026
Locations
Berwick (on campus)
Mt Helen (on campus)
Semester 1, 2027
1 March 2027
Locations
Berwick (on campus)
Gippsland (on campus)
Semester 2, 2027
19 July 2027
Locations
Berwick (on campus)
Mt Helen (on campus)
Information
- Our Mt Helen, SMB, Camp St and Gillies St campuses are located in Ballarat. Testing.
Contact hours
7 hours of seminar time per fortnight for one course. We require students to attend fortnightly face-to-face seminars (with supplementary online materials) for all scheduled courses in the program.
Work integrated learning
This program requires a total of 1000 placement hours, across 28 weeks.
A wide range of scholarships are also available for students to provide you with financial support. Visit our Scholarship page for details.
Sample course structure
Here’s what the course structure could look like. It’s just an example (so don’t use it for enrolment). Interested in the details? You can find current course structure or select a single unit name below to find out what it’s about and how much it costs.
- Foundations of Social Work Theory15 credit pointsMSWPG7101
- Professional Social Work Practice15 credit pointsMSWPG7102
- Social Work Practice with Groups and Communities15 credit pointsMSWPG7108
- Social Work Practice in Diverse Contexts15 credit pointsMSWPG7115
- Social Work Field Education 145 credit pointsMSWPG7106
- Social Policy, Development & Impact15 credit pointsMSWPG7210
- Contemporary Social Work Theories and Practice15 credit pointsMSWPG7201
- Social Work Practice with Children, Young People and Families15 credit pointsMSWPG7202
- Law and Ethics in Social Work Practice15 credit pointsMSWPG7203
- Social Work Research15 credit pointsMSWPG7211
- Integrative Social Work Practice15 credit pointsMSWPG7205
- Social Work Field Education 245 credit pointsMSWPG7208
Meet us at Open Day
Open Day is your chance to explore all that Federation has to offer. Meet current lecturers and students, ask course questions, learn about our support services and explore campus spaces.
We’ve got heaps of activities, tours and presentations planned. Basically, we want you to get a real feel for Federation. The atmosphere. The opportunities. The community.
Oh – and there’s no need to pack a sandwich. Lunch is on us.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements (non year 12)
Successful completion of a relevant* Bachelor degree with at least one year of study, or the equivalent of full time studies in social and behavioural sciences.
*Relevant Bachelor degrees should have at least one year of study in any of the following disciplines:
• Human welfare studies and services which includes social work, youth work, community work, welfare studies and counselling;
• Behavioural science which includes psychology or behavioural science;
• Studies in human society which includes sociology, anthropology, Indigenous studies or gender specific studies;
• Or other disciplines such as political science, policy studies, family law, justice administration, legal studies, family and consumer studies, education with a focus on welfare, public health, health promotion, community health, public health, mental health nursing or community nursing.
or:
Successful completion of an Australian Graduate Certificate in Social and Community Services
English language requirements
Academic IELTS with an overall score of 7.0, with no band less than 7.0 in listening, reading, writing and speaking or International Second Language Proficiency Rating (ISPR) test with an overall score of 3+ , L (4), R (3+), W (3+), S (4). or completion of a 3-year Bachelor degree (or equivalent) from the approved recognised English-speaking country list, or equivalent
Extra requirements
Essential requirements for enrolment or graduation:
Working with Children Check is compulsory. Applicants will be required to hold a valid Working with Children (WWC) Check prior to undertaking professional placements as part of this course.
Police record check is compulsory. Applicants will be required to hold a valid National Police Record Check for professional placements as part of this course.
Students undertaking placement at some agencies will be required to undertake a NDIS Work Screening Check.
National Police Record Checks and NDIS Working Screen Checks are at the student’s own expense.
If you’re only applying for this course, do it via direct application.
Ready to fill out your application?
You'll need this code:
Direct application
Federation University code
- Direct application
- Yes
- Federation University code
- HW9
Pathways into this program may include Bachelor of Community and Human Services and Graduate Certificate in Social and Community Services
Federation University Bachelor of Community and Human Services graduates are eligible for direct entry to the Master of Social Work(Qualifying) and will receive credit for one semester of study, reducing the length of study from 2 years to 1.5 years.
Successful completion of a related Bachelor degree with four relevant* courses (equal to 0.5 EFTSL) AND successful completion of Graduate Certificate in Social and Community Services are eligible for direct entry to the Master of Social Work (Qualifying).
*Relevant courses are typically two units in the study of human behaviour and two units in the study of society
Alternative Entry Pathway:
Domestic applicants only: Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ can apply directly through the Aboriginal Education Centre