Masters (Coursework)
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.
Please note, the following course structure is indicative and subject to change depending on your course location, offer year or how you tailor your course with specialisations, majors, minors and electives. Structures for the following year are not normally finalised until October, so the sample provided is based on the most recently approved structure. For more information, please refer to the La Trobe University Handbook.
To qualify for the award of Master of Social Work, students must complete a total of 270 credit points across 2 years.
Year 1 requires the completion of 135 credit points including:
Year 2 requires the completion of 135 credit points including:
Core subjects are required subjects in your course. You need to complete these subjects to attain your degree.
Subject name Subject code Year Credit points ACADEMIC INTEGRITY MODULE LTU0AIM 1 0 FIELDS OF SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE A SWP4FPA 1 15 HUMAN RIGHTS, LAW AND ETHICS IN SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE SWP4LHE 1 15 PATHWAYS INTO C21 SOCIAL WORK SWP5PSW 1 15 SOCIAL WORK RESEARCH B SWP5RSB 1 15 SOCIAL WORK WITH INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES & GROUPS: APPLICATIONS A SWP4APA 1 15 SOCIAL WORK WITH INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES & GROUPS: APPLICATIONS B SWP4APB 1 15 PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE B SWP5PPB 1 45 FIELDS OF SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE C SWP5FPC 2 15 INCLUSION IN COMMUNITIES SWP5IIC 2 15 LEADERSHIP IN SOCIAL WORK SWP5LSW 2 15 PROGRAM DESIGN AND EVALUATION SWP5PDE 2 15 SOCIAL POLICY ANALYSIS AND ADVOCACY SWP5SPA 2 15 SOCIAL WORK APPLICATIONS C SWP5APC 2 15 SOCIAL WORK PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE D SWP5PPD 2 45The Handbook contains detailed course information designed for enrolled students, including course structures, electives and options. The delivery of this course can vary between campuses.
To view other campus handbook course details, please select relevant campus in the drop down.
Our graduates find work in a diverse and rewarding range of contexts including social policy, community and direct practice. They have gone on to work at organisations such as Anglicare, Centrelink and the Department of Human Services, as well as various health services and hospitals, in Australia and overseas.
When you graduate you'll be prepared to take on roles in a range of specialist areas including child protection and family services, aged care, Indigenous support, housing services, mental health, family services, protective services, refugee and asylum seeker support services, social justice advocacy and more.
The curriculum is based on a philosophy of social justice. The course will prepare you to work in social policy, social research, organisational planning and administration, and to conduct effective community work. You'll also get hands-on experience during your practical placement.
Professional recognitionThe Master of Social Work is accredited by the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW). Membership may require an application to the professional body and may have additional or ongoing requirements beyond the completion of the degree. Please contact the relevant professional body for details.