Master of Social Work (Qualifying)
Overview
Turn your passion for helping people and addressing social and community issues into a rewarding career with accredited qualifications in social work.
As a social worker, you'll play a key role in developing a society based on social justice and in alleviating disadvantage. Social workers stimulate action to change the social circumstances of individuals and groups who are socially excluded. They also work to reduce personal pain and distress and provide direction for individual development and control over life situations.
The 2-year full-time program is particularly suited for new graduates looking for a clearly defined career path as a social worker, or people working in human services wanting to upgrade their skills to become a qualified social worker.
As part of the core courses, you’ll complete professional practice courses in health and ageing; child, youth and family; and mental health. You'll undertake 1,000 hours of supervised practical placements in a variety of organisations including not-for-profit, community service organisations and private practice.
This program is accredited by the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) and will enable you to qualify as a social worker and become a member of the AASW.
Program highlights
- Learn from award-winning educators and leaders in teaching and research.
- Benefit from a program created in consultation with professionals in the field.
- Develop your skills and experience through supervised practical placements in organisations including not-for-profits, community service organisations and private practices.
- Launch your career in social work or upgrade your existing experience in human services to become a qualified social worker, accredited by the Australian Association of Social Workers.
How you'll learn
Your learning experiences are designed to best suit the learning outcomes of the courses you choose.
- Lectures
- Tutorials
- Work placements
- Online study
- Fieldwork
Placements and work experience
What you'll study
At UQ, degrees are called 'programs' and subjects are called 'courses'. Here's a sample of the courses you could study in this program:
- Lifespan, Culture and Disability
- Introduction to Key Elements of Social Work
- Direct Practice 1
- The Legal and Policy Context for Social Work Practice
Career possibilities
Postgraduate study can take you anywhere. Here are some of the careers you could be on your way to:
- Social worker (child protection)
- Social worker (community development)
- Social worker (correctional services)
- Social worker (disability services)
- Social worker (drug and alcohol services)
- Social worker (health services)
- Social worker (migrant and refugee services)
- Social worker (private practice)
- Social worker (youth work and youth justice)
Professional memberships
When you graduate, you may be eligible for memberships with the following professional organisations. Contact the organisation to find out how to become a member.
- Australian Association of Social Workers
Program accreditation
The Master of Social Work (Qualifying) is accredited by:
- Australian Association Of Social Workers
I chose to study the Master of Social Work Studies at UQ because of UQ’s international reputation. I really enjoyed the focus on the practical element of the program and the skills I developed.
I chose to study the Master of Social Work Studies at UQ because of UQ’s international reputation. I really enjoyed the focus on the practical element of the program and the skills I developed.
Events
See all events
28 November
Discover postgraduate Master of Medicine (Skin Cancer)
13 January - 13 January
Institute of Modern Languages High School Enrichment Program
Stories
See all stories
Uni life
What's it like to study a postgraduate degree in social work?
9-minute read
Careers
Why study a Master of Social Work (Qualifying) at UQ?
5-minute read
UQ people
Meet the expert: exploring social work with Professor Karen Healy
3-minute read
Stories
See all storiesUni life
What's it like to study a postgraduate degree in social work?
9-minute read
Careers
Why study a Master of Social Work (Qualifying) at UQ?
5-minute read
UQ people
Meet the expert: exploring social work with Professor Karen Healy
3-minute read
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
To be eligible for entry, you'll need:
- A bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline (see below), with one year full-time equivalent study in social and behavioural sciences.
You must have a grade point average (GPA) of 4.0 on a 7-point scale in your previous qualification.
Entry is competitive with a limited intake capacity.
- A bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline (see below), with one year full-time equivalent study in social and behavioural sciences.
You must have a grade point average (GPA) of 4.0 on a 7-point scale in your previous qualification.
Entry is competitive with a limited intake capacity.
Relevant disciplines for previous qualifications
Relevant disciplines include anthropology, community development, counselling, criminology, human services, Indigenous studies, international relations, political science, psychological sciences, psychology, sociology.
English language requirements
IELTS overall 7; reading 7; writing 7; speaking 7; listening 7. For other English Language Proficiency Tests and Scores approved for UQ
TOEFL iBT (including Paper Edition) - Overall 100, listening 25, reading 25, writing 27, speaking 23.
PTE Academic - Overall 72, sub bands minimum 72.
CES - Overall 185, All sub bands minimum 185.
BE and OET are not accepted.
There are other ways to meet the English language requirements. For some programs, additional conditions apply.
Inherent requirements
To complete this degree, you have to meet its inherent requirements by demonstrating essential skills and attributes. Read the inherent requirements before you apply.
Student visas
International students who are accepted into full-time study in the Master of Social Work (Qualifying) are eligible to apply for an Australian student visa (subclass 500).
There are a number of requirements you must satisfy before a visa is granted, including the Genuine Student (GS) requirement.
Need help meeting the entry requirements?
Additional application information
Although this program is offered on a part time basis, students will be required to attend clinical placements on a full time basis. Prior to applying, applicants should ensure they will be able to meet placement requirements outlined on this website.
For applicants who need to provide evidence of English proficiency, please note that this program requires a higher level of English language proficiency than the UQ minimum.
Additional application information
Prior to applying, applicants should ensure they will be able to meet placement requirements outlined on this website.
For applicants who need to provide evidence of English proficiency, please note that this program requires a higher level of English language proficiency than the UQ minimum.
Fees and Scholarships
Indicative annual fee
Approximate yearly cost of tuition (16 units). Your fees will vary according to your selected courses and study load. Fees are reviewed each year and may increase.
$8,950
2025
$8,950
2025
Approximate yearly cost of full-time tuition (16 units). Your fees will vary according to your study load. Fees are reviewed each year and may increase.
AUD $43,200
2025
AUD $43,200
2025
Government assistance
Financial aid
As an international student, you might be eligible for financial aid – either from your home country, or from the Australian Government.
HECS-HELP
Domestic places in the Master of Social Work (Qualifying) are Commonwealth Supported. This means the cost of your education is shared between you and the Australian Government.
Instead of tuition fees, Commonwealth Supported students pay what are called student contribution amounts.
HECS-HELP is an Australian Government loan scheme to assist eligible students with the cost of their student contribution amounts.
Centrelink support
The Australian Government offers a number of income-support payments to eligible Australian university students.
Scholarships
You may be eligible for more than 100 scholarships, including:
How to apply
Applying online
All international applications should be submitted to UQ. If you prefer, you can use an approved UQ agent in your country.
The program code for the Master of Social Work (Qualifying) is 5767.
Find out more about applying for postgraduate coursework study
Applying through QTAC
All domestic applications should be submitted to the Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC).
The QTAC code for the Master of Social Work (Qualifying) is 734002.
Important dates
The closing date for this program is:
- To commence study in semester 1 - November 30 of the previous year.
To learn more about UQ dates, including semester start dates, view the Academic Calendar.
Important dates
To check the closing date for this program, go to the QTAC website.
To learn more about UQ dates, including semester start dates, view the Academic Calendar.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants
For support with applying – or if you have any questions about university life – get in touch with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit.
Explore other programs
Express yourself. And your interest.
They say choosing a degree is hard, which is why we've made it easy. Register your interest and we'll send you everything you need to know about applying to UQ.