Social Work Courses Online

The Bachelor of Social Work from CSU is available on-campus or online. Attendance at intensive schools is required for some online subjects. The program includes 1000 hours of supervised workplace experience, where students observe, question, and model professional practice behaviours. Topics include child protection, cross-cultural and Indigenous studies, ethics, human rights, law, mental health, psychology, social policy, and sociology. Campuses are located in Dubbo, Port Macquarie and Wagga Wagga. The minimum ATAR for this course is 65.

CQUniversity’s Bachelor of Social Work is a four-year program that will develop your understanding of the methods and values of the social work profession. Students complete two field education placements where you apply your developing knowledge and skills to real-world cases. The course can be studied at campuses in Bundaberg and Rockhampton and through distance education. Residential schools are held at different Queensland locations. A minimum of 20 days of attendance are required throughout the course.

Deakin University’s four-year degree is offered in Geelong (Waterfront Campus) and Cloud Campus (online). Cloud students are required to attend on-campus intensive workshops depending upon units of enrolment. Practical workplace learning is a strong feature of the course, with students completing two work placements each involving a minimum of 500 hours in a social or community service agency or program. The Bachelor of Social Work is an Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) accredited qualification, so you will graduate eligible to apply for membership of AASW and practise professionally throughout Australia.

Griffith University’s external Bachelor of Social Work program requires attending occasional intensive residential sessions (which may be up to 5-days at a time) at the Gold Coast or Logan. Apart from these and work placements, the remainder of the program is online. Work placements may be outside of the Brisbane metropolitan/Gold Coast area including northern NSW and (by negotiation) interstate or overseas.

The University of New England’s Bachelor of Social Work program includes units with mandatory intensive schools at Armidale in NSW. The course covers all the core requirements of a professional degree while emphasising rural issues. It gives provisional accreditation with AASW. Students with a degree already can apply for the 2-year Master of Social Work program.

The Master of Social Work (Professional Qualifying) at CSU is available online. The courses gives you the opportunity to upgrade your undergraduate qualifications and attain professional recognition from the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW). Students are eligible to apply for a Commonwealth supported place (CSP) to reduce tuition fees. A HECS-HELP will also postpone repayments. The CSP yearly fee for this course is $8,944 in 2024. The program requires attendance at Intensive schools for some online subjects.

The Master of Advanced Social Work Practice from CSU allows qualified social workers to expand their professional practice with advanced, specialised studies. Available online across Australia, you can choose between research and coursework strands and tailor your studies by area of interest. Core and capstone subjects include advanced practice theory, future directions, and a social work and human services dissertation. Numerous electives are available, with topics such as children from adversity, mental health, leadership in human services, mediation, and public sector management.

Deakin University offers a two-year online Master of Social Work that qualifies graduates to enter the profession and prepares you for a more advanced level of practice. The course has a strong emphasis on practical experience, which is gained through a minimum of 1000 hours of fieldwork placements completed in different communities and workplaces. A minimum of 20 days of face-to-face time is also required during the two-year degree. Students develop skills in research, communication, interpersonal relationships, politics, and community development.

Flinders University in Adelaide has an online Master of Social Work program for university graduates. If you have a BSW or equivalent, you can do the 1-year "Qualified Social Work Entry" course. If you have a degree in another discipline, you do the full 2-year "Graduate Entry" professional course, which includes field placements and on-campus intensives. The masters program aims to provide students with skills in areas of policy, research, clinical and community based practice.

One of the most attractive ways to become a social worker is to do Griffith University’s Master of Social Work program. This is run through Griffith’s Gold Coast and Logan campuses. You can study online for nearly all the program, with the exception of a 5-day residential at the beginning (to make sure you have some interpersonal skills) and another at the end of the 13-unit course. So you mix online study with work placements and a couple of weeks in south-east Queensland.

The University of New England has a 2-year program that qualifies graduates of other disciplines to be social workers. External students attend a limited number of on-campus residential session in Armidale, NSW. There are also 1000 hours of fieldwork. Two work placements are arranged for the 2nd and 4th semesters of the 4-semester course. Each includes 5 days on campus.