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School of Social Work and Social Policy Courses Postgraduate
Courses in Social Work
An important element of the School of Social Work and Social Policy's Research Mission is the creation, testing and dissemination of practice knowledge and intervention strategies related to contemporary social work practice and social policy issues. Research in the school aims to inform social policy, program design and the implementation in the human services, and enhance the practice of social workers and other helping professionals. Most of our research is applied and evaluative, seeking to understand the nature of effective social work practice and human service programs. It is also translational, applying theoretical concepts to human service practice. Our research is aligned with the aims of the profession, concerned with the most socially excluded and disadvantaged groups in society, to promote social change and uphold human rights. The School has exceptionally strong research links with both government and non government organisations in the field of health and human service delivery. For example, the School is the linchpin of the Take Two partnership in the area of child and family welfare and has three current ARC Linkage projects with organisations in the disability and family relationship/mediation sectors. The core themes of the School’s research are: child, youth and family welfare; disability and aging; and health and mental health. Attention to indigenous issues crosses these core themes. As the School is represented on four campuses the perspective is rural, regional and urban. The School has a strong track record of attracting both competitive research grants as well as significant contracted research or consultancy funding. The School has strong collaborative ties with staff in other Schools at La Trobe, and other universities both in Australia and internationally. Two of the key Australian human service journals are edited by staff in the school, Australian Social Work by Christine Bigby and Children Australia by Jennifer Lehmann. Course specific informationThe School offers the following postgraduate courses. This course has been designed to replace Masters preliminary programs. It aims to provide the necessary preparation for higher degree studies for those candidates without substantial previous research experience, and to offer studies that are designed to suit the student's background and proposed field of research. The course provides students with a recognised qualification upon satisfactory completion. Students who complete this course should be able to demonstrate the acquisition of research skills and advanced discipline-specific knowledge. It is expected that Diplomates will usually proceed to enrol in a higher degree by research, provided minimum average grade requirements are met. However, this qualification will assist candidates with professional advancement and progression to postgraduate coursework studies after full or partial completion of the program.
The Master of Social Work is designed to allow social work graduates or those with an established employment record in the human services field to upgrade their professional skills. This research degree requires participants to complete a research program in social work, attend research seminars, and submit a thesis on an approved subject. This degree is by thesis alone and is available on a full-time (one-two years) or part-time basis. Successful applicants will normally be expected to have an Honours degree or equivalence in terms of possession of skills, experience, research and/or publications. The School of Social Work and Social Policy offers a Doctor of Social Work (DSW) which allow candidates to pursue a higher research degree of a standard similar to the traditional PhD but one that will also contribute to improved professional practice of participants. Candidates of this Professional Doctorate program undertake the equivalent of one year full-time study of coursework and the equivalent of two years full-time study research thesis. Successful applicants will normally be expected to have at least three years of relevant professional experience and an honours degree (with a thesis component) of H2A standard or equivalent, or a Masters (by coursework) of a high academic standard and a thesis of at least 10,0000 words. The Doctor of Philosophy is the principal research training degree at La Trobe University. The Doctor of Philosophy program in the School of Social Work and Social Policy provides students with an opportunity to investigate an area of research related to social work under the supervision of qualified researchers. The candidate should demonstrate a capacity of independent research and an ability to make a substantial and original contribution to learning. Candidature for this degree does not involve formal coursework although candidates may audit particular subjects. The normal requirement for admission as a candidate is at least an upper second class (H2A) honours degree or a Masters degree. Either degree must have included a substantial research dissertation as part of the requirements of the course. It requires not less than two and a half years and not more than five years of full-time research within the University under the guidance of supervisors. A PhD thesis shall not exceed 100,000 words. Course Flyers
Frequently Asked QuestionsApplication process
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