Course overview
- Description
This course is open to social work graduates with a minimum of two years' experience as a professional social worker. It involves two compulsory units and a choice from a range of other advanced social work units, depending on availability. The course enables practising social workers to build on their knowledge of advanced social work theory and practice, and research methods.
- Course title
- Graduate Diploma in Advanced Social Work
- Award abbreviation
- GradDipAdvSW
- Course code
- 10370
- Course type
- Postgraduate diploma
- Status
- Current / 2025
- Administered by
- Allied Health
- CRICOS code
- 024808F
Course details
- Intake periods
- Beginning of year and mid-year
- Attendance type
- Full- or part-time (Student visa holders should read Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 for more information.)
- Credit points required
- 48
A standard full-time load is 24 points per semester. - Standard course duration
- 1 year
- Time limit
- 4 years
- Delivery mode
- Internal
- Locations offered
- UWA (Perth)
- Domestic fee type
- Postgraduate fee-paying/FEE-HELP
- Available to international students
- Yes. For information on international student fees see 'Student Procedures: Fees'. (Enquiries: https://www.uwa.edu.au/askuwa)
- Fees
- Visit the fees calculator.
Prospective students should see the Future Students website for details on admission requirements, intake periods, fees, availability to international students, careers information etc.
No study plans found for this course. See study plans for more information.
Specialisations
Course structure
Key to availability of units:
- S1
- Semester 1
- S2
- Semester 2
- NS
- non-standard teaching period
All units have a value of six points unless otherwise stated.
Take all units (12 points):
| Availability | Unit code | Unitname | Unit requirements | Contact hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S2 | SWSP5601 | Theory for Practice | None | 30 hours |
| NS | SWSP5602 | Research Methods | None | 5 days (6 hours per day) |
Take unit(s) to the value of 36 points:
Group A
| Availability | Unit code | Unitname | Unit requirements | Contact hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S2 | SWSP5605 | Advanced Community Practice | None | 30 hours |
| S1 | SWSP5607 | Professional Supervision | None | 30 hours |
| S1 | SWSP5608 | Group Work | None | 30 hours |
| NS | SWSP5611 | Indigenous Policy and Practice | None | 30 hours |
| S2 | SWSP5613 | Health and Human Development | None | 30 hours |
| NS | SWSP5614 | Theory and Practice: Mental Health | None | 30 hours |
| NS | SWSP5615 | Advanced Statutory Practice: Mental Health | None | 30 hours |
| NS | SWSP5616 | Mental Health Policy and Practice | None | 30 hours |
| NS | SWSP5617 | Family-Centred Practice: Mental Health | None | 30 hours |
| NS | SWSP5618 | Cultural and organisational contexts of child protection | None | 30 hours |
| NS | SWSP5619 | Theory and Practice: Child Protection | 30 hours | |
| NS | SWSP5620 | Advanced Child Protection Practice |
| 30 hours |
| NS | SWSP5621 | Child, family and community-centred child protection practice |
| 30 hours |
See also the rules for the course and the Student Rules.
Rules
Applicability of the Student Rules, policies and procedures
1.(1) The Student Rules apply to students in this course.
(2) The policy, policy statements and guidance documents and student procedures apply, except as otherwise indicated in the rules for this course.
Academic Conduct Essentials and Communication and Research Skills modules
2.(1) A student who enrols in this course for the first time irrespective of whether they have previously been enrolled in another course of the University, must undertake the Academic Conduct Essentials module (the ACE module) and the Communication and Research Skills module (the CARS module).
(2) A student must successfully complete the ACE module within the first teaching period of their enrolment. Failure to complete the module within this timeframe will result in the student's unit results from this teaching period being withheld. These results will continue to be withheld until students avail themselves of a subsequent opportunity to achieve a passing grade in the ACE module. In the event that students complete units in subsequent teaching periods without completing the ACE module, these results will similarly be withheld. Students will not be permitted to submit late review or appeal applications regarding results which have been withheld for this reason and which they were unable to access in the normally permitted review period.
English Language competency requirements
3. To be considered eligible for consideration for admission to this course an applicant must satisfy the University's English language competence requirement as set out in the University Policy on Admission: Coursework.
Admission requirements
4. To be considered for admission to this course an applicant must have—
(a) a relevant bachelor's degree or graduate certificate1, or an equivalent qualification, as recognised by UWA;
and
(b) at least two years of experience as a professionally qualified social worker.
1A relevant graduate certificate includes a Graduate Certificate in Social Work, Graduate Certificate in Child Protection Practice, and Graduate Certificate in Mental Health Practice.
Admission ranking and selection
5. Where relevant, admission will be awarded to the highest ranked applicants or applicants selected based on the relevant requirements.
Articulations and exit awards
6.(1) The following courses form part of an articulated sequence:
- 10370 Graduate Diploma in Advanced Social Work (48 points)
- 11260 Graduate Certificate in Mental Health Practice (24 points)
- 11280 Graduate Certificate in Child Protection Practice (24 points)
(2) A student who withdraws from the Graduate Diploma in Advanced Social Work course before completing it, but after fulfilling the requirements of a lesser award in the above sequence, may apply for the relevant award.
Course structure
7.(1) The course consists of units to a total value of 48 points.
(2) Units must be selected in accordance with the course structure, as set out in these rules.
Satisfactory progress
8. To make satisfactory progress a student must pass units to a point value greater than half the total value of units in which they remain enrolled after the final date for withdrawal without academic penalty.
9. A student who has not achieved a result of Ungraded Pass (UP) for the Communication and Research Skills module (the CARS module) when their progress status is assessed will not have made satisfactory progress even if they have met the other requirements for satisfactory progress in Rule 8.
Progress status
10.(1) A student who makes satisfactory progress in terms of Rule 8 is assigned the status of 'Good Standing'.
(2) Unless the relevant board determines otherwise because of exceptional circumstances—
(a) a student who does not make satisfactory progress for the first time under Rule 8 is assigned a progress status of 'On Probation';
(b) a student who does not make satisfactory progress for the second time under Rule 8 is assigned a progress status of 'Suspended';
(c) a student who does not make satisfactory progress for the third time under Rule 8 is assigned a progress status of 'Excluded'.
11. A student who does not make satisfactory progress in terms of Rule 9 is assigned the progress status of 'On Probation', unless they have been assigned a progress status of 'Suspended' or 'Excluded' for failure to meet other satisfactory progress requirements in Rule 8.
Award with distinction
12. This rule is not applicable to this course.
Deferrals
13. Applicants awarded admission to the course are entitled to a deferral of up to 12 months, as per the University Policy on: Admissions (Coursework).
Additional rules
Eligibility to apply for Graduate Certificate in Social Work
14. Students who withdraw from the course before qualifying for the degree but after satisfying the requirements of an articulated graduate certificate may apply to the Faculty to be awarded the relevant certificate.