UWA Handbook 2025

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) (i) the degree of Bachelor of Social Work of this University with first or upper second class honours, or equivalent as recognised by the Faculty; or

(ii) the degree of Master of Social Work (by coursework and dissertation) of this University with Distinction or High Distinction, or equivalent as recognised by the Faculty; or

(iii) the Graduate Diploma in Advanced Social Work of this University with a weighted average mark of at least 70 per cent, or equivalent as recognised by the Faculty; or

(iv) the degree of Master of Advanced Social Work of this University, or equivalent as recognised by the Faculty; or

(v) the degree of Master of Arts (Social Work) of this University, or equivalent as recognised by the Faculty;

and

(b) the equivalent of at least two years' full-time post-qualified professional practice experience.

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. This course does not form part of an articulated sequence.

Course structure

7.(1) The course consists of units to a total value of 144 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. To be awarded the degree with distinction a student must achieve a course weighted average mark (WAM) of at least 80 per cent, which is calculated based on —

(a) all units above Level 3 attempted as part of the course that are awarded a final percentage mark;

(b) all relevant units above Level 3 undertaken in articulating courses of this University that are awarded a final percentage mark;

and

(c) all units above Level 3 completed at this University that are credited to the master's degree 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

Progression

14. Unless the Faculty approves otherwise, a student is not permitted to proceed to the Doctor of Social Work Thesis until they have completed all coursework units.

Doctoral thesis

15.(1) A student must provide a 2500-word research proposal to the supervisor(s) at the time of enrolling for the doctoral thesis.

(2) The doctoral thesis must be up to 70,000 words in length excluding tables, footnotes, endnotes and appendices.

(3) A student who has enrolled in the doctoral thesis must provide a progress report to the supervisor(s) no later than 15 October each year.

Time limit

16. The time limit is six years from the date of first enrolment in the course.