5 Things You Need to Know About Social Work Courses

Are you interested in taking up a Social Work Course? Are social work courses something you’ve considered taking, but don’t know enough about it to see if it’s for you?

Here’s our list of five things you need to know about Social Work courses to help you with your decision.

There is a Very Big and Growing Demand for Social Workers Globally and in Australia

Social Work courses increase significantly year to year - the number of jobs has grown by 26% in 5 years!  In addition, currently it is in the skilled occupation list of Australia where you can migrate in without having work experience.

There are Higher Study Requirements for Social Work Courses

The qualification with Bachelor or Masters degree will lead to membership and migration pathway. For Master program mainly, the relevant undergraduate course is acceptable; however, some providers consider non- relevant Bachelor too.

Bachelor’s Degree – Completion of Year 12 is the minimum academic requirement. An overall 6.5 band in IELTS or its equivalent in PTE or OET is the minimum English language requirement. Other universities may have additional academic requirements.

Master’s Degree – Academic and English requirements vary per University. Universities may require at least 8 subjects related to the social sciences from previous studies. These may include psychology, sociology, history, law, and more. Social work courses normally require 7.0 band in IELTS or its equivalent in PTE or OET.

There is a Road to a Permanent Residency When You Study Social Work Courses

Social Work courses are on the Medium to Long-term Strategic Skills list, which means it will allow you to apply for either a Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189), Skilled Regional Provisional Visa (Subclass 489) and Graduate Temporary Visa (Subclass 485).

Though, not all social work courses lead to registration. You can see a list of courses accredited by the AASW (Australian Association of Social Workers) on their official site.

Social Work is a Placement-Based Course

Expect more practical and hands-on training and less theory.  Because Social workers work closely with people to advise, support and advocate them with their personal or social problems, it is important for students to also have first-hand experience of the kind of work they’ll be doing.

Social Workers are not Limited to Community Services

Although Social work is often more associated with Community Services, their skills and duties are often useful in many industries.

Social Workers have the option of working in a variety of fields such as in the Healthcare, Education, Justice and many other Industries. There’s no shortage of options for those who decide to pursue Social Work courses .

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