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Graduate Certificate of Human Services

  • Graduate Certificate

The Graduate Certificate of Human Services equips students with knowledge in sociology, social policy, Indigenous issues, and professional communications, preparing them for roles in human services and social work within the Australian community.

Key details

Degree Type
Graduate Certificate
Duration
8 trimesters full-time, 16 trimesters part-time
Course Code
101845
Study Mode
In person
Intake Months
Feb, May, Sep
Domestic Fees
$12,124 total
International Fees
$15,812 total

About this course

Overview

The Graduate Certificate of Human Services will provide students with specific knowledge in sociology, social policy making, Indigenous issues, and professional communications. Students will learn about contemporary Australian issues and nuances and how this relates to human services work, especially social work in the Australian community. Students will be guided on how to develop verbal and written communication, critical thinking and reasoning with an Australian context. This course also has a unit focused on the diversity of social, cultural and political situation in which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people live. At the end of this course graduates will be able to apply knowledge and skills across a wide range of human services issues, enough to transition into and practice within the Human Services or Social Work industry. Note that this course is not available as a stand-alone qualification for international students. Full time enrolment in this course will involve a total of 36 hours of face to face workshops per unit. This course has been accredited by ACAP under its self-accrediting authority.

Entry requirements

Domestic entry requirements

Domestic students seeking entry into the Master of Social Work (Qualifying) upon completion of the Graduate Certificate of Human Services must meet one of the following requirements:

  • Completed a Bachelor degree with at least 4 cognate units (for example in social sciences, psychology, community and welfare work, nursing, allied health, counselling), or
  • Completed a Bachelor degree with evidence of at least six months of full-time study in social sciences, or equivalent

Additional requirements:

  • Write a 500-word statement outlining your interest in studying social work

Domestic students who do NOT seek entry into the Master of Social Work (Qualifying) must:

  • Write a 500-word statement outlining your interest in studying social work; and
  • Completed a Bachelor degree

Students undertaking the Graduate Certificate of Human Services may transition to a higher qualification in Social Work, such as the Master of Social Work (Qualifying).

International entry requirements

International students must meet one of the following requirements:

  • Completed a Bachelor degree with at least 4 cognate units (for example in social sciences, psychology, community and welfare work, nursing, allied health, counselling), or
  • Completed a Bachelor degree with evidence of at least six months of full-time study in social sciences, or equivalent

Additional requirements:

  • Write a 500-word statement outlining your interest in studying social work

Minimum English Language Requirements International English Language Testing System (IELTS): Academic IELTS minimum overall band of 6.5 with no individual band below 6.0 (completed in the past two years); or Pearson Test of English (PTE): Academic PTE score of 59 (completed in the past two years).

If an alternative to IELTS or PTE is being supplied as part of the application, please read more information on English Language Test Equivalency.

Overseas qualifications must be deemed by ACAP as equivalent to Australian qualifications.

The accrediting body may have additional requirements, including minimum English language, to meet professional accreditation standards. For more information on meeting those requirements visit aasw.asn.au.

Not available as a stand-alone course for International students. The Admissions Criteria is relevant for students seeking entry into the Master of Social Work (Qualifying) upon completion of this course.

What you will learn

What you'll learn

Expertise in human behaviour forms the foundation of all our courses including our Graduate Certificate of Human Services.

EXPLORE WITH AN APPLIED FOCUS:

  • Social Work Theories
  • Professional Communication
  • Indigenous Social Work
  • Evidence Based Approaches
  • Professional Issues and Applications
  • Australian Society and Culture

Career pathways

Once you graduate from the Graduate Certificate of Human Services, you will open doors to a range of possible career opportunities. Listed below are a few typical roles you could consider.

  • First Nations Liaison Officer
  • Child Protection Worker
  • Disability Support Worker
  • Community Worker

Course structure

Course structure

The Graduate Certificate of Human Services course is comprised of 4 units, which are level 500 units. To find out unit delivery information view the relevant Yearly Planner.

The course duration is 26 weeks full time or part time equivalent. For more information on the recommended course sequence, click here.

Unit Descriptions

Level: AQF 8 core Credit Points: 6

Unit Description: This unit introduces students to the institutional and demographic context in which community development is taking place in Australia. The unit give you an opportunity to become familiar with social institutions, key social demographics and core cultural values that constitute Australian society. These particularly inform how the human services sector and social workers roles within it are organised and framed.

Learning Outcomes:

  • Demonstrate advanced knowledge regarding the scope and functions of core institutional structures in Australian society including three levels of government, key government departments, legal institutions and legislative frameworks including international human rights obligations, anti-discrimination legislations and duty of care obligations that inform social work practice
  • Display and critique an advanced knowledge of the key social and economic indicators in Australia particularly relating to economic and social well-being, poverty, employment and unemployment.
  • Demonstrate high level specialist knowledge regarding the social demographic profiles of different social groups in the community including those that relate to individual and family profiles, gender and sexuality, ability and disability and different cultural and Indigenous groups.
  • Exhibit advance knowledge regarding different social and political stances in relation to key social issues, particularly relating to poverty, sexuality, family violence and drugs and alcohol.

Learning and Teaching Process: This unit is taught over 13 weeks and totals 3 student contact hours per week.

Students will participate in teaching and learning activities including:

  • Lectures and critical discussion
  • Tutorials and skill development activities
  • Online pre-learning activities
  • Online post-learning

Depending on the delivery mode, this unit's content is delivered to students via:

  • A weekly 3-hour learning session [via Zoom]. One hour will be didactive material delivered in lecture format. Two hours will be interactive class time, for discussion of the lecture, readings, assessments and class activities.

In addition to timetabled contact hours, students are expected to do at least 9.5 hours of personal study each week to review lectures and read prescribed and recommended materials for this unit. The total workload of this unit will be around 150 hours (including individual self-study and reading).

How to apply

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