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Study Social Work

Potential Career Outcomes

Course overview

A social worker works with individuals, families and groups with social needs. Some of the common tasks perform by a social worker include acting as a facilitator, assessing resources for health and welfare, conducting individuals and family cases interviews, monitoring the progress of clients and implementing social policies.

Social Worker is a medium-long term listed occupation which means that there may be more PR options available to you. Interested in a career in social work?  In Australia, there are many courses you can take to start your career in this field. In these courses, you will be exposed to topics such as:

  • Australian Social Work
  • Care and Risk
  • Poverty and Social Exclusion
  • Violence and Abuse
  • Trauma, Grief and Loss
  • Social Work with Communities and Groups

Graduate Outcomes

  • Individuals in this field can earn on average $1,829 per week.
  • The number of people working in this field is expected to grow strongly over the next 5 years.
  • Most people in the field work in the Education and Training; Health Care and Social Assistance; and Public Administration and Safety industry.

Common Course Requirements

  • Completion of secondary education
  • Meet English proficiency (Usually at least IELTS 6.5 overall).

Related Courses

  • Bachelor of Social Work

Duration:  4 years
Intake: February, July
Cost: From $32,200 per year

Locations:  Most cities across Australia

  • Master of Social Work

Duration: 2 years

Intake: February, July

Cost: From $22,400 per year

Locations: Most cities across Australia

Studying Social Work in Australia: What the Course Covers

Social work degrees prepare you to support individuals, families and communities facing challenges such as poverty, family violence, mental illness, disability, homelessness, child protection issues and social exclusion. You study social work theory and practice, human development, social policy, law and ethics, working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and culturally diverse communities, trauma informed practice, case management, counselling skills and research. A major part of every professionally recognised social work degree is supervised field education placements in real social work settings.

Qualifications and AQF Levels

Qualification AQF level What it prepares you for
Certificate IV in Community Services AQF 4 Community support and case work assistant roles
Diploma of Community Services AQF 5 Community worker and case worker roles
Bachelor of Social Work AQF 7 Professional social worker roles (usually a four year degree, often with honours)
Master of Social Work (Qualifying) AQF 9 Professional social worker roles for people who already hold a bachelor degree in another field

Study Pathways

To work as a social worker in Australia, you generally need a degree that is accredited by the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW), which is also the assessing authority for the Social Worker occupation. The two main routes are a four year Bachelor of Social Work, or a two year Master of Social Work (Qualifying) if you already have a degree. A Diploma of Community Services can be a stepping stone into a social work degree, often with some credit, and leads to community worker roles.

Related Occupations and Visa Pathways (as at October 2026)

Occupation ANZSCO CSOL (482 and 186) Skilled lists (189, 190, 491, 485)
Social Worker 272511 Yes MLTSSL
Community Worker 411711 Yes STSOL
Youth Worker 411716 Yes STSOL

Our Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) guide explains which visas use each list and what that means for social workers, community workers and youth workers.

Career Outlook

Social workers are employed by hospitals and health services, child protection and family services, mental health, disability and aged care providers, schools, local councils, not for profit organisations and government. Demand for social and community services has grown with the expansion of disability, aged care and mental health services, and regional areas often have particular difficulty filling social work roles. Many roles require a Working with Children Check and a police check.

Applying for a Student Visa to Study Social Work

Social work degrees include long unpaid placements, so your application should show you have planned your finances for those periods and understand the professional pathway, including AASW accreditation. See our Student visa (subclass 500) page for the current English, financial and work requirements.

Social Work Study FAQs

Yes. As at October 2026, Social Worker (272511) is on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) and the MLTSSL, so it can be used for employer sponsored visas and for the 189, 190 and 491 skilled visas. Community Worker and Youth Worker are on the CSOL and the STSOL.

For the Social Worker occupation, yes in practice. The AASW assesses qualifications for migration and expects a qualification equivalent to an accredited Australian social work degree. Make sure your course is AASW accredited before you enrol.

Graduates of a bachelor or master’s degree completed in Australia may be eligible for the 485 Post-Higher Education Work stream, which generally gives 2 years for a bachelor or master’s by coursework. This does not require a listed occupation or skills assessment.

Field education placements that are a required part of your course are generally not counted towards the 48 hours per fortnight work limit. Placements are usually unpaid, so plan your finances for these periods.

Related guides

Am I eligible for a Student visa? Student Visa Funds Calculator Study a Trade Course Assessment Study a Uni Course Assessment

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