School building, from Leicester St
School building, from Leicester St
Social Work at The University of Melbourne was first established in 1941. In 2007, the School of Social Work became a joint school with Nursing within the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry & Health Sciences.
Social Work and Nursing share research strengths and expertise in areas such as mental health, chronic care management and service delivery, aged care, and family and child welfare. The formation of a joint school has ensured that Social Work at The University of Melbourne remains a leading provider of professional social work education within Australia.
We have strong partnerships with major health and social welfare agencies including the Department of Human Services, the Royal Children's Hospital, Anglicare and Jesuit Social Services. Our students benefit directly from this established dialogue with professional, government and community-based services. Social Work caters for a wide array of interests for students in the areas of child and family welfare, juvenile justice, mental health, aged services, health and rehabilitation.
Specialising in Social Work prepares students for professional practice in a diverse range of fields. It provides students with a nationally and internationally benchmarked course of study in the theory and practice of social work, and the chance to participate in a rigorous and rich interdisciplinary learning environment.
Students have the opportunity to study under the guidance of internationally renowned staff who are passionate about their work and who retain a strong commitment to community service and social justice. Teaching is informed by a substantial research program and is enhanced by innovative developments in multimedia and experiential learning.
Social Work graduates are keenly sought by human service agencies, and employment outcomes are exceptional.
1929: the Victorian Institute of Hospital Almoners was established. This is generally regarded as the beginning of Victorian social work education. The Institute offered a two-year course incorporating some general social work education and more specific almoner training until 1933.
1931: a meeting of the Council for Mental Hygiene, the Institute of Hospital Almoners, the Charity Organisation Society, the Central Council of Benevolent Societies, and the National YMCA appointed a Committee on Social Training to investigate the establishment of a general course of social work training, preferably at the University of Melbourne. A Board of Studies was subsequently appointed to supervise a social work course.
1933: the general course of social work training commenced. Later that year the Victorian Council on Social Training took over the Committee's work and offered a two-year general social work diploma course.
1941: responsibility for the general social work course was transferred to the University of Melbourne.
1947: the course was extended to three years to allow for specialisation in the third year.
1949: the Board of Social Studies at the University took over the training responsibilities of the Victorian Institute of Hospital Almoners, which subsequently closed.
1974: the three-year Diploma of Social Studies was replaced by a Bachelor of Social Work degree providing two years of intensive professional social work education, generally following completion of an Arts degree. The Board remained the governing body for the Social Work course until 1989.
1989: the Department of Social Studies was incorporated into the Faculty of Arts as the Department of Social Work (later the School of Social Work).
2006: the inaugural Len Tierney Lecture marked the beginning of this commemorative annual event. These public lectures have sought to sustain Dr Tierney's commitment to generating, publicising and using research for the wellbeing of children and families. More information is available in the Len Tierney biography.
2007: the School of Social Work was relocated within the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, thereby forming the School of Nursing and Social Work.
2009: Social Work formed part of the Melbourne School of Health Sciences, together with Nursing and Physiotherapy.