Graduate Diploma and Master of Social Work
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 Graduate Diploma and Master of Social Work

 Graduate Studies

Next Available Intake

 January 2015


Application Closing Date

31 March 2014

 

Tuition Fee

​For current tu​ition fee, click here.

 
(You may apply for the January 2015 intake starting from 15 February 2014.)​
For Assistance
+65 6248 5783
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Programme Overview


Evolving societal, community and individual needs bring about heightened expectations of contemporary social workers, from both clients and employers.
 
To meet these challenges of the new era, leaders in the social services sector are required to play a vital role in guiding and grooming fellow social workers as well as to possess a wealth of knowledge in a specific field. This programme offers the key to satisfying this new role.
 
The Master of Social Work Programme is a practice-based programme, designed to prepare social workers aspiring to take up leadership positions in the social service sector. The program aims to equip graduates with clinical social work skills, administration skills and supervision skills to function at management positions in the sector.
 
The Master of Social Work is specially designed both for graduates with a social work degree and those with other degrees. For graduates without prior social work training, pre-requisite courses will equip you with the basic social work knowledge and skills so as to ease you with the Master programme.
 
Graduates from this programme will be recognised social work professionals with administrative and supervisory abilities as well as domain specialists, as accepted by the Singapore Association of Social Workers (SASW) and the main employers of social workers namely the Ministry of Community Development, Youth & Sports (MCYS) and the National Council of Social Services (NCSS).
 
 
Unique features of the programme:
  • A special feature of this programme is the option of graduating with a Graduate Diploma or a Master degree. Upon completion of the six compulsory core courses plus three pre-requisite courses and practicum, if applicable, students may choose to graduate with a Graduate Diploma. Re-entry to the Master programme may be allowed within the maximum candidature of 4 years.
  • To cater to the busy professionals, all classes for this programme are conducted on weekends to minimise disruptions to work schedules. Classes are conducted on alternate weekends, allowing time for self study and a balanced lifestyle.
  • All courses are taught by established academics and professionals in leadership positions with vast real-time experiences, ensuring that issues discussed are always kept current and relevant for practical application.
 
 
Fundings:
The Graduate Diploma and Master of Social Work enjoys the support of the VWO Capability Fund (VCF) Local Training Grant and NCSS initiatives as stated in the Professionalisation Package.
 
  
Applicants should be Singapore citizens, permanent residents or residents in Singapore.In addition, you will need to meet these minimum requirements:
  • A relevant bachelor's degree or its equivalent
    Candidates with other qualifications and deemed to be suitably prepared for the programme of study may also be considered
  • At least 21 years of age

Applicants must complete and submit an online application to SIM University by the ​specified deadline.

Shortlisted candidates may be required to undergo one or more interviews and/or take such written admission or other evaluation tests as may be prescribed by SIM University.

The offer of admission is dependent on the number of places available in individual programmes.

The decision of the Admissions Committee of SIM University is final and binding. SIM University reserves the right to refuse admission and is not obliged to offer an explanation for the non-admission of unsuccessful candidates.​
Three pre-requisite courses are designed to prepare the non-social work degree holders for entry into the Master programme. A supervised practicum is also required for graduates to apply their knowledge in an actual social service setting.

To graduate with the Master of Social Work, ten courses (six core and four electives) and a dissertation must be completed. However the dissertation may be substituted for the two electives offered. To graduate with a Graduate Diploma in Social Work, six core courses must be completed.

The electives included in the programme are identified to enhance the expertise of social work professionals by allowing for specialisation in specific settings and with specific client groups.If a student fails any course in the MSWK programme, he/she will have to repeat that course at its next presentation. 
 
 
To cater to busy professionals, classes are mostly conducted on weekends to minimise disruption to work schedules (with the exception for the Urban Transport Management and Chinese Language and Literature programme). Weekend classes are held at SIM University, Clementi Road. Each course is completed over 7 weekends. Each weekend course comprises a half-day session on Saturday and a full-day session on Sunday on the 1st and 3rd weeks. 2nd, 4th, 5th, 7th weeks are study break. 6th week is the exam week.
 



Course Schedule:
The Master of Social Work Programme is a practice-based programme, designed to prepare social workers aspiring to take up leadership positions in the social service sector by equipping graduates with clinical social work skills, administration skills and supervision skills to function at management positions in the sector.
Graduates from the Graduate Diploma programme will be recognised social work professionals with administrative and supervisory abilities, as accepted by the Singapore Association of Social Workers (SASW) and the main employers of social workers namely the Ministry of Community Development, Youth & Sports (MCYS) and the National Council of Social Services (NCSS). Those who proceed to complete the Masters programme will become domain specialists as well.

Concession

SIM University offers the following course fee concessions:
  • applicants who are 60 years old and above will enjoy 20% course fee concession.
  • applicants who are graduates (at Master's or Bachelor's level) of the Singapore Institute of Management and SIM University will enjoy 20% course fee concession.

Students will enjoy only one of the two categories of concession. The above concessions are applicable to all programmes offered by SIM University unless specified otherwise. They are not applicable to students under the UniSIM scholarship and sponsorship schemes, as well ascourses offered with external institutions/organisations. Eligible students will enjoy the course fee concession in addition to any government subsidy that they are eligible for. However, the concessions are not to be used concurrently with any other concessions.
   
Concession for First Two Courses
To encourage further education and upgrading by alumni, UniSIM Alumni (graduates of Bachelor or Master degrees awarded by UniSIM) will also enjoy an additional 30% course fee concession for the first two courses when they enrol for a Master degree programme. The enhanced course fee concession scheme will take effect from the January 2012 semester. The enhance course fee concession scheme is subjected to the following:
  • Alumni must not be receiving any company sponsorships or scholarships.
  • There will be no cap on the number of Master programmes. However, alumni must fulfill all requirements for the conferment of the current Master programme before being eligible for the enhanced course fee concession for the next Master programme.
  • Alumni enrolled into the Professional Conversion Programme (PCP) e.g. the Master in Social Work Programme, and who received funding will be eligible for the enhanced concession should they proceed to the Master programme upon completion of the Postgraduate Diploma.
  • Alumni taking vendor and partner programmes will not be eligible for the enhanced course fee conession.
  • Alumni who transfer to another Master programme (TOP) mid way will not enjoy the enhanced course fee concession of 50% again for the Master programme which they are transferring to.
 
 

Sponsorship

VWO's Charities Capability Fund (VCF) - For Counselling, Social Work and Gerontology programmes only
To apply for VCF Funding, please visit the NCSS website. Applicants from health-related organisations should check with their respective organisations and health clusters for possible sponsorship.