Regulations for The Master of Applied Social Work - MAppSW

Qualification Regulations

Part I

Part II

Admission

1. Admission to the Degree of Master of Applied Social Work requires that the candidate will:

(a) meet the University admission requirements as specified;

(b) have been awarded or qualified for an undergraduate degree, either in the social sciences (such as social and cultural studies, psychology, human development) or an alternative degree with substantial relevant experience in a social or community setting;

(c) hold a driver’s licence that is valid in New Zealand unless otherwise exempted;

(d) provide satisfactory evidence of their proficiency in English, if English is not the applicant’s first language, in the form of: 

(i) an overall academic score of at least 6.5 in an IELTS assessment with no band score less than 6.5 within the preceding two years; or

(ii) A TOEFL internet-based test (iBT) score of 85 or higher with a writing score of 22; or

(iii) at least two years of successful study in a New Zealand secondary school, with at least ten Level 2 NCEA credits in Literacy (five reading and five writing) or equivalent; and

(e) be selected into the programme.

Qualification requirements

2. Candidates for the Degree of Master of Applied Social Work shall follow a programme of study comprising of courses totalling at least 240 credits including:

(a) any compulsory courses identified in the Schedule for the Qualification;

(b) attending contact or block courses, field trips, workshops, tutorials, and practice laboratories as required.

Specialisations

3. The Degree of Master of Applied Social Work is awarded without specialisation.

Academic requirements

4. Every candidate for the Master of Applied Social Work shall perform at least 120 days of approved supervised field education and associated reports, in accordance with the requirements of the following courses:

(a) 179.789 Field Work Practice I

(b) 179.890 Field Work Practice II.

Student progression

5. Candidates must continue to meet the requirements for registration as set down by the New Zealand Social Workers Registration Board in terms of candidates being ‘fit and proper persons to practice social work’. Candidates must advise the Programme Coordinator of any change to their circumstances in this regard within seven days, including any conviction or criminal charges pending. Annual confirmation of eligibility is required.

6. The Degree of Master of Applied Social Work may be awarded with or without a class of Honours.

Completion requirements

7. The timeframes for completion as outlined in the General Regulations for Postgraduate Degrees, Postgraduate Diplomas, and Postgraduate Certificates will apply.

8. Candidates may be graduated when they meet the Admission, Qualification and Academic requirements within the prescribed timeframes; candidates who do not meet the requirements for graduation may, subject to the approval of Academic Board, be awarded the Postgraduate Diploma in Arts should they meet the relevant Qualification requirements.

Unsatisfactory academic progress

9. For candidates enrolled in the Degree of Master of Applied Social Work, the following will lead to exclusion from the qualification:

(a) Failure to meet the requirements for registration as set down by the New Zealand Social Workers Registration Board in terms of candidates being ‘fit and proper persons to practice social work’;

(b) Failure to obtain a pass in a compulsory course for which they have been enrolled for on two occasions;

(c) Persons excluded under clause 9(b) will only be re-admitted to the Degree of Master of Applied Social Work with approval of the Academic Board, which may be declined, or granted under such conditions as it may determine.

Schedule for the Master of Applied Social Work

Compulsory courses (Choose 240 credits from)