Specialist Certificate in Social Policy (Social Inclusion)

The course is made up of two 12.5 point subjects. Candidates who successfully complete the award will gain a critical understanding of processes of social exclusion and inclusion, the concepts of social justice and injustice, and the ways these issues intersect with practical social policy and research issues in Australia and internationally.

The Specialist Certificate in Social Policy (Social Inclusion) is a direct response to an understanding in the School of Social and Political Science that there is a market for this content in government and the not- for-profit sector.

Candidates who successfully complete the course will gain the following outcomes:
• An understanding of key theoretical, conceptual and analytical frameworks for engaging with social inclusion and exclusion;
• The capacity to apply such frameworks in professional practice contexts;
• Knowledge and capacity in cutting edge research and policy approaches in the field of social inclusion, applicable in professional workplace and academic contexts

To satisfy the requirements of the Specialist Certificate in Social Policy (Social Inclusion), students need to complete 2, 12.5 credit point subjects.

Core Subjects

1. In order to be considered for entry, applicants must have completed:
• either
– an undergraduate degree with a major area of study related to social policy, or
– an undergraduate degree, and at least one year of documented relevant, professional work experience, or
• at last three years of documented relevant professional work experience, which demonstrates the capacity to undertake the course successfully.
Meeting these requirements does not guarantee selection.

2. In ranking and/or assessing applications, the Selection Committee will consider:
• prior academic qualification and performance; and/or
• the professional experience.

3. The Selection Committee may seek further information to clarify any aspect of an application in accordance with the Student Application and Selection Procedure.

4. Applicants are required to satisfy the university’s English language requirements for postgraduate courses. For those applicants seeking to meet these requirements by one of the standard tests approved by the Academic Board, performance band 6.5 is required.

Specialist Certificate in Social Policy (Social Inclusion) welcomes applications from students with disabilities. It is University and degree policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student’s participation in the degree.

For the purposes of considering requests for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this course are articulated in the Course Overview, Objectives and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this course are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and the Disability Liaison Unit: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

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Completion of the course will enable students to achieve the following University of Melbourne graduate attributes:

• Academically excellent: Through its grounding in cutting edge theory, empirical data and research approaches in social policy contexts around social inclusion, the course provides students with the opportunity to achieve academic excellence. The teaching staff are recognized leaders in the areas of social inclusion and social policy, and through their teaching and research excellence, will promote intellectual integrity and ethically responsible scholarship. They will also promote the research and critical and creative thinking skills of students.

• Knowledgeable across disciplines: Social inclusion and social policy are interdisciplinary areas of research and practice, drawing on knowledge from disciplines including policy studies, sociology, political science, economics, criminology, and other social and political sciences. As such, students taking the course will be exposed to knowledge from a range of disciplines, which they will be able to apply in both academic and workplace contexts.

• Leaders in communities: The Specialist Certificate has been created with the explicit goal of providing students with skills and knowledge that are directly applicable to their workplace contexts and, as such, by taking the course, students will be well placed to contribute meaningfully and as leaders to debates in this crucial domain of social and political practice.

• Attuned to cultural diversity: Social inclusion is inherently an area that is attuned to issues of cultural diversity, and this will be emphasized in the course through the use of teaching materials that engage with social and cultural diversity

• Active global citizens: The purpose of the course is to provide students with the opportunity to become leaders in debates and practice around social inclusion and social policy at the local, national and global levels, and is explicitly built around the need for candidates to accept and promote social and civic responsibilities, and to have a broad global understanding, with a high regard for social justice, human rights, equity and ethics

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