PATRIA CHEQFChurch Higher Education
Join PATRIA
International Standard of Church Higher Education Draft 0.9 20 September 2026 For consultation

Part IV · No. 09

The degree certifies academic competence. Any office, mandate or ordination is a separate act.

Social Work·Level 7 · Second Cycle·Church Degree · suffix C

M.S.W.C.

Master of Social Work — Church Degree

Advanced social work and management of Church/community social ministry.

CHEQF Level7
Qualification typeSecond cycle, professional-academic
Admission requirementsA Level 6 degree. An accelerated/advanced-standing track requires a relevant B.S.W.C. or recognised equivalent.
Normative volume90–120 EAC; the programme includes at least 500 hours of supervised practice, or a recognised equivalent taking account of prior relevant practice.

Content · Outcomes

Content is what is taught. Outcomes are what is verified.

What the programme must contain

  1. advanced casework
  2. community and organizational social work
  3. trauma-informed and safeguarding practice
  4. ethics and supervision
  5. social policy
  6. research and evaluation
  7. church social work / diaconia

What the graduate must demonstrate

  1. manages complex cases within the limits of professional competence
  2. designs and evaluates social programmes
  3. provides supervision and inter-agency coordination
  4. uses data and research to improve support and services
  5. integrates the Church's motivation for service with professional standards and non-discriminatory practice.

Final · Progression

Final capstone work and dissertations may not be transferred from elsewhere.

How the programme closes

Field evaluation + applied research/capstone or thesis.

Where it leads

Access to PhD.C./DSW-type doctoral study if such a degree is approved.

Status

Black is what the degree certifies. This is what it does not.

M.S.W.C. does not automatically constitute a professional social-worker licence.

“This is an ecclesiastical academic qualification awarded within the Church system of higher education. It is not represented as a state-awarded or state-accredited academic degree unless such recognition has been separately granted by the competent authority of the relevant jurisdiction.”

Recommended status statement on every diploma, Article 17

Verify a diploma in this degree →