Undergraduate Certificate in Community Support
UndergraduateTAS-CST-CTF2025
Core skills in community care
Make a start in a career in social and community services. You’ll learn how to offer positive support to people in need. Get to know the health and community services in Australia. Think how you can help individuals, families, and communities.
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Applications close
- 16 Feb 2025
- Credit available
- Yes
- Duration
- 6 months full time or part time equivalent
- Total subjects
- 4
- Available loans
- Australian Higher Education Loan Program (HELP)
- CSP available
- Yes
Undergraduate Certificate in Community Support
About this degree
Upon successful completion of this program, students should be able to:
- Engage in strength-based collaborations with individuals, families, service providers and communities to create a foundation for community service practice and promote positive community support outcomes.
- Apply community support principles and practices to diverse situations and contexts.
- Use reflection, communication and problem-solving skills to guide planning, decision-making, service delivery and quality improvement in community support systems and services.
The Undergraduate Certificate in Community Support provides a contemporary foundation for working in the social and community services sector. Working with industry experts, this program has been designed to build the core skills, capabilities and practices required to meet consumer, community and workforce needs.
Reflecting on your own values and beliefs, you will expand your awareness of self and others and develop the understanding, skills and relationships required to provide quality, person-centred support. You will explore current trends, changes and challenges in the sector and apply principles of continuous quality improvement to achieve positive outcomes for individuals, families and communities.
The curriculum focuses on applied learning opportunities, where you will engage with sector leaders, service consumers, organisations and communities to explore and respond to real-world issues. This course is suited to people interested in pursuing a career in community support; those already working in the social and community service sectors looking to upskill, as well as school leavers interested in starting an exciting new career in the sector.
Recommended study pattern
For students undertaking full-time study, the following study pattern is recommended.
If you are commencing the course in Semester 2 and studying part-time, the recommended subject sequence is to enrol in elective subjects in Semester 2 and ZAC101 and one remaining elective in Semester 1 of the following year.
1 core subject:
- TAS-ZAC101 Supporting People and Diversity
Select 3 electives from the followings:
- TAS-ZAC102 Foundations of Health and Wellbeing
- TAS-ZAC103 Contemporary Support in Health and Community Services
- TAS-ZAC105 Health and Community Services in Australia
- TAS-ZAC106 Quality Systems and Practice in Health and Community Services
- TAS-ZPP101 Professional Skills in Practice
Award requirements
Satisfactory completion of 4 subjects, as required in the schedule, within 0.5-1 year from commencement.
Degrees are usually made up of core subjects and electives. Some degrees include a choice of majors, so you can focus your studies on a specialisation.
This list is a general overview. Download the full Degree Guide for more information.
Open Universities Australia is a not-for-profit organisation. You will not pay any fees for using our services.
Indicative total fee $5,620
The amount shown here is indicative for an Australian citizen studying full-time, which is typically 8 subjects per year.
Fees may vary depending on:
- the subjects you choose
- credit from previous work experience
- your eligibility for government funding loans or subsidies such as HECS-HELP or a Commonwealth supported place.
To learn more, go to Fees or contact a student advisor.
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Entry requirements
- Partially completed an undergraduate course at Diploma level or higher (or equivalent). You must have completed at least one subject of study (equivalent to 12.5 UTAS credit points) at 100 level or higher and which may include 100 level subjects completed in the UTAS Diploma of University Studies. If you have failed any subjects, your application may be subject to further review before an offer is made; OR
- Completed the UTAS University Preparation Program (or an equivalent qualification offered by an Australian University).
Successful completion of one OUA open access subject of study at the equivalent AQF level, unless otherwise specified
Completed the TCE (or equivalent)
Successful completion of Certificate III or higher (or equivalent) in any discipline.
Applicants without senior secondary, tertiary or VET / TAFE study can complete a personal competency statement.
Applicants may be eligible for an offer if they have relevant work and / or life experiences which demonstrate a capacity to succeed in this program.
The University of Tasmania grants credit and recognition of prior learning that may include formal and/or informal prior learning. More information is available here.
Career opportunities
The Undergraduate Certificate in Community Support is a great starting point for those interested in a career in the community sector with or without prior experience. You’ll be building the foundations for a fulfilling career providing care, help and support to people from all walks of life.
The Community Services industry is one of the largest industry areas in Australia and is projected to continue to grow over the next few years as job demands increase*. Potential career opportunities exist in the voluntary, private, not-for-profit, non-government and/or government sectors in health and community services. Roles include team leaders, coordinators, supervisors, service managers, coaches, service navigators, and community development/engagement officers.
If you complete the Undergraduate Certificate in Community Support and wish to continue further study, you can transition into further study, with credit towards an Associate Degree in Applied Health and Community Support.
*Health Care and Social Assistance, employment projections to May 2024, Department of Employment 2020, Employment Projections.
Australian job snapshots
Data sourced from Australian Jobs 2023.
| Role | Earnings | Employment change |
|---|---|---|
| Community Workers | N/A^ | N/A^ |
| Disabilities Services Officers | N/A^ | N/A^ |
| Health and Welfare Services Managers | Over $120K | Up 56.6% |
| Welfare Centre Managers | N/A^ | N/A^ |
| Welfare, Recreation and Community Arts Workers | $75K to $93K | Up 29.8% |
| Youth Workers | N/A^ | N/A^ |
Degree FAQs
How long does it take to finish an online degree?
That's up to you! Because we let you choose when to study online, you can actually pick up and pause study when it suits you. Many universities have a set time you need to complete your degree within. For some this is up to 10 years, and for others there is no limit.
There are some degrees that are stricter about when you can take breaks, and about how many years you can take to complete your degree. Please always check with your uni what the limits are.
As a general guide, Commonwealth supported place students have 10 years to finish their undergraduate degree through OUA, However, if you're studying with Griffith University, there's a limit of 8 years to complete your studies. If you want to take a break that lasts more than two study terms, you'll need to apply for a leave of absence. You can apply for a leave of absence for up to 12 months, as long as you complete your studies within the maximum time allowed for your degree.
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If you're studying with the University of Adelaide, you have up to 9 years to complete your undergraduate degree and graduate.
If you're studying with La Trobe University and want to take a break of minimum 1 study term, you must apply for leave of absence to avoid being inadvertently withdrawn from your degree.
Through OUA, you can study all year round, so it's possible to fast-track and finish up sooner than studying at a traditional uni would allow. That said, you need to spend around 12 hours a week on each undergraduate subject you do, so taking on extra work to finish ahead of time can be challenging.
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