Masters Program in Narrative Therapy and Community Work

The Master of Narrative Therapy and Community Work has been specifically designed to develop participants’ practice-skills, encourage innovation, and enable a rigour in relation to practice-research-theory. It is a University of Melbourne postgraduate specialist qualification consisting of 3 subjects:

• Advanced Narrative Skills Development
• The Art of Narrative Practice
• Narrative Practice and Research Synthesis

In 2024 this program will be delivered online. Hence, it is accessible to both local and international students.

The online learning adventure will include two intensive two-week teaching blocks in March and October/November.  And also regular asynchronous learning and synchronous online events, rituals, meetings and celebrations. 

The program provides participants with the flexibility to complete the degree either full-time and over two semesters as a twelve month program, or part-time and over four semesters as a two-year program.

The academic team will consist of leading national and international trainers. The faculty will be drawn from the Dulwich Centre International faculty and the University of Melbourne.

Those applying to undertake the degree would typically be professionals working with individuals, families or communities who are interested in enhancing their clinical and practice-research skills in narrative therapy and community work. The combination of intensive delivery supported by distance and on-line learning means it is accessible to students across Australia and internationally.

The entry requirements are:

• An undergraduate degree in a related discipline; and
• Evidence of two years of relevant work experience; and
• Evidence of completion of prior narrative therapy studies at Dulwich Centre or equivalent; and
• Completion of the personal statement document (maximum 500 words)
• A professional referee report [completed on the attached template]

Please note, while not a formal entry requirement, in order to successfully complete the course, it is necessary to be working/volunteering in a context in which you are able to put narrative ideas into practice for at least 5 hours per week during the duration of the Masters.

Interviews, referee reports or employer references may also be a part of the application process.

Recognition of Prior Learning for those who have completed long-term training programs with Dulwich Centre (International Training Program or Graduate Certificate programs in Hong Kong, Greece or Singapore) means that they are only required to attend one of the intensive teaching blocks, and to pay reduced fees. This is also true for graduates of the Yearlong Narrative Therapy Program at Evanston Family Therapy Center (USA).

If you are unsure whether your previous experience or qualifications would be sufficient, please email us and we can provide further information.

1. Advanced Narrative Skills Development

In this subject, students acquire skills in engaging with ten key practice maps of narrative therapy, including externalising, re-authoring, re-membering, definitional ceremony, documentation, absent but implicit, failure conversations map, responding to trauma, engagement with folk culture metaphors (tree of life/team of life/kite of life) and enabling contribution or social action. They also develop skills in analysing and evaluating the effects of their use of these maps of practice and in proposing alternative questions as well as lines of enquiry, in therapeutic and/or collective practice.

2. The Art of Narrative Practice

Students acquire a working knowledge of the diversity of ways in which narrative practices are being engaged with children, young people and adults as well as with individuals, groups, organisations and communities, in a range of different cultural contexts across the globe. Students are required to analyse developments in the field in relation to their implications for their own practice in their own local cultural context.

3. Narrative Practice and Research Synthesis

Students are challenged to innovate their own forms of narrative practice. Teaching focuses on some of the different methods of innovating that have contributed to new forms of narrative practice, such as co-research, partnerships, cross-cultural invention, folk cultural innovation, synthesis of practice with readings from outside the field, responding to challenges in relation to politics of experience and translations across languages. This involves revisiting some of the social and intellectual histories of narrative practice and drawing on recent international innovations as case studies of innovation. Drawing on these histories and practices of innovation, in the second half of the subject, students are then required to undertake an original piece of practice research, with findings presented in a standard required for publication.

Fees 

Fees for 2024 are AUD$24,064 for all students and are subject to an annual increase. Fees include tuition, course materials and access to online resources and the opportunity to attend a public graduation ceremony. As enrolled students of the University of Melbourne, students have access to a range of facilities and amenities provided by the University of Melbourne.

More information about fees is available via the University of Melbourne.

FEE-HELP 

FEE-HELP provides interest-free loans to eligible students to help pay part or all of their tuition. FEE-HELP is only available to Australian citizens. For more information click here.

Scholarships

Scholarship for trans participants

In 2024, Dulwich Centre Foundation will offer a scholarship of $3000 to a transgender participant of the Master of Narrative Therapy and Community Work who has indicated they would like to receive the funds. In addition, alongside the funds, recipients of this scholarship will receive supervision sessions with a Dulwich Centre Faculty member who has significant experience in narrative practice through a trans lens. The funds will be awarded directly to the participant and can be spent on anything that will assist their education journey. For more information, click here or email dcp@dulwichcentre.com.au

Anita Morawetz Scholarships

Thanks to the generosity of the Anita Morawetz Trust, a number of scholarships covering part of the tuition fee for this course are available. You can find more information about this scholarship and how to apply on the University of Melbourne’s website.

Adelaide-Hong Kong Friendship Scholarship

Dulwich Centre is delighted to continue offering this scholarship, which is available to practitioners from Hong Kong who wish to attend the Master of Narrative Therapy and Community Work (University of Melbourne/Dulwich Centre). There is a long history of collaboration between Dulwich Centre and narrative practitioners in Hong Kong, in fact, more practitioners from Hong Kong have completed the Dulwich Centre International training program than from any other city or country! The Centre for Youth Research and Practice (Hong Kong Baptist University) and Dulwich Centre currently run a Graduate Certificate in narrative therapy. Graduates of this course receive recognition of prior learning towards the new Master of Narrative Therapy and Community Work.

If you are from Hong Kong you are eligible to apply for the Adelaide – Hong Kong Friendship Scholarship. 

The scholarship will be awarded to a practitioner(s) from Hong Kong who is judged by the scholarship committee to have:

• demonstrated an interest and commitment to narrative practice
• demonstrated a commitment to working with people experiencing social hardship
• demonstrated creativity and innovation in their work

The decision of the scholarship committee will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.

You can find the scholarship application form and instructions here.

Stay tuned for updates!