Child and Family Studies

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Major details for:

Study mode: Part Time Full Time
Study mode: Full Time
Murdoch code: MJ-CFS

Major overview

Major in child and family studies for a meaningful career in social care

Children, young people and families thrive when they feel safe, supported and connected to their communities. The Child and Family Studies major within our Bachelor of Applied Social Care prepares you to understand the social, cultural and developmental factors that shape childhood, youth and family life while building the skills to support wellbeing across diverse care and human services settings.

Throughout your child and family studies major, you’ll explore child and youth development, family dynamics, socialisation, advocacy and relationship-based care practices. You’ll examine how social, cultural and economic factors influence children’s wellbeing and how families, communities and policy environments shape growth, learning and belonging.

You’ll also develop reflective, ethical and person-centred approaches to supporting children, young people and families from diverse backgrounds. Through research-informed learning, you’ll build communication, critical thinking and interpersonal skills that prepare you to respond to complex care needs with empathy, professionalism and cultural awareness.

You can also tailor your applied social care degree by combining this major with other study areas such as Foundations of Business Management, Human Behaviour, International Aid and Development or Sociology, broadening your understanding of advocacy, leadership and care practice.

By the time you graduate, you’ll be prepared for a rewarding career supporting children, youth and families across education, health, community and social support services settings.

3 reasons to study child and family studies at Murdoch University

Explore child, youth and family care through a major developed to reflect the evolving needs of communities and care services.
Study at the university ranked #1 in Western Australia for full-time employment, median salary and student support in Humanities and Social Sciences (Good Universities Guide 2026).
Learn at a university rated five stars for student support at both undergraduate and postgraduate level (Good Universities Guide 2026).

What you’ll learn

Understand key theories and frameworks related to child, youth and family development.
Explore how social, cultural and economic factors influence childhood, wellbeing and family life.
Develop communication and interpersonal skills for supporting children, young people and families.
Apply ethical and reflective approaches to child- and youth-centred care practice.
Analyse research, policy and contemporary issues affecting children, youth and families.
Build inclusive, person-centred approaches that support safety, wellbeing and belonging.

Having completed three semesters and my honours research in Indonesia, I was able to get a much better idea of development on the ground. I found that when I graduated, I had a more realistic idea of what to expect in the workplace.

Karis Erceg, Bachelor of Arts

Murdoch University HASS student sat on beach

Students laughing together in Murdoch library

Your future career in child and family support

With our Child and Family Studies major, you’ll develop the knowledge and practical skills to pursue a career supporting children, young people and families across education, health and human services settings.

Potential roles include:

Child and family support worker
Youth support worker
Family support worker
Residential care worker
Child wellbeing officer
Youth outreach worker
Social care advocate

For more details about our Child and Family Studies major, download our information pack.

Start dates

Starting period	Location	Face to Face	Online	Mixed mode
Semester 2, 2027	Murdoch	Yes	Yes	Yes

View the dates for our teaching periods or find out more about attendance modes.

Starting period	Location	Face to Face	Online	Mixed mode
Semester 2, 2027	Murdoch	Yes	No	No

Major Structure

Visit the Course Handbook - Get detailed information on units, prerequisites, and pathways.

To help plan the structure of your course, search for our suggested course plans.

Unit code	Unit name	Credit points

How to Apply

Majors are part of a degree and can't be applied on their own. Apply for a related degree first, then choose your major once enrolled.

Undergraduate Course

Bachelor of Applied Social Care

Study a Bachelor of Applied Social Care at Murdoch University and build the skills to support individuals, families and communities. Apply today.

Code: B1424

Selection rank: 70

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1300 687 3624

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3 reasons to study child and family studies at Murdoch University

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