Social Work MA

Successful students studying our social work master’s become qualified to begin their careers in the industry.

Why choose this course?
Our (MA) Social Work Master’s Degree is designed to equip students with the knowledge, skills and values necessary for qualification. We offer a comprehensive curriculum that covers everything from human development and behaviour to research methods and policy analysis.

Upon successful completion of the course, students will have met the required levels of the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF). They will then be eligible to apply to register with Social Work England (SWE) to begin their first year of employment as a registered and qualified social worker.

The MA (Social Work) is an academic award dependent upon the successful completion of a Master's-level dissertation as well as demonstrating capable practice. There is an ‘exit award’ of PGDip, which allows successful students to apply to register with (SWE) as qualified and registered social workers. Students taking this route may be eligible to complete their dissertation for an alternative MA in a related field.

The specific educational aims of the course are to:


- develop a knowledge base to underpin capable and effective practice


- develop the necessary intellectual skills of critical thinking, enquiry and problem-solving as applied to academic learning


- practice ethical, research-minded and critically engaged work


- develop a social work practice committed to social justice, which recognises structural inequality