Course summary

MA Social Work leads to a professional qualification allowing you to apply for registration with Social Work England to work as a social worker in the United Kingdom and in other parts of the world. You gain the skills and knowledge to meet the challenges and developments in the social work environment, equipped to undertake any role suitable for a newly-qualified social worker. It is a course requirement to complete supervised placements. The majority of local authorities who work with the University to provide placement opportunities require you to have access to and use of a car and adequate insurance covering business use to attend visits. Further details will be provided at interview stage and you will be asked to sign a suitability declaration which also includes confirmation that you hold a valid driving licence. If, due to individual circumstances, you are unable to drive or have particular difficulties in accessing your own transport, these circumstances will be considered but should be discussed with the University at interview. During the course you are introduced to the core skills and values of social work and what it means to be a professional social worker. You are also introduced to the legal and policy background which governs how social work is carried out. You learn important contextual information which social workers need, including human development, how people react to difficult life events and life changes and more about the nature of social problems faced by different groups in society. You also study organisational issues and are challenged to think about how you can make the best use of supervision and contribute to design and improvement of services. In your final year, you write your dissertation, with support, based around a real practice issue. You use published literature and data to develop ideas for how practice can be improved in your chosen area. Please note attendance is monitored during this programme. Achievement of an MA Social Work gives you eligibility to apply for registration as a social worker with the regulatory body. The course includes two assessed placements in social work settings. The placements will be in different settings with different service user groups and at least one placement will normally be in a statutory setting or in a placement where statutory work can be experienced. A master’s degree in social work can lead to a long career as a professional social worker with adults or children. There are many job opportunities in local authority social work departments as well as voluntary sector organisations and increasingly new types of employers such as social enterprises and the private sector. Visit Teesside University’s website for more information and to submit an application.