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Social Work at The University of Edinburgh - UCAS

Course options

2024 - 20252025 - 2026
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Course summary

Social workers support people in difficult circumstances to improve their wellbeing. They provide protection to people who may be vulnerable, and challenge social injustice. Social workers work within legal systems, and with communities and related services including:

  • health
  • education
  • housing
  • the police
Studying social work will enable you to think critically about the work that social workers do. You will develop:
  • skills in assessment and communication
  • a strong sense of professional ethics
  • an understanding of the importance of social justice
Our programme will provide you with an internationally-recognised professional qualification, which will enable you to register as a professional social worker. Who is this programme for? Social work is a profession suited to people who:
  • are creative
  • are practical
  • are resourceful
  • enjoy working with other people
You will combine ingenuity and optimism with honesty and realism, in the face of the demanding situations which some service users experience. You should have a stable, well-integrated personality, and you must be able to see beyond the immediate issues presented by service users, the general public, and policy-makers. You will also require well-developed social and communication skills and a high degree of empathy. Good social work combines an interest in people with a rigorous intellectual attitude and the constant search for better methods of helping, supported by research and development. All our students must register with the Scottish Social Services Council. Why Edinburgh? The University started providing training for social workers in 1918 and today we are well-recognised as a leading institution in social work training. We are a diverse and international community of staff and students. We work with local and international partners on all of our teaching programmes to ensure that our teaching reflects our commitment to social work values, ethics and social justice. Our research reflects the wide-ranging experience of our staff and postgraduate researchers and, with the help of our partners, our findings and knowledge exchange makes a difference across the world. Our graduates work throughout the world to make a real difference in the communities where they live. We seek to meet the demands of this changing profession and contribute to an understanding of, and improvements in, public policy and professional practice. We have previously played a major role in advising on the future shape of social work services in Scotland. We contributed to reports that led to the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968, which remains a core legislative basis for Scottish social work today.

How to apply

29Jan

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Application codes

Course code:
L500
Institution code:
E56
Campus name:
Central area campus
Campus code:
-

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1

Entry requirements

Standard Qualification Requirements

Detailed entry requirements, including typical offer levels, and information about other qualifications we accept, are available on the University of Edinburgh’s website. You’ll also find important information on how to apply. You must submit a fully completed UCAS application that includes details of the qualifications you are taking, including full predicted grades for qualifications not yet completed, your personal statement and your reference.

Please click the following link to find out more about qualification requirements for this course

https://www.ed.ac.uk/ug/L500

Minimum Qualification Requirements

Please click the following link to find out more about minimum qualification requirements for this course

https://www.ed.ac.uk/ug/L500

Additional entry requirements

Criminal records declaration (DBS/Disclosure Scotland)

Health checks

Please consult the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) website for additional fitness to practise guidelines for this degree: https://www.sssc.uk.com/fitness-to-practise/what-is-fitness-to-practise Students will also need to meet any vaccination requirements for placements.

Other

All students must register with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) as students of social work.

English language requirements

TestGradeAdditional details
IELTS (Academic)6.5Total 6.5 with at least 5.5 in each component.We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
TOEFL (iBT)92Total 92 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
Cambridge English AdvancedTotal 176 with at least 162 in each component.
Cambridge English ProficiencyTotal 176 with at least 162 in each component.
Trinity ISEISE II with distinctions in all four components.
PTE Academic65Total 65 with at least 54 in each component. We do not accept PTE Academic Online.

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies. For SQA, GCSE and IB students, unless a higher level is specified in the stated entry requirements, a pass is required in English at the following grades or higher: SQA National 5 at C; SQA Standard Grade at 3; SQA Intermediate 1 at A; SQA Intermediate 2 at C; GCSE/IGSCE at C or 4; Level 2 Certificate Grade C or IB Standard Level at 5 (English ab initio is not accepted for entry). Unless you are a national of a majority English speaking country, your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start of the month in which the degree you are applying to study begins. If you are using an IELTS, PTE Academic, TOEFL or Trinity ISE test, it must be no more than two years old on the first of the month in which the degree begins, regardless of your nationality.

Full details of our English language requirements can be found on our website:

https://www.ed.ac.uk/studying/undergraduate/entry-requirements/english-language

Student Outcomes

Operated by the Office for Students
67%
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)
84%
Go onto work and study

The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

Scotland £1820 Year 1
EU £28000 Year 1
International £28000 Year 1

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .

Additional fee information

Scottish students must apply to the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) for payment of their tuition fees. England/Wales/Northern Ireland - Due to UK Government announcements in relation to RUK Undergraduate Fees the UoE UG RUK fee will be confirmed later in 2024. EU On 9th July 2020 the decision was made by the Scottish Government to end free university tuition for European Union (EU) students starting in 2021-22. Funding policy for EU nationals and associated groups starting a course of study in academic year 2022-23 or later will be in line with international fees. Full time international and EU students will pay a fixed annual fee rate for the duration of their programme
Social Work at The University of Edinburgh - UCAS