Course summary
The MA Social Work programme offers professional training that will make you eligible to register with the Social Work England as a professional social worker. The MA in Social Work is an exciting course which will enable you to obtain a professional qualification as well as a Masters degree. The programme is committed to social justice, anti-oppressive practice and relationship-based social work and draws upon a number of disciplines informing social work practice. It includes the study of social work values, knowledge, law, theories, methods and skills. The social work programme at the University of Birmingham is the oldest in the country and we are proud of our history. It offers a stimulating and dynamic learning environment where you will learn not only from academics, but also current and former service users, carers and practitioners. The involvement of service users and carers is an integral aspect of the programme. This allows you to gain a greater insight into the role Social Work can play in people’s lives, so you can develop an understanding of lived experiences and expectations from the very start of your training. A social work degree from our university can offer you a variety of opportunities for practising social work overseas. Social workers are in demand in a number of countries and our degrees are recognised in places such as Australia, Canada and Hong Kong. Social workers play a vital role in society, working with vulnerable people in their times of greatest need. As such, Social Work is an incredibly rewarding career, which makes a real difference in peoples’ lives.
Modules
In Year one you will have the opportunity to develop core academic knowledge and skills and will study five academic modules: Law for Professional Practice; Social Identity, Citizenship and Social Work Practice; Social Work Skills, Values and Approaches; Theory, Methods and Practice (academic assignment linked to Placement 1); Placement 1. The current social work regulatory body, Social Work England, requires that before our students go out onto placement they have the basic skills needed to work with a wide variety of people and talk to service users with understanding and respect. As part of this skills development you will be required to undertake a Practice Orientation period with a local organisation. During this period you will be oriented to core processes of referral, assessment, multi disciplinary working - including engagement with service users and you will be assessed on your professional behaviour. You will also carry out an assessed role play interview with a service user or carer and also spend time in a local social care organisation. The University of Birmingham is a member of one of the regional social work teaching partnerships. The West Midlands Teaching Partnership bring together employers and universities from across the region to work together on enduring that students have access to practice learning in these Local Authorities and to promote employment opportunities. Professional Practice Learning placements are at the heart of the University of Birmingham’s Social Work Programmes. The aims of the programmes are to produce reflective social workers with capacity to work in a changing and diverse society and who are competent, honest and reliable. To this end, the Programmes works with a wide range of statutory and independent organisations, in order to provide good quality placements. We ask all students to specify their first, second and third choice of local authority, so all students will be potentially offered a placement in one of their top three areas. The placement in year one is for 70 days. All students will have a practice tutor and practice educator who is a qualified registered social worker and they might also have a day-to-day supervisor called a practice supervisor. Students should be aware that placements in particular areas of interest are not guaranteed. However, all placements are quality assured, meet required Social Work England standards and provide a wide range of learning opportunities which are transferable to any setting, and have international relevance. In Year two you will undertake a further 100 days of professional practice learning which, in line with Social Work England requirements, will be with a different service user group in a different agency setting. All students will have the opportunity during at least one of their practice placements to undertake some statutory duties. As part of this you will also complete an academic assignment analysing a piece of practice based work undertaken on this placement. In conjunction with this you will have the opportunity to reflect upon your learning in preparation for and within practice. Students will undertake learning in relation to work with both children and families and adults and communities and this will be incorporated within a framework which encourages students to adopt a ‘think family’ approach to social work. Teaching and learning will concentrate on cross-cutting issues for practice around risk and protection, whole-family approaches, collaborative working, and strengths based approaches. Also in this final year you will develop, conduct and write-up in the form of a dissertation, an individual piece of literature and/or empirical based research in an area of social work you are particularly interested in. Advanced Practice: Individuals, Families, Communities Placement 2 Dissertation
Assessment method
We use a range of assessment methods throughout the programme, including written essays, examinations, portfolios, presentations and live practice scenarios. At the beginning of each module, you will be given information on how and when you will be assessed for that particular module. You will receive feedback on each assessment within three to four weeks, so that you can learn from and build on your previous work and use this to develop your future assessments.
Entry requirements
The entry requirement is an upper second-class (2.1) honours degree classification or higher. Applicants with a 2:2 degree classification may be considered, on a case-by-case basis, if they have further related postgraduate study or extensive professional experience. Normally, this would be a minimum of 2 years of significant and relevant social work or social care experience. We also require GCSE Mathematics and English at grade C/4 or certificated equivalent level two numeracy and literacy qualification. A minimum of 30 days related practice-based experience. This can be in a variety of fields and does not have to be in a social work setting. Personal experience may count towards your practice-based experience but it is important that you are able to evidence some practice-based experience alongside this. This must show a sustained commitment, evidenced by a practice-based reference. If you do not fulfil these requirements or want further advice, please contact us directly. Please note that work experience is not considered in lieu of meeting the academic entry requirements. You will be required to meet the practice element in addition to meeting the academic criteria. If your qualifications differ from those listed here, please contact the central Admissions team for guidance. More detailed information may be found on the university course page: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/courses/taught/social-policy/social-work.aspx#EntryRequirementsTab
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
No fee information has been provided for this course
Additional fee information
For more detailed information on available funding and fees for postgraduate courses please visit: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/taught/fees-funding/taught-feesx
Sponsorship information
Bursaries may be available, visit: https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/social-work-students
Provider information
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT