Leadership and Management for Social Work

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This programme enables those with a BA degree to obtain the new professional qualification in Social Work, as well as a Masters degree. You join students on the new undergraduate route for Social Work for Year 3; your academic work is assessed at the higher M level, which includes a dissertation. You undertake two assessed social work placements in line with government requirements of 200 days of practice over the two years of the programme (changing to 170 days for entrants in 2013). International students undertake the same placements as UK students and obtain a detailed understanding of the operation of the English social work system.

The MA follows an exciting programme. Committed to social justice, anti-oppressive practice and relationship based social work and drawing upon a number of disciplines informing social work practice, it includes the study of social work values, knowledge, law, theories, methods and skills. Additional teaching offers students the opportunity to focus on particular areas of interest and exciting new projects, such as the International Exchange Project, and the award-winning Survivor Arts Project, allow students to move beyond the core curriculum and explore different ways of seeing the world and more creative ways of working. Watch the following video diary of our first exchange visit to Rotterdam, and a film of our award-winning Survivor Arts Project.

Year 1

In the first year of the degree you will have the opportunity to develop core academic knowledge and skills. Learning will focus on Social Work Law, Theory and Methods, Anti Discriminatory and Anti Oppressive practice and skills development in relation to research-mindedness, evidence-based learning and practice and critical reflection. You will also be introduced to the social and organisational context of social work and will be given the chance to develop practice skills in readiness for your first 70 day placement for professional practice learning.

The social work regulatory body, the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC) and the College of Social Work requires that before our students go out onto placement that 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. During this period you will be assessed on your professional behaviour. You will also undertake Readiness for Practice Learning Interviews, role plays carried out with service users and carers. This way we ensure that students meet the basic standard before they go out into the 'real world'.

We work in partnership with Birmingham City Council, who provide the majority of the placements, and a range of voluntary and private sector organisations. We also have a few placements with some neighbouring local authorities. However, we cannot guarantee any placements outside Birmingham itself and so students who live outside Birmingham will be required to travel. The placements on offer are challenging and also very rewarding. Some of the areas of social work covered on placement are:

* Family support and prevention
* Domestic violence
* Refugee and asylum
* Special educational needs
* Fostering
* Child Protection
* Disabilities
* Substance misuse

Students should be aware that placements in particular areas of interest are not guaranteed. However, all placements are quality assured, meet required HCPC and College of Social Work standards and provide a wide range of learning opportunities which are transferable to any setting, and have international relevance.

Year 2

In Year 2 you will undertake a further 100 days of professional practice learning which, in line with HCPC 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.

In conjunction with this you will again 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.

The entry requirement is an upper second-class (2.1) degree classification or higher (an undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline is preferred) and 6 weeks (approximately 30 days) to 3 months related social care experience (related personal experience will be considered but only alongside practice-based experience). Equivalence is reviewed for international students. Applicants with a 2:2 degree classification may be considered, on a case-by-case basis, if they have further related postgraduate study. We also require GCSE Mathematics and English at grade C or an equivalent level two numeracy and literacy qualification. If your qualifications differ from those listed here, please contact the Admissions Officer, Heather Buckley for advice. Email: h.l.buckley@bham.ac.uk, Tel: +44(0)121 414 7908.Applicants must confirm prior to interview/offer decision making that they have the ability to use basic IT facilities, including word processing, internet browsing and the use of mail, and be asked to specify how these skills have been obtained.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.Transfer applicants - we do not consider applicants who have studied, or are studying, social work elsewhere. We do however consider, on a case-by-case basis, if there is a valid reason for doing so, applications for entry into the first year of our programme from applicants wishing to withdraw from their current programme of study. For applicants wishing to do this, we would require a reference from a tutor on the programme where they are currently or have previously studied social work.Learn more about entry requirements Additional information: * Applicants must show, in the appropriate section of the application form, that they meet or intend to meet, all of the academic criteria. * Their ability to meet the academic criteria should be confirmed in their academic reference. * In addition to this, applicants must provide details, within their personal statement, of their related personal or social care experience and the influence this has had on their commitment to and understanding of, social work. A subsequent practice reference will be required if an offer is made. * Their personal statement should also provide evidence of their ability to write in a clear, coherent and accessible style. * Shortlisted applicants may be required to read a short academic text and complete a written exam on their understanding of general issues related to social work. * Applicants completing this test may then be invited back for an interview. In some instances some applicants will attend the interview before the written exam. * Selected applicants will be required to complete a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and Delcaration of Suitability for Social Work form before registration on the programme. * Where an applicant has disclosed a criminal offence, they will be asked to provide further details on this offence in a letter to the department. * A satisfactory social care practice reference will also be required. * All students will be required to sign the Fitness to Practise Code of Conduct on entry. * 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. * Transfer applicants: we do not consider applicants who have studied, or are studying, social work elsewhere. We do, however, consider, on a case-by-case basis, if there is a valid reason for doing so, applications for entry into the first year of our programme from applicants wishing to withdraw from their current programme of study. For applicants wishing to do this, we would require a reference from a tutor on the programme where they are currently, or have previously studied social work. International students: We have been welcoming international students at the University of Birmingham since its inception in 1900 and now boast one of the largest and most vibrant international student communities in the UK. Listen to what some of our international students in the School say about studying at Birmingham.We accept a range of qualifications - our country pages (show you what qualifications we accept from your country. English Language Requirements IELTS band: 6.5 TOEFL iBT® test: 88 IMPORTANT NOTE: Since April 2014 the ETS tests (including TOEFL and TOEIC) are no longer accepted for Tier 4 visa applications to the United Kingdom. The university might still accept these tests to admit you to the university, but if you require a Tier 4 visa to enter the UK and begin your degree programme, these tests will not be sufficient to obtain your Visa. The IELTS test is most widely accepted by universities and is also accepted for Tier 4 visas to the UK- learn more.

NHS Bursaries:NHSBSA have now confirmed that a limited number of bursaries will still be available to eligible 'home' students starting on the social work programme in the 2013 academic year for the MA Social Work (over both 1st and 2nd years). For the latest information regarding the NHSBSA bursary, please go to .

You can download a copy of the Reforming social work bursary information packand a copy of the Reforming the Social Work Bursary consultation outcome from the Department of Health website

Scholarships may be available.

For further information contact the Department directly or contact the Student Funding Office via the online enquiries system at