Social Work

Advertisement

The MA in Social Work is a professional qualification in social work. At the same time as working for your Masters degree you will be training as a social worker, gaining the knowledge and skills needed for effective professional practice. You will be able to apply to the General Social Care Council (the professional body for social work) for registration as a social worker.

The programme aims to train reflective practitioners who work in an anti-oppressive way and are able to help people appropriately. As well as requiring completion of practice-based and academic learning to a satisfactory standard, the MA award will include the successful completion of a 16,000 word dissertation.

The programme has a strong focus on practice and learning from practice. The programme is delivered by a partnership between the University and a number of agencies in the region which provide practice learning opportunities in a wide variety of settings, with a range of service user groups and approaches. 200 days of practice learning are spent in at least two different settings over the two years. Practice learning will provide students with opportunities to develop skills in assessment, planning, intervention and review, and also in partnership working across professional disciplines and agencies.

The programme is designed so that students' academic learning supports and is integrated with their practice learning. The programme provides opportunities for students to acquire theoretical and research-based knowledge relevant to practice, an understanding of models for practice, knowledge of the law, and skills in communication. Essential areas of knowledge covered will include: human growth and development, mental health, and disability. Teaching staff draw extensively on practice and on evidence-based research, and service users, practitioners and managers are all involved in the delivery of teaching. The programme involves students in a range of learning and teaching environments, including tutorials, small groups, and lectures. During the first year of the programme, core enquiry groups of around ten students facilitate the integration of learning from a range of different fields.

The system for written work ensures that students make use of experiences encountered in practice so that academic performance does not become detached from practice. There is a substantial choice of topics within the general guidelines of balancing range and diversity with special interests. Both written work and practice are evaluated. Final assessment of a student's fitness to practice is made by professional educators and qualified and experienced social workers, taking into account the views of service users.

We encourage applications from all sections of the community and welcome applications from black and ethnic minority groups, individuals returning to work after acting as carers, and disabled people.