Social Work MSc

Our Social Work MSc course is professionally accredited by the Health and Care Professions Council(HCPC). Once you’ve successfully completed the course and become a registered social worker with the HCPC, you’ll also be eligible for membership of the British Association of Social Workers.

Your career will benefit from our course with its history rooted in the principles of equality and social justice. It covers a wide range of social work subjects, helping you to become a reflective and resilient practitioner who can work in a variety of settings. This may include working with children, families, older people or individuals with mental health problems or learning disabilities.

In the most recent Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) survey, 96% of all 2017 graduates from this course were in work or further study within six months.

More about this course

The focus of this professionally-accredited programme is to develop your practical skills for future use in the working environment. These skills are based upon up-to-date research, theories, policies and legislation.

Key areas of study

You’ll develop knowledge of subjects including:

• application of the law
• assessment and planning
• human growth and development
• research evaluation
• safeguarding vulnerable adults and children
• social work theory

Importantly, we'll ensure you’ll understand how to apply the academic knowledge, skills and theory to real-world social work.

In the final year, you’ll write a dissertation on a topic of your choice. This is achieved through your own independent study. You'll be free to combine research and evidence, current policy, practice and theoretical perspectives.

Teaching staff

You will be taught by a team of senior lecturers who are registered as social workers. Alongside our senior lecturers, we invite service users, carers and practising social workers to contribute to your learning.

You’ll be encouraged to interact with this dynamic mix of teachers. We welcome your questions and contribution of ideas and experiences to classroom debates.

Placement

In year one, you'll undertake supervised practice within two different placement settings for a duration of 70 days, and 100 days in year two. To prepare you for these placements, you will undertake 20 days of skills training prior to placement and a further 10 throughout the remainder of your course.

Postgraduate Diploma option

If you successfully complete all modules but not the dissertation module, you can be awarded our Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work. This option will also allow you to register with the Health and Care Professions Council.

Expertise in social care

As the 2017/18 "preferred provider" of The North East London commissioning panel, we've been commissioned to train existing social workers as Practice Educators to supervise students while on placement.

A key role of Practice Educators is to support your development of practical skills. This will make you more effective in a diverse range of social work settings.

Assessment

You'll be assessed through a variety of methods including essays, presentations, video and project work, examinations and a work-based practice assessment.

Professional accreditation

The Social Work MSc is accredited by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). You must successfully complete and pass all your assessments to meet the Standards of Proficiency as defined by the HCPC. This will then allow you to register as a social worker with the organisation.

The course is also compliant with the Professional Capabilities Framework as defined by the British Association of Social Workers (BASW). Once registered with the HCPC, you’ll be eligible to join BASW which will further boost your employability.

Modular structure

The modules listed below are for the academic year 2018/19 and represent the course modules at this time. Modules and module details (including, but not limited to, location and time) are subject to change over time.

Year 1 modules include:

• Assessment Planning and Professional Ethics (core, 10 credits)
• Communication, Skills and Values in Social Work (core, 10 credits)
• Critical Aspects of Human Growth and Development (core, 10 credits)
• Practice Learning 1 (core, 20 credits)
• Professional Law for Social Work (core, 10 credits)
• Safeguarding Children and Adults (core, 10 credits)
• Social Work Theories and Perspectives (core, 10 credits)

Year 2 modules include:

• Effective Social Work Practice with Children and Adults (core, 10 credits)
• Evaluating Research (core, 10 credits)
• Practice Learning 2 (core, 20 credits)
• Social Work Dissertation (core, 60 credits)

After the course

You will be qualified to practise social work (subject to the requirements of registration with the Health and Care Professions Council) and be eligible to become a member of the British Association of Social Workers. This is of major importance to your career as a social worker.

Because of the diverse topics taught on this course, you'll have the benefit of being able to work in multiple fields of social work.

Our graduates have taken up posts in a variety of settings and care groups. These include working with children and families, mental health settings, working with older people and supporting those with learning disabilities.

Additional costs

Please note, in addition to the tuition fee there may be additional costs for things like equipment, materials, printing, textbooks, trips or professional body fees.

Additionally, there may be other activities that are not formally part of your course and not required to complete your course, but which you may find helpful (for example, optional field trips). The costs of these are additional to your tuition fee and the fees set out above and will be notified when the activity is being arranged.

How to apply

Use the apply button to begin your application.

When to apply

You are advised to apply as early as possible as applications will only be considered if there are places available on the course.

Visit the Social Work MSc page on the London Metropolitan University website for more details!