MA Social Work

Introduction

Our full time Masters degree is designed for graduates with at least six months’ relevant work experience, who want to qualify as professional Social Workers. Offered in Cambridge or Chelmsford, this two-year MA Social Work is approved by Social Work England, so when you graduate, you’ll be eligible for professional registration. Typically, in your first year you’ll have three days of lectures a week on campus, with the rest of your time spent in independent study or on placement. In the second year, you’ll have one day on campus, with 3-4 days per week on placement.

It’s likely that you’ll have to travel as part of your placement, so you’ll need your own transport to visit service users in the community, where public transport may not be available. From communication skills to legal duties, professional decision-making to an understanding of socio-economic factors, our MA Social Work will equip you fully for the challenges you’ll likely face in social work.

How you'll be assessed

Assessments will mirror real world situations guiding you to be open to and welcoming of feedback and learning how to give feedback in a way that is supportive and helpful. Case scenarios will be used to expose you to real life practice examples and simulate knowledge and skills required for the job during placements and once qualified. Assessments will foster literacy and use learning outcomes and criteria to guide preparation and self-assessment/evaluation of work.

Careers

On completion of this Masters degree you’ll be eligible to register with Social Work England as a qualified Social Worker. You’ll be equipped to build a career in various branches of professional social work, including children’s or adult services, mental health services, youth offending, residential social care and providing advocacy and support for vulnerable groups. You’ll have developed a wide range of academic, practical and reflective skills that will allow you to move into your chosen career and embark on your Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE). Social Workers are in demand in the statutory, private, voluntary and independent sectors. Although focussed on the education of future social work professionals, the degrees equip graduates with a range of transferable knowledge and skills.

Students need a first degree with honours at a minimum final classification of Upper Second (2:1). They also need 3 GCSEs at grade C, or grade 4, or above, including English and Maths.