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Doctor of Social Work

Start date
September. Other start dates can be negotiated.
Duration
3 years full time or 6 years part time
Course Type
Postgraduate, Combined research and taught, Continuing professional development
Fees

For 2024-2025
Full time £4,778 (UK)
Part time £2,389 (UK)
Full time £21,360 (International)

Learn more about fees and funding

The Doctor of Social Work is designed for social workers and for those wanting to undertake a professional doctorate in the field of Social Work and Social Care.

The Doctor of Social work is a professional doctorate for both UK based as well as International (EU and wider Overseas) students. Its purpose is to enable those working in professional contexts to make a difference by carrying out applied or action-orientated research in a variety of areas. It also facilitates organisational input on agreed research areas and can enhance organisational research capacity.

The Doctor of Social Work is designed for those who are involved in aspects of social work, social policy and practice in a wide range of settings, including government, voluntary organisations, community-based projects, management, education, social care, health care, probation and user groups, as paid workers or volunteers.

It aims to develop critical reflection within participants' policy, practice and organisational contexts, enhance applied social research skills, and develop ability to carry out and apply original research. 

The programme comprises research training, work orientated assignments and a 50,000-word thesis demonstrating original work.

More specifically, Doctor of Social work students undertake the following:

a.      Four taught modules

    • Introduction to Social Science Research 
    • Research Design
    • Social Research Methods (I)
    • Social Research Methods (II)

b.      Optional modules to the value of 40 credits selected from available advanced research training modules or other postgraduate modules

c.       Either

    • A Development and Evaluation project and
    • Researching Professional Practice (taught module)

Or

  • Dissertation (10,000 words)

d.      Thesis (50,000 words).

Fees

Fees 2024 - 2025

UK*

Code 432A: (full time) £4,778 
Code 433A: (part time) £2,389 

International

Code 432A: (full time) £21,360 (International students)

* UK fees to be confirmed in spring 2024.

Find out more about fees

Scholarships and Studentships

We offer a variety of funding options to support you in your postgraduate studies. Explore our database to find a scholarship or funding opportunity that's right for you.

How To Apply

When clicking on the Apply Now button you will be directed to an application specifically designed for the programme you wish to apply for where you will create an account with the University application system and submit your application and supporting documents online. Further information regarding how to apply online can be found on the How to apply pages

Apply now

Our Standard Requirements

Normally a first-class or upper second-class Honours degree in social work or a relevant social science, or the successful completion of an appropriate postgraduate programme is required.

Doctor of Social Work applicants would usually also have a relevant professional qualification and experience.

Potential for research generally also needs to be indicated.

International Requirements


Our academic staff have wide research interests and these are detailed below. Joint supervision is generally standard, and we can provide this with other departments/Schools.

  • Black service users' views of mental health services; re-ablement and community services for older people; mental health legislation; the contribution of social theory to the understanding of mental stress; risk assessment in mental health; the role of masculinity in shaping men's experience of mental distress and our responses to it; service user participation; evaluation of health and social care responses to mental health and old age
    Contact: Ric Bowl
    Tel: +44(0)121 414 6688
    Email: r.e.e.bowl@bham.ac.uk

  • Comparative international analysis of social work policy and practice in relation to aspects such as age, gender, mental health, disability and communities
    Contact: Professor Barbara Fawcett
    Tel: +44(0)121 414 5730
    Email: b.fawcett@bham.ac.uk

  • Race and gender; Asian women within the family and wider society; service provision within areas of disability and sexuality
    Contact: Dr Surinder Guru
    Tel: +44(0)121 415 8481
    Email: s.guru@bham.ac.uk

  • Social work with older people; community care policy and practice; adult service users' experiences of social work and social care services; enhancing service users' quality of life and mental well-being; service user involvement
    Contact: Dr Denise Tanner
    Tel: +44(0)121 414 2941
    Email: d.l.tanner@bham.ac.uk

  • Mental health, recovery and social inclusion; whole family approaches; wellbeing and resilience; personalisation and self-directed support; identity issues; social theory and social models of mental distress; service user and carer participation; social work and interdisciplinary working
    Contact: Dr Jerry Tew
    Tel: +44(0)121 414 3640
    Email: j.j.c.tew@bham.ac.uk

  • Gender; sexuality and sexual orientation; services for people with learning difficulties; relationships of care; narrative methods; social work ethics and values; adult social care; social inclusion; diversity and equality
    Contact: Dr Nicki Ward
    Tel: +44(0)121 414 5713
    Email: n.j.ward@bham.ac.uk

  • Impact of social media on social work education and practice; using digital technologies in social work education/practice; social work and online communities of practice;  using 360-degree video in professional education and practice; solution-focused approaches in social work practice; social work and child protection practices.
    Contact: Dr. Tarsem Singh Cooner
    Tel:+44 121 414 8184
    Email: t.s.cooner@bham.ac.uk

  • Social work and child protection; domestic abuse; fatherhood, masculinities and men's lives; mobile research methods; ethnography; the social science of social work.
    Contact: Professor Harry Ferguson
    Tel:+44 121 415 8653
    Email: h.ferguson.3@bham.ac.uk

  • Mental health, including the role of the Approved Mental Health Professional; motherhood, stigma, child protection and social futures; qualitative methodologies, including ethnomethodology, and visual, sensory and arts-based approaches.
    Contact: Lisa Morris
    Tel: +44 121 415 8031
    Email: l.morriss@bham.ac.uk

  • Sexuality, specifically LGBT; young people and professionals’ engagement with them; gender, particularly men and masculinities; children and families, specifically inter-agency working.
    Contact: Jason Schaub
    Tel:+44 121 414 5732
    Email: j.schaub@bham.ac.uk

The Department of Social Work and Social Care is an internationally leading centre for research in social work. The department is part of the School of Social Policy, which is located in the Muirhead Tower - a sophisticated, hi-tech learning environment. There are nine libraries supporting your learning through access to one of the biggest research library facilities in the UK. Open access computing facilities are widely available across campus.

Assessment Methods

The programme comprises research training, work orientated assignments and a 50,000 word thesis demonstrating original work.

The skills you will gain from studying in the School are highly sought after in most jobs or professions, as you will develop analytical skills and the ability to gather, assess and interpret data, all of which require clear and logical thinking.

Birmingham’s School of Social Policy postgraduates enter a wide range of occupational sectors: the majority in the public sector in areas such as youth work but others including events, sales, administration and education. Graduates also opt to continue in academia.

What type of career assistance is available to doctoral researchers in this department?

The College of Social Sciences, to which the School of Social Policy belongs, has specially designated careers advisors and careers consultants who can provide guidance for doctoral researchers on career paths, CVs, training opportunities, application and interviews. The University’s central Careers’ Service also runs workshops and offers personally tailored advice and guidance including 1-1 careers advice, 1-1 CV advice. The Career’s Service also runs CV writing workshops especially for postgraduates in the College of Social Sciences, giving advice on how to compile CVs for both employment and for academic roles.

The University also has dedicated careers advisors for International students who run workshops and networking opportunities with potential employers. These are especially popular with International postgraduate researchers.