Social Work MA

Summary

This programme enables those with a BA degree to obtain the new professional qualification in Social Work, as well as a Masters degree.  

Key facts

Type of Course: Taught, continuing professional development

Duration: 2 years full-time

Start date: September 2012

Entry requirements

The minimum entry requirement is an upper second-class (2.1) degree or higher 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). We also require GCSE Mathematics and English at grade C or an equivalent level two numeracy and literacy qualification. For further information please contact:

Social Work Admissions Officer
Kate Ward
Tel: +44(0)121 414 6467
Email: k.a.ward@bham.ac.uk|

Social Work Manager
Wendy Banner
Tel: +44(0)121 414 5719
Email: w.banner@bham.ac.uk

Please note: The closing date for applications for the MA Social Work is 15 January 2012.

Learn more about entry requirements

International students
We accept a range of qualifications from different countries – learn more about international entry requirements 

Standard English language requirements apply

Contact details

Social Work Admissions Officer
Kate Ward
Tel: +44 (0)121 414 6467
Email: k.a.ward@bham.ac.uk

Social Work Manager
Wendy Banner
Tel: +44 (0)121 414 5719
Email: w.banner@bham.ac.uk

Admissions Tutor
Dawn River 
Tel: +44(0)121 414 2936
Email: d.h.river@bham.ac.uk

How to apply

Applicants for this programme should apply via the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) and not via the University. Please apply online at www.ucas.ac.uk/apply or request an application form from UCAS (Tel: +44 (0)870 1122200 or email: app.req@ucas.ac.uk). The UCAS code for this programme is L502.

For further information on how to apply, please contact Kate Ward, k.a.ward@bham.ac.uk, +44(0)121 414 6467.

Fees and funding

Fees for 2012-2013: Home and EU (full time): £4,060

Standard fees apply.

NHS Bursaries:
It has been confirmed that the NHS Social Work Bursary will still be available to 'home' students starting in the 2012/13 academic year for the MA Qualifying Social Work programme. These bursaries are not available to students from Northern or Southern Ireland, Scotland or Wales or those classified as 'overseas'. Please go to www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/students for further information.

Learn more about fees and funding

Scholarships may be available.

For further information contact the Department directly or email financialsupport@bham.ac.uk

Programme overview

This programme enables those with a BA degree in the social sciences 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 170 days of practice over the two years of the programme.

Related links

Institute of Applied Social Studies website: www.iass.bham.ac.uk  

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Why study Social Work MA at Birmingham?

"This is a time of unprecedented uncertainty and change in social work.  However, as the structure and organisation of services are in flux, the essential qualities of social workers do not change - the ability to listen to people, to advocate on behalf of others and to see people in the context of their whole lives." (Cree, V and Davis, A 2007)

The University of Birmingham has been providing social work education since 1908 and recently celebrated 100 years of social work education (pdf; 1.87KB; opens in new window).  As the oldest running social work education programme in the country, we are proud of our history and we are committed to continuing our work to raise professional social work standards and promote good practice.

The Institute has developed a reputation for delivering high quality teaching and learning which enables students to become critically reflective, research informed practitioners.

Service user and carer involvement

Service users, carers and practitioners work alongside academics to create a dynamic environment, both within the department and during supervised practice.  The department values highly the contribution service user and carer colleagues make, and feedback from students confirms just how important the user perspective is in helping them to develop greater insight into the role social work can play in people's lives.

Involving service users and carers in all aspects of admissions and the development and delivery of our social work qualifying programmes is a priority for us.  We believe it offers students the opportunity to have a thorough grounding in service users' and carers' experiences and expectations from the very start of their social work training.

Practice placements

Due to its location and strong links with partner placement agencies, the University of Birmingham is able to provide a wide range of practice opportunities within statutory, voluntary and independent social care settings.  The social work department is also fortunate to have a range of exciting new small student units and innovative practice projects and we regularly receive excellent feedback from students about these.  The learning gained from these placements support and build on the learning taking place at the university. 

Teaching and Learning

Blended learning approach to teaching and assessment

On both the BA and MA programmes, students learn about professional social work practice and develop their knowledge and skills through a teaching programme that promotes a variety of learning methods.  These methods include: lectures; group work; case studies; skills development through role play and video; joint work with service user and carer colleagues; reading and research; interactive web-based study; other self-directed development and learning.

You can see an online study skills module at www.skills4uni.bham.ac.uk.

Assessment is through written assignments; group presentations; video assessments; examinations; portfolios; and research projects.

Innovation in learning and teaching at Birmingham

Transcript of video (PDF)

The above video, Child Protection Blended Learning, demonstrates one of the innovative approaches used at the University of Birmingham to teach social work students.  It explores an enquiry-based learning approach to teaching child protection processes. Whilst at University not all social work students will experience a child protection learning opportunity. Using a mixture of face-to-face teaching, technology-supported on-line enquiry-based activities and role play, students explain how they were able to develop the planning, recording, assessing and communication skills required to respond to a child protection referral.

The video demonstrates the commitment of social work academics at Birmingham to remain at the cutting edge of innovation in learning and teaching in social work education.

Employability

This programme leads to an MA in Social Work with the Professional Qualification in Social Work approved by the General Social Care Council (GSCC).  This is the qualification required to practice as a professional social worker.  As well as equipping you with a professional qualification, gaining the MA allows you to progress on to post qualifying courses or to apply to continue with your academic studies at PhD level.

On successful completion of the MA Social Work, students are equipped to work in a wide range of areas.  They have high employability and do not require any further qualifications in order to become a professional social worker.  The specialist options built in to the Masters allows students to direct their knowledge and expertise to the area they would like to work in once they have completed, giving them a competitive advantage in the jobs market.

MA Social Work is one of the few Masters level courses that not only provides you with an academic qualification, but also a professional recognition that you are ready to pursue a career in social work.

 

Developing social work skills for employment

Effective communication skills are vitally important and employers expect Universities to teach these to social work students in preparation for their future professional roles. The following film demonstrates how, using an enquiry-based learning design, students at Birmingham are provided with a broad range of learning and teaching approaches to develop their knowledge around their discipline as well as learning team working, problem solving and critical thinking skills in a safe environment. What this distinctive approach also demonstrates is the commitment Birmingham has to ensure that social work students are as well prepared as possible for the reality of a 21st Century work environment.

Film transcript (PDF)

Course Structure

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 electives offer students the opportunity to focus on a particular area 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.

Year 1

social work students groupwork

In the first year of the degree you will have the opportunity to develop core academic skills and explore the key strands of social justice and inclusion; research-mindedness and evidence-based learning and practice and; respectful, helpful, critical practice.  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 70 day placement for professional practice learning.

We work in partnership with Birmingham City Council, who provide the majority of the placements, as well as with neighbouring local authorities and a range of voluntary and private sector organisations.  The placements on offer are challenging and also very rewarding.  You may work in areas such as:

  • Child and adolescent mental health
  • Domestic violence
  • Refugee and asylum
  • Housing and welfare
  • HIV and Aids
  • Child Protection
  • Disabilities
  • Substance misuse

In addition to your practice placement you will participate in a practice based reflection module designed to help you apply the values, knowledge and skills acquired to the practice setting and in your work with a specific service user group.  You will also undertake a module in Social Justice and Inclusion, and will follow a strand of teaching entitled:  Respect, Integrity, Critical Perspectives and Helpfulness in Social Work Practice (RICH).

Year 2

social work tutorial

In Year 2 you will undertake a further 100 days of professional practice learning which, in line with GSCC 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 during the Professional Practice Reflection module.  Following on from this, the RICH strand of teaching will concentrate on cross-cutting issues for practice around risk and protection, whole-family approaches, collaborative working, and strengths based approaches.  You may then select one elective from a range focusing on areas such as:

  • Youth justice
  • Substance abuse
  • Domestic violence
  • Learning disabilities

The final module concentrates on research methods and skills and prepares you to 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.