Social Work MA

This course is in clearing

Overview

Course options

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MA

UCAS code: L512

Social Work MA, home applicant, full time

  • Home Applicant
  • Full time, 2 years
  • Pound 9120 per year

Social Work MA, international applicant, full time

  • International Applicant
  • Full time, 2 years
  • Pound 16560 per year

What makes this course different

In partnership with the NHS

This is the only social work master's course in the country that is run in conjunction with an NHS trust. The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust is internationally renowned in the field of systemic and psychodynamic approaches to training social workers.

Experienced and diverse staff

The staff team across both institutions is experienced and diverse. You are taught by practitioners and academics who are up-to-date in the field, research active and close to practice.

Social Work England validated

You will graduate with a master's degree which allows you to register as a social worker with the Social Work England.

Course modules

NOTE: Modules are subject to change. For those studying part time courses the modules may vary.

Download course specification

What we're researching

Our Centre for Social Work Research (CSWR) generates knowledge in social work thinking and methods. It also helps and encourages more social workers to become involved in research to improve shared knowledge.

Our founding goal is to shed light on underlying processes in practice and policy-making. We also work to strengthen the evidence base for 'relationship-based social work'. This places the client-practitioner relationship at the heart of practice.

Current research themes include racial equity and career progression in social work, safeguarding and child protection, social work and education as well as the transformation of welfare in the UK.

Paul Adams, Course Leader of the Youth and Community Work MA, is involved with a number of youth work organisations, including national government working groups. He's also a trustee of Y Care International - an international relief and development agency working in partnership with YMCAs throughout the world to help them respond better to the needs of the most disadvantaged young people.

Your future career

We are the principal social work training provider in east London. Choose this course and you will have a head start when it comes to finding a job in social work in the area.
The MA Social Work has been developed in collaboration with local employers so it reflects the priorities and needs of contemporary social work practice in east London. Local employers trust the training given to our graduates and regularly employ them once qualified.

Career options

There are good employment opportunities in social work in London, often in children and family contexts but also in other service groups and in a variety of settings - voluntary and statutory, for example.

After gaining a professional and academic qualification in social work at the postgraduate level, you are required to continue your professional development as part of your professional registration.

This will firstly be through the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment and may also be through further post-qualifying awards in specialist areas of social work at the University of East London and the Tavistock.

Explore the different career options you can pursue with this degree and see the median salaries of the sector on our Career Coach portal.

Social Sciences Students
Social work at UEL is unique because it draws heavily on psychoanalytic concepts that allow you to understand issues not just on the surface, but also to see beneath the surface."
Muibat Alli

MA Social Work

How we support your career ambitions

We offer dedicated careers support, and further opportunities to thrive, such as volunteering and industry networking. Our courses are created in collaboration with employers and industry to ensure they accurately reflect the real-life practices of your future career and provide you with the essential skills needed. You can focus on building interpersonal skills through group work and benefit from our investment in the latest cutting-edge technologies and facilities.

Career Zone

Our dedicated and award-winning team provide you with careers and employability resources, including:

  • Online jobs board for internships, placements, graduate opportunities, flexible part-time work.
  • Mentoring programmes for insight with industry experts 
  • 1-2-1 career coaching services 
  • Careers workshops and employer events 
  • Learning pathways to gain new skills and industry insight

Mental Wealth programme

Our Professional Fitness and Mental Wealth programme which issues you with a Careers Passport to track the skills you’ve mastered. Some of these are externally validated by corporations like Amazon and Microsoft.

Our Mental Wealth programme

We are careers first

Our teaching methods and geographical location put us right up top

  • Enterprise and entrepreneurship support 
  • We are ranked 6th for graduate start-ups 
  • Networking and visits to leading organisations 
  • Support in starting a new business, freelancing and self-employment 
  • London on our doorstep

How you'll learn

We offer a wide range of teaching styles, from lectures to seminars, tutorials to workshops.

Placement

The child observation and practice placement in Year 1 is supported by a small group reflective seminar. This work discussion continues throughout Year 2 and is an approach to learning from experience that is unique to this course.

Your initial preparation for practice includes five days of shadowing a social worker.

In preparation for practice, we also offer you the exciting opportunity to work with a group of actors from a theatre company in role-play social work scenarios.

The actors are given a brief and you will interview them or produce a case study. You are given feedback on your performance from a tutor, from someone who has used social work services and from practitioners.

How you'll be assessed

We use a range of assessment approaches. These include case studies, a formative service user interview, essays, online tests, group presentations, practice placement portfolios and a dissertation.

Campus and facilities

Docklands Campus, London, E16 2RD

Who teaches this course

This course is delivered by the School of Childhood and Social Care.

The teaching team includes qualified academics, practitioners and industry experts as guest speakers. Full details of the academics will be provided in the student handbook and module guides.