Social Work MA

Our fast track MA with bursaries

Do you want to change lives? We need people who want to make a difference to society and our MA programme offers a “fast track” programme to professional registration as a social worker with 14 bursaries available and excellent employment opportunities on completion. It’s an exciting opportunity for graduates with some experience and knowledge of social care to enter a challenging and rewarding profession that contributes to the well-being of society.

Innovative, immersive learning

Our Social work team comprises active practitioners, innovative academics and experienced professionals to create a rich and challenging degree experience. Our smaller tutor groups enable our students to have a more engaged and immersive theoretical learning relationship to create perceptive, insightful and incisive professionals.

Respected graduates, excellent employability

This respected programme has strong partnership links to the statutory, private, voluntary and independent sectors, and our graduates are highly sought after in the employment market. During the programme, you'll have excellent placement opportunities across a range of providers. Practice and theory have equal value on the programme, and they inform and develop each other.

Bursaries and funding
We currently have 14 bursaries available for students. Bursaries are available for both years of the programme.

MA Social Work students are eligible for postgraduate student loans and can obtain up to £10,280 as a contribution for the whole course if they do not receive bursary. Learn more.

Guaranteed placements

Our students are guaranteed placements within the Leeds and Wakefield local authorities and we work closely with social workers in the two authorities who play a key role in helping to teach and support our students and often provide employment routes for our graduates.

Accreditation

Graduates of this HCPC-approved programme are eligible to apply for registration as a social worker on the HCPC Register.

You’ll study the law and social work with children, families and adults. You’ll learn about research methods and complete a dissertation. You’ll also be required to undertake 170 days of placement in a social work setting, supported by practice teachers and assessors.

Leeds and Wakefield Social Work Teaching Partnership

The University is part of a Teaching Partnership with Leeds and Wakefield local authorities. Teaching Partnerships have been created with government funding to ensure universities and employers work closely together. We work closely with social workers in the two authorities who play a big part in helping to teach and support our students.

Small cohort sizes

This programme accepts a small number of students in each year group and the social work team is committed to providing a stimulating, supportive and challenging environment for study.

In year one you will study social work law, professional practice, social work with children & families and social work with adults; you will also complete a research module. You will complete 20 days of skills development between February and May and a 70 day placement from July to December of your first year.

In year two you will broaden your understanding of social work law. You will continue to develop your understanding of social work practice and you will complete a dissertation on a subject of your choice related to social work practice.

Vibrant placements

From June to December you will complete 170 days in practice placement across two years in a variety of vibrant settings in areas such as assessment and child protection, community mental health teams, children with complex needs, adult intake teams and early help assessment teams. At the end of the programme students will be able to demonstrate a thorough understanding of the role of social workers and the contexts in which they practice.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the disruption this has caused placement arrangements may be subject to change.

Course structure

The list shown below represents typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our Terms and conditions.

For more information and a full list of typical modules available on this course, please read Social Work MA in the course catalogue

Modules

Year 1

Year 2

Learning and teaching

The social work programme is designed to allow you to study as an adult learner. The programme’s methods of study and training are highly participative, with a combination of tutor-led input and support, learning through group work and discussion, and individual exercises and practice. There is a strong emphasis on developing as a critically reflective practitioner. Service users and carers along with experienced current practitioners take a full part in the teaching and learning on the programme. You’ll have access to modern University and School of Healthcare facilities.

On this course you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.

Assessment

The course is assessed through a combination of essay, exam, practice portfolio and dissertation. The workload of assessment is carefully spread throughout the programme.

Entry requirements

A bachelor degree with a 2:1 (hons) in a social care related subject, where social sciences form a significant element of the curriculum.

GCSE Maths and English grade C or above or equivalent.

Applicants must provide:

• certificated evidence of qualifications
• evidence of recent study normally within the last five years
• evidence of significant social care experience, usually a minimum of 500 hours equivalent. This could include experience as a carer.
• two satisfactory references, one of which must be an academic reference, one offering commentary on social care experience/aptitude.

In accordance with Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) requirements:

• All applicants for social work training must demonstrate that they have a satisfactory standard of health. Applicants who are conditionally offered a place on the course are required to obtain a satisfactory health check either through the School's Occupational Health Unit.
• All candidates are subject to Declaration and Barring Service (DBS) checks. Candidates must fill in a self-declaration and apply at entry for an enhanced DBS disclosure. Social Work as a protected profession is exempted from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. This means that all cautions, convictions, spent or unspent, including motoring offences, covering the applicant’s entire lifetime must be included on the self-declaration. Continuation on the course is subject to a satisfactory DBS check.

English language requirements

IELTS 7.0 overall, with no less than 6.5 in any component. For other English qualifications, read English language equivalent qualifications.

Improve your English

International students who do not meet the English language requirements for this programme may be able to study our postgraduate pre-sessional English course, to help improve your English language level.

This pre-sessional course is designed with a progression route to your degree programme and you’ll learn academic English in the context of your subject area. To find out more, read Language for Science (6 weeks) and Language for Science: General Science (10 weeks). 

If you need to study for longer than 10 weeks, read more about our postgraduate pre-sessional English course.

How to apply

Application deadline

The application deadline for January 2022 entry is 1 December 2021

Find out more about how to apply.

Apply

Selection principles

Applicants will be selected on an individual basis by interview and written exercise.

This programme is not open to international students as it does not meet the student visa requirement.

Admissions policy

School of Healthcare Postgraduate Admissions Policy 2021

Fees

• UK: £15,000 (total)
• International: £39,750 (total)

Read more about paying fees and charges.

Brexit 
Visit our Brexit page for the latest information on the effect of the UK's exit from the EU on current students and applicants to the University.

Additional cost information

You may have some travel costs whilst on placement, though we encourage agencies to minimise these and some cover this cost. There are travel awards for expenses to and from placement for all those eligible who apply for a bursary, including those who do not receive a full bursary.

There may be additional costs related to your course or programme of study, or related to being a student at the University of Leeds. Read more about additional costs

Scholarships and financial support

If you have the talent and drive, we want you to be able to study with us, whatever your financial circumstances. There may be help for students in the form of loans and non-repayable grants from the University and from the government.  Find out more at Masters funding overview.

NHS bursaries

We currently have 14 bursaries available for students. Bursaries are available for both years of the programme. Please scroll down for bursary information.

Since 2013 the numbers of Social Work bursaries at each university have been capped nationally for each individual social work programme.

• Basic grant of £3,362.50
• Maintenance grant worth £2,751 (if eligible)
• Payment of tuition fees up to £4,052 (when studying full-time).
  Please check the NHS site for the latest figures

Students are ranked according to their performance at admissions interview. This ranking will be sent to NHS Bursaries and the final decision on eligibility for bursaries remains with NHS Bursaries.

In addition, the current position is that all students must apply for a bursary in order to be eligible for a contribution towards their travel expenses while on placement in years 1 and 2.

Please consult the NHS Bursary website for the up-to-date position.

Postgraduate Student loans

Students enrolling on the MA are eligible for a Postgraduate Student loan. Students who have applied for a PG loan do not have to pay 50% fees up front at registration but are able to pay their fees in three instalments over the academic year to match loan payments. Full details on how to apply for a Postgraduate Student loan can be found here.

MA Social Work students are eligible for postgraduate student loans and can obtain up to £10,280 as a contribution for the whole course if they did not receive a Social Work bursary.

Our graduates go on to work in a wide range of posts in children and families and adult work in the statutory and non-statutory sectors, locally and throughout the country. We have a very high success rate in students finding employment.

Careers support

We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That’s one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.

The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more at the Careers website.

You will undertake a 70- day placement from July to November in the first year of studies.

In the second year you will complete a 100- day practice placement in a setting with statutory work experience.