MA Social Work

The fees quoted will be fully inclusive for the course tuition and administration costs during your studies.

All fees will be subject to yearly review. For information visit postgraduate fees . Always contact the department if you are unsure which fee applies to your qualification.

Self-funded international applicants for this course will be required to pay a deposit of £1,000 towards their tuition fees before a confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) is issued. This deposit will only be refunded if immigration permission is refused. We will notify you about how and when to make this payment.

Travel costs for placements during the programme across Greater Manchester and the wider north west region can be expensive and should be included in your cost calculations. The Transport for Greater Manchester website can help you estimate costs to different sites.

Placement transport costs are normally covered via NHS bursaries and students not eligible to claim bursaries are usually able to claim placement travel costs.

UK government funded bursaries and loans

The UK government usually provides a number of bursaries to postgraduate Social Work students on an MA. These are primarily for home students and will be for both years of study, administered by the NHS Business Service Authority

Should students be in receipt of a bursary they will, at the point of registration, be expected to pay to the University any difference between tuition fees and the bursary contribution. Applicants should apply for a bursary when they accept our offer of a place on the course.

Postgraduate students who do not receive NHS bursaries may be entitled to apply for a Postgraduate Master's Loan .

For the latest scholarship and bursary information please visit the fees and funding page.  

We normally require you to have an Upper Second class honours degree or above. This can be in any subject area. Relevant employment and/or personal experience within a health or social care setting is highly desirable.

If you have a Lower Second classification degree, your application will be considered on a case-by-case basis depending on your experience.

You must also have GCSE English grade C/4 by the start of the course.

We do not accept other Level 2 qualifications as equivalent to GCSE English (eg Functional Skills) and will only consider specific international qualifications as equivalents.

International students must demonstrate English proficiency through a secure and approved testing system.

We ask for English language proof if you are from non-majority English speaking countries (a list of majority English speaking countries, as defined by the UK Home Office, can be found at Gov.uk ).

Specifically, we require a minimum of:

• IELTS overall score of 7 or above with no element below 6.5, or
• TOEFL minimum of 600 (paper-based); 250 (computer-based); 100 (internet-based), or
• GCSE English grade C (a Grade 4 in the newly reformed GCSEs in England) or above, or
• evidence of equivalent learning that is accepted by the University.

See further information about requirements for your country .

Some English Language test results are only valid for two years. Your English Language test report must be valid on the start date of the course.

We require relevant work experience in a voluntary or employed capacity.

This might include work with social welfare and community groups, children or young people, people of later life, people with a disability, or those experiencing mental health problems.

It may also include working in fields such as domestic abuse, sexual abuse, counselling or citizen's advice, family support and befriending.

Your experience may also be in residential, hospice or supported living, youth work, nursing, working as a carer, working on help lines, among other areas.

The MA course will enable you to meet Social Work England's Professional Standards by the time you graduate. Your potential to meet the Professional Standards, therefore, will be considered as a key element in our recruitment processes. In your application form and during your interview you will be expected to have some understanding of the role of a contemporary social worker alongside what may be expected of you in professional settings. We will also explore your potential to meet the core values of the profession and your ability to treat people with dignity and respect.

You will be expected to be aware of the importance of working effectively across diverse communities and of promoting social justice.

In addition to our academic and work experience entry requirements, the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) is used to assess personal statements and guide the selection process.

The PCF was developed by the Social Work Reform Board. It provides a framework for continuing professional development within the social work profession.

There are nine inter-related domains within the PCF which, viewed holistically, help us to understand the social work role. Social work is a complex activity that cannot be properly understood by viewing its contributory elements in isolation from each other.  

For more information, please read the Professional Capabilities Framework criteria.

Personal statements, submitted as part of your UCAS application, should demonstrate some understanding about social work practice today, detailing your pre-course experience, and that you have the potential to meet the Professional Standards as set out by Social Work England. Your application is the first part of the process to becoming a social worker, which will lead to extensive current and ongoing training.

If you are shortlisted, you will be invited for interview before any decision on an offer is made. 

The interview days normally run between December and July each year. Interviews take place online where you will be interviewed by a member of staff and other stakeholders within the programme.

The interview process consists of an online interview. Full information about the interview and written test will be provided if you are shortlisted.

Please note that employers/practitioners, and people with lived experience of sociel work are involved in the assessment of candidates.

Before enrolling on the course you will need to demonstrate that you have basic IT skills (eg the ability to use word processing packages, email and search for relevant information on the internet). These skills are required to support both your academic study and your practice placements.

International applicants

We are able to conduct interviews for international students online via Zoom.

All offers of a place are subject to satisfactory health screening and a DBS self declaration (followed by an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, which will be completed during Welcome Week).

For further information about the process used in the case of positive DBS disclosures, see  DBS checks  (PDF, 21 KB).

Health screening will comprise the completion of a health self-declaration by the applicant, which will determine the health assessments required.

If necessary, a detailed Occupational Health questionnaire may also need to be completed and an appointment with the University's Occupational Health Department arranged. 

To be admitted and continue on the programme, students must be deemed medically fit for both practice and theory by the Occupational Health Department.

If you have any concerns about a health condition/issue and its impact on your ability to undertake the course, please contact the Occupational Health Department as early as possible in the application process. 

Tel: +44(0)161 306 5806 Email:  millocchealth@manchester.ac.uk

• See the  HEOPS standards of medical fitness to train guidance  (PDF, 70KB) for more information.

Placements

Please note vaccinations are not mandatory for this course but we do highly recommended having them before you start your first placement. Please click here for more information.

All students must undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check including checks against the lists of those barred from working with adults and children. Satisfactory clearance from the DBS is a requirement for this course.

See further information about DBS checks (PDF, 21 KB) including the process used in the case of positive disclosures.

If you applied in the previous year and your application was not successful you may apply again. Your application will be considered against the standard course entry criteria for that year of entry. In your new application you should demonstrate how your application has improved. We may draw upon all information from your previous applications or any previous registrations at the University as a student when assessing your suitability for your chosen course.

Year 1

Learning in the first year provides a solid foundation where you are introduced to key knowledge and skills and prepared for professional practice.

You will learn about what social work is and develop necessary practice skills. You will undertake extensive skills training in simulated learning environments in order to fully prepare you for your practice placements. You will engage in experiential workshops exploring how we work most effectively together in groups.

You will explore the context social work operates in, including the social, political and legal framework including professional safeguarding responsibilities.

You will study:

• Introduction to Social Work;
• Social, Political and Organisational Context for Social Work;
• Law for Social Work Practice;
• Life Course and Social Relationships; 
• 20 days of professional skills development;
• a 70-day practice placement.

See a typical first year timetable .

Year 2

Learning in the second year provides an in-depth understanding of the processes that govern and inform social work processes and interventions with a range of service user groups. You will be encouraged to identify and apply relevant theories to your practice and be prepared to understand and evaluate risk in relation to safeguarding practices.

The Foundations of Research course will prepare you for completing a dissertation for your MA award.

Your dissertation provides an opportunity for you to undertake in depth study on a social work-related topic or aspect of practice. 

You will take:

• Safeguarding Children, Adults and Their Families;
• Foundations of Research;
• Contemporary Social Work Interventions in Practice;
• 10 days of professional skills development;
• a 100-day practice placement;
• a dissertation.

You have two options in relation to handing in your final dissertation work. You are able to study for 24 months or to graduate earlier if you complete your dissertation earlier.

For the latest scholarship and bursary information please visit the fees and funding page.

We are a member of the Greater Manchester Social Work Academy, which promotes innovations in delivering high-quality social work education in close partnership with the ten Local Authorities across Greater Manchester.

The course has strong established links with many community-based practice agencies across Greater Manchester. We also have strong and well established links with people with lived experience of social work across our region who are integral in the teaching of our course.

The course benefits considerably from input from people with lived experience, as well as current practitioners, across our teaching. See the teaching and learning page for more information.

Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service who offer excellent support to social work students in their studies and whilst on placement.

Students are encouraged to contact the Disability Advisory and Support Service either before accepting an offer from The University of Manchester or as soon as possible thereafter to avoid delays in getting help and assistance.

We offer a range of units from our courses in nursing, midwifery and social work as standalone courses for continuing professional development.

As well as regulating individual social workers,  Social Work England  regulates the content and performance of social work courses.

Social work is a protected title by law, which means that on completion of an approved course, you can register with  Social Work England  to practice as a social worker. 

Practice placements are an integral part of your learning. Social Work Education provides useful guidance on the responsibilities of placements and students. Please see Social Work England .