Undergraduate study

Gain real world skills leading to careers where you will make a positive impact on society.

Postgraduate study

Refine your specialist knowledge with world ranked educators as part of a diverse student body.

Undergraduate study

Gain a qualification which entitles you to apply to register as a social worker.

Postgraduate study

Develop yourself with qualifications leading to Social Worker registration and professional training.

You will be part of a Graduate School with a wide range of backgrounds from across the globe, making our Department one of the most academically stimulating to study in.

You will have the opportunity to participate in seminars to explore ideas with other Graduate School students and researchers.

You may be eligible for a scholarship.

How to apply for our PhD and MPhil Programmes 

Pursue your passion for research with high quality training and support.

We hold a Bronze Athena SWAN Award

"Receiving an award means a huge amount of analysis and self-reflection has taken place in these departments to understand where they can make changes to tackle the everyday barriers that still exist in the pursuit of true gender equality."

Professor Kiran Trehan, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Partnerships and Engagement, and Chair of the Athena SWAN Steering Group.

Read more about the Athena SWAN Charter and our Bronze award submission and action plan.

Our research

The Department of Social Policy and Social Work at York is a world class research community well known for its emphasis on theoretically-rich and empirically-grounded research that directly influences policy and practice.

Our research    Our staff

COVID realities: families on low incomes

The project will influence the evolving policy response; generate insight into how social security policy making in the UK changes, and is changed, by COVID-19.

Disability and fuel poverty

Our research enabled a more nuanced understanding of why some households are more vulnerable to fuel poverty and how policy can support them.

Conditions, welfare and responsibility

We are leading an international network of researchers focusing on welfare conditionality within social security systems across the world.

Understanding family and community vulnerabilities in transition to net zero

The project will build a framework for understanding and responding to how the UK’s transition to net zero will affect families, and the communities in which they live.

UK’s first ever claimant-led guide to Universal Credit launches as furlough ends

A guide to help Universal Credit claimants has been launched - just as furlough ends and as thousands more people are expected to claim.

Department of Social Policy and Social Work maintains its place in the UK top 10

This week the Department confirmed its place among the UK's most highly regarded departments for the subject of Social Work. The Department is ranked 4th in the UK in the Complete University Guide 2022.

Dr Nicola Moran of SPSW wins YUSU Excellence Award for Supervisor of the Year

We are delighted to announce Nicola's major achievement and recognition by students of her outstanding supervision work.