Start your career as a social worker with an advanced four-year course which knits together study and practice
Year of entry: 2019
L507
Y50
4 years full-time
£9,250 per year (2018/19)
£17,120 per year (2019/20)
Get to know us better and find out what studying and living in York is really like.
Book nowThe Master in Social Work (Hons) is a professional qualification which entitles you to apply to register as a social worker: a challenging and rewarding career.
This four-year course with an integrated Masters year provides an advanced alternative to standard three-year BA Social Work degrees. You'll gain a Masters-level qualification which is highly valued by employers. You'll have more opportunities to gain experience on placements in diverse social work settings and receive a broader grounding in the social sciences.
Through a carefully tailored programme of coursework and placements you'll gain the knowledge and skills required to lead in the development of a rapidly changing and fast paced profession. The course's integration of research, theory and practice means you will be a critically reflective social worker, able to make informed judgements based on sound analysis, often in unpredictable circumstances.
You will develop professional skills and knowledge to improve the lives of vulnerable people. Service users and carers contribute directly to our teaching, giving you an unparalleled insight into the complexities of social work. You'll gain the ability to face complex and difficult human situations with confidence, creativity, compassion and integrity. You'll learn to work alongside people and to incorporate principles of social justice into your everyday practice.
Join a thriving department, internationally recognised for its teaching and research excellence and gain a solid foundation from which to begin your professional journey.
The small cohorts allowed much more room for discussion and a very supportive atmosphere. The variety between lectures, seminars and workshops - often with specialist agencies - allowed us to understand real practice applications. I thoroughly enjoyed my time studying at York.Esther, Social Care Manager (Social Work, 2017)
York is in the UK Top 20 for Social Work in the Guardian University Guide 2019 and Complete University Guide 2019
You'll hear from people with first hand experience to enhance your learning as you prepare for practice.
This course follows the British Association of Social Workers Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF). Throughout your four years you'll focus on the PCF's nine key domains:
Three placements, including two which provide statutory social work experience, will cultivate a wide range of essential skills and ensure that you are well-prepared for the realities of social work in different sectors. You will spend 200 days on placement, and complete 30 skills days which are integrated into modules throughout the course.
We have close relationships with international organisations and offer opportunities for placements in Uganda and Peru. Please contact the Admissions team for more information.
In your first year you'll study four core modules which introduce fundamental social and sociological theory.
In addition to the above you will also need to complete our online Academic Integrity module.
This module covers some of the essential skills and knowledge which will help you to study independently and produce work of a high academic standard which is vital for success at York.
This module will:
The four core modules of your second year will introduce more practical elements, building on Year 1's theoretical foundation. You'll develop essential skills for social work, which you'll have a chance to refine on placement with a voluntary organisation or independent social care agency. You'll also learn how to evaluate and develop service provision, and carry out practice-related research.
In the first half of Year 3 you'll prepare for your first statutory placement with a range of core modules which ensure you're ready for practice. You'll explore the ethical, legal and policy contexts for social work, which will equip you to manage the competing pressures of social work.
The placement begins in the Spring Term and lasts for 70 days, alongside a module designed to support your professional development.
Autumn Term and Spring Term
Spring Term and Summer Term
This counts towards the 200 days of practice which you must complete before you can register as a social worker. You'll spend 70 days at a social work agency as well as five Skills Days at the University, developing specialist techniques for working with families, groups, parents, and refugees and asylum seekers.
You'll work with a qualified social work practice educator who will support and assess you throughout the placement. Your placement is a chance to develop and follow your own professional interests, with guidance from our academic staff.
As part of your fourth year you'll undertake your final statutory placement. This will take 100 days and will contribute 60 credits toward your course. You'll also chose a module that will allow you to study a particular branch of social work in more depth.
Throughout the year you'll work on your Masters dissertation. This is a 16,000-word extended essay based on your own original research. You'll work with your supervisor to choose a topic which interests you and design an empirical study or systematic literature review to explore your research question in depth.
You'll also choose an option module to focus your studies and practical skills in a specific area of social work.
Placement II (60 credits)
This counts towards the 200 days of practice which you must complete before you can register as a social worker. You'll spend 100 days at a social work agency, developing skills for career-long learning, self-care and leadership.
Dissertation (60 credits)
The dissertation will allow you to demonstrate your skills in research as well as applying insights from the taught modules and your placement experience.
Examples of recent dissertation titles include:
Choose one of the following modules:
Please note, modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff.
Every course at York has been designed to provide clear and ambitious learning outcomes. These learning outcomes give you an understanding of what you will be able to do at the end of the course. We develop each course by designing modules that grow your abilities towards the learning outcomes and help you to explain what you can offer to employers. Find out more about our approach to teaching and learning.
When I visited York it just clicked. The course structure, the variety of modules and the emphasis on group work all appealed to me.Phil, Social Work student
The fees and funding figures below are based on data from 2018 entry. If you take a year abroad or year in industry you'll pay a reduced rate of fees for that year.
| UK/EU | International |
|---|---|
| £9,250 | £17,120 |
You will be responsible for travel costs to placements. Some agencies may reimburse travel costs.
UK/EU or international fees? The level of fee that you will be asked to pay depends on whether you're classed as a UK, EU or international student.
For more information about tuition fees, any reduced fees for study abroad and work placement years, scholarships, tuition fee loans, maintenance loans and living costs see undergraduate fees and funding.
We offer a number of scholarships to help cover tuition fees and living costs.
The NHS offers bursaries for students studying social work in years 3 and 4 of their degree, subject to eligibility and availability.
You can use our living costs guide to help plan your budget. It covers additional costs that are not included in your tuition fee such as expenses for accommodation and study materials.
“Students from all backgrounds achieve consistently outstanding outcomes”
The TEF Panel, Office for Students, June 2018
Our Gold Teaching Excellence Framework award demonstrates our commitment to the delivery of consistently outstanding teaching and learning for our students.
You’ll work with world‐leading academics who’ll challenge you to think independently and excel in all that you do. Our approach to teaching will provide you with the knowledge, opportunities, and support you need to grow and succeed in a global workplace. Find out more about our approach to teaching and learning.
Your lectures, seminars and tutorials will be delivered by enthusiastic and knowledgeable academic staff who are experienced practitioners. Guest speakers with specialist expertise, including service users from our Service User and Carer Participation Advisory Group, provide unique insights into social work practice.
You will develop your knowledge and understanding with focused and guided reading and group work. For some modules you'll undertake online activities to support your learning beyond the classroom. Throughout your degree you'll participate in regular professional development group sessions, developing social work knowledge and skills.
You'll meet with your personal supervisor at least once each term. This is a member of teaching staff who will provide academic and personal support. While on placements you will receive specialist support from a practice educator or work-based supervisor who will manage your induction on the placement as well as guide you through your time there.
In order to qualify as a social worker you must spend 200 days in practice learning. This comprises 30 days on placement in Year 2, 70 days in Year 3 and 100 days in Year 4. In addition over the course of Years 3 and 4 you'll participate in 30 skills days, offering insight into a variety of social work settings.
We are part of the Yorkshire Urban Rural Teaching Partnership, working closely with local councils and the University of Huddersfield. The partnership collaborates to develop, inspire and sustain highly-skilled and confident social workers to improve outcomes for children, adults, families and communities.
The rest of your time on the course will be spent on independent study. This may include preparation for lectures and seminars, follow-up work, wider reading, practice completion of assessment tasks, or revision.
Everyone learns at a different rate, so the number of hours will vary from person to person. In UK higher education the expectation is that full-time students will spend 1200 hours a year learning.
You will be based in the Department of Social Policy and Social Work which is based on Campus West. Most of your contact hours will be in Campus West, with some additional teaching on Campus East.
You will undertake three placements with agencies based predominantly in York and North Yorkshire. You will be responsible for arranging travel to and from your placements.
Our beautiful green campus offers a student-friendly setting in which to live and study, within easy reach of the action in the city centre. It's easy to get around campus - everything is within walking or pedalling distance, or you can always use the fast and frequent bus service.
Most of your modules will be assessed by written assignments and presentations. We'll provide you with feedback on assignments within four weeks of submission. Types of assessment in this course include:
Your placements are assessed by your social work practice educator. They'll assess your competence to practice by observing your interaction with services users and by reading your report. They'll also use feedback from services users and your colleagues when assessing your placement.
You'll also submit work that won't count towards your final grade. The feedback you receive will allow you to discover your academic strengths and identify areas for improvement.
One of the most valuable opportunities I had on placement was to work with 'real' service users but in a safe and supportive environment, allowing me to practise my basic social work skills. I feel that I achieved an immense amount on my placement and I am confident that I will be able to use everything I have learned as a solid base for the future.Claire, Social Work graduate
After completing the Masters in Social Work you'll be able to apply to register as a social worker in England. Some of our students choose to go on to further study, often progressing to a PhD.
As well as registering as social workers, graduates from our department go on to work in a range of areas, including:
The Masters in Social Work will help you develop a range of transferable skills that are highly valued by employers, including:
| Qualification | Typical offer |
|---|---|
| A levels | BBB General Studies and Critical Thinking are accepted |
| GCSEs | Grade 4 (C) or better in Maths and English (or a recognised equivalent) |
| Access to Higher Education Diploma | 21 credits at Distinction and 24 credits at Merit or higher |
| BTEC | BTEC National Diploma: DDM, BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma: DDM |
| Cambridge Pre-U | M2, M2, M2 |
| European Baccalaureate | 75 per cent average overall |
| International Baccalaureate | 31 points overall |
| Irish leaving Certificate | H3,H3,H3,H3,H3,H3 |
| Scottish Highers / Advanced Highers | AABBB |
| EPQ | If you achieve a C or higher at EPQ, you will be eligible for a reduced offer, one grade below our typical offer. |
To apply to York, you will need to complete an online application via UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service).
We welcome applications from people from a range of different backgrounds. If you have a non-traditional educational background and want to know whether you would qualify for entry then please contact our admissions tutors for an informal discussion.
Before we offer you a place we'll invite you to an interview. You'll have the chance to learn a little more about our Department as well as look around the campus. We look for applicants who have some understanding of the role of a social worker as well as the motivation to become a social worker.
We offer a range of campus accommodation to suit you and your budget, from economy to deluxe.
Explore campus and city life and hear what our current students have to say about living here.
Lively, full of culture and beautiful, York is regularly voted one of the best places to live and visit in the UK.
