School of Health Professions

MA Social Work (Pre-Registration)

Planned new course

Programme code L502
Duration

2 years

(with placements)
Course type

Full-time
Study location Plymouth
Register for open evening

Want to make a rewarding and positive contribution to society? Gain the skills and knowledge to become a social worker. You will link theory to practice through well-supported placements across a range of social work interventions. You will focus on legal literacy; social work values; contemporary theory, methods and models; evidence-informed research, as well as professional practice. Peer learning will develop your professional ability as a critically reflective and ethical social worker.

  • .This programme is subject to Social Work England approval

Careers with this subject
Social workers support people experiencing difficult times of change and circumstances, by offering guidance and acting as an advocate for people who are vulnerable. Specialising in supporting children, adults, or adults with a range of issues, they use social care legislation to improve outcomes in people’s lives and safeguard their rights.
Social workers offer support to a wide range of people.
  • Safe environment
    Social workers offer support to provide a safe environment for families to thrive.
  • Adoption
    Social workers support the adoption process again to create safe and happy environments.
  • Voices are heard
    Social workers ensure children’s voices are heard and listened to especially if they have disabilities or are vulnerable.
  • Societal and personal issues
    Social workers support adults who may be dealing with issues related to homelessness, addiction, and maintaining good mental health. They also help clients to live independently and safely.
  • People’s rights
    Social workers champion people’s rights to ensure they are being respected and valued.
Social workers work with people of all ages, from the very start of life to the end. As a result, some difficulties may be more prevalent in certain age or service user groups than others. Some of the clients you might see include:
  • older people
  • children and families
  • young people who may have been involved in criminal activity, for example county lines
  • people with substance misuse such as drugs and/or alcohol
  • people who are homeless
  • people experiencing poor mental health
  • children and adults with disabilities
  • asylum seekers and refugees
  • people who are offenders and are in the criminal justice system.
Within the social work profession there are a multitude of job opportunities. Social workers work in statutory and non-statutory roles. In a statutory position, you would adhere to laws that exist to protect vulnerable clients. In non-statutory roles, social workers still work with similar client groups but are not specifically responsible for enforcing the law, such as within the charity or specialist sector. For example:
  • Social service departments
  • GP surgeries
  • Hospitals and hospices
  • Children’s homes
  • Prisons
  • Residential and nursing homes
  • Charities and independent agencies
  • Education and academia
  • Research.

Key features
  • Get a head start – Meet regulatory standards throughout your studies and on successful completion, become eligible to apply for registration as a social worker with Social Work England (subject to Social Work England approval).
  • Build your knowledge and experience in excellent, quality-assured placements, working in real-life adult and childcare settings in both years.
  • Engage with service users and carers at every stage of your learning, so you graduate primed to use effective strategies in your practice.
  • Develop evidence-informed research interests to shape your professional development.

Course details

  • Year 1

  • You will study 6 modules covering legal literacy; values and ethics; social work theory/methods/models and preparing for your research dissertation. You will complete 30 days readiness for practice plus a 70 day practice placement. Study groups across both years promote peer learning and provide a safe space to explore your developing professionalism.

    Core modules

    SW714
    Professional Practice

    This module enables students to develop knowledge and skills that inform social work practice, including methods and models of evidence-informed social work, human growth and development, the key components of effective professional relationships, and communication skills with a range of service users, carers and professionals, both in group settings and individually.

    SW715
    Values and Ethics

    This module explores the interrelationship between theory, practice and core values as critical in the delivery of care. Account is taken of basic humanitarian principles in social work. Major social philosophies and virtue ethics underpinning care are considered and the moral dilemmas arising from conflicts between personal, professional and organisational norms.

    SW716
    Legal Literacy

    This module introduces students to key contemporary legislation and policy underpinning social work practice. Students explore the application of law and policy to anti-oppressive practice and the organisation and delivery of social care.

    SW717
    Critical Social Work

    This module critically examines contemporary theories, methods and models that support practice. Social issues are considered that clarify the behaviour and/or functioning of individuals and communities most relevant to social work practice. Students are expected to examine their own relationship to these issues and consider which theories, methods, models support their developing professional self.

    SW718
    Practice Learning 1

    This module enables students to develop their professional identity through the integration of theory, methods, skills, knowledge and values within practice. Combining classroom and practice-based learning and opportunities, it provides students with a repertoire of critical knowledge, skills, evidence-informed responses and interventions congruent with working with people and situations across society.

    SW719
    Research for Practice

    This module enables students to develop a critical understanding of evidence-informed practice. Students will develop their understanding of social work research and the develop their own research proposal in readiness for the dissertation in year 2.

  • Final year

  • You will complete 100 days practice learning in a placement with a statutory function, such as a local authority setting; mental health agency; hospital; multi-agency setting or voluntary organisation supporting statutory service provision. Alongside this, you will complete a research dissertation to promote evidence-informed social work practice.

    Core modules

    SW720
    Practice Learning 2

    The module enables students to consolidate their professional identity through integration of theory, methods, skills and values in practice. Teaching and practice learning provide students with a repertoire of evidenced informed responses congruent with complex practice situations. The module seeks to prepare students for the socio-legal and procedural aspects of statutory social work.

    SW721
    Dissertation

    This module enables students to incorporate their learning in relation to a critical understanding of evidence-informed practice. Students will develop their understanding of social work research further by completing a social work dissertation.

The modules shown for this course or programme are those being studied by current students, or expected new modules. Modules are subject to change depending on year of entry.

Entry requirements
All candidates are interviewed before an offer is made.
All applicants must have GCSE (or equivalent) Maths and English at Grade C/Level 4 or above OR for applicants where English is not their first language, IELTS or equivalent qualification is required with an overall score of at least 7.0, and a minimum of 6.5 in any component (listening, reading, writing and speaking). Read more about English language requirements
Normal minimum entry requirements for MA Social Work is a first degree with pass at 2:2 or above.
Candidates are required to show some engagement in formal study within the last 5 years.
They are expected to have a minimum of twelve months experience working with vulnerable or disadvantaged people in a social welfare capacity/setting (statutory, voluntary or independent sector, waged, unwaged or part-time, in the UK or overseas).

Fees, costs and funding
2024-2025 2025-2026
Home N/A £9,535
International N/A £19,550
Part time (Home) N/A £795
Full time fees shown are per annum. Part time fees shown are per 10 credits. Please note that fees are reviewed on an annual basis. Fees and the conditions that apply to them shown in the prospectus are correct at the time of going to print. Fees shown on the web are the most up to date but are still subject to change in exceptional circumstances. More information about fees and funding.

Additional costs

Placements
All students within the School of Health Professions will spend time in placements away from university. The South West is a largely rural region, which often requires students to travel longer and further distances than may be expected when universities are in largely urban areas. In many cases, students will stay away from home for the duration of that placement. Some students on these courses are eligible for reimbursement of additional travel and accommodation costs over normal daily travel costs. This support is part of the Learning Support Fund administered through the NHS Business Services Authority. However, this should be investigated by the student to make sure this applies to their chosen course of study.
It is difficult to give a precise estimate of placement costs for each individual programme, due to the geographical spread of placements, and duration. However it is recommended you attend an Open Day to find out more about what placement costs can be anticipated or discuss placement with a member of our admissions teams.
Despite these costs, placements offer an excellent opportunity to learn from experienced practitioners and are recognised as an essential part of students' development towards becoming a registered practitioner.
Further information
More details of any additional costs associated with the faculty's courses are included in Faculty of Health additional costs .

How to apply
Applications for this programme are made through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service). UCAS will ask for the information contained in the box at the top of this course page including the UCAS course code and the institution code.
Apply for this course on the UCAS website.
For more information about submitting an application including application deadline dates, please visit the UCAS website.
The deadline for the receipt of international applications is 30 May 2025 for entry in September 2025.
All NHS funded professional courses are required to select and interview their applicants using a ‘values based’ approach. As part of this process, your UCAS personal statement requires this additional information, which will demonstrate insight into your understanding of the importance of NHS values in your chosen professional discipline.

Hands-on learning

The programme provides you with 200 days of real world social work experience while on practice placements. Placements are in a variety of settings with a range of user groups in both statutory and voluntary sectors. In addition to practice supervisors supporting your learning on placements, your own assigned practice educator will help put classroom learning into practice in a supportive and nurturing environment. Further support includes student study groups facilitated by an academic tutor. You will be encouraged to reflect on your practice experiences to develop effective skills and knowledge.
Social work students simulate home visit to service users.

Learn from experienced social workers