Social Work

All modules are compulsory

Social Work Theory and Contemporary Practice (30 credits)

You will gain understanding of key social work theories and models and will critically reflect on these from an academic perspective as well learning to apply these to a proficient level in your practice. You will critically reflect on ethics and values as they engage in decision-making, learning to evaluate your interventions while holding service users and carers’ perspectives at the centre of their thinking.  You will develop your understanding of professional authority, through critical reflection and use of self, as you are readied for the complex and changing nature of qualified social work practice.

Final Professional Practice Placement (15 credits)

By the end of the last placement and at the completion of qualifying programmes, newly qualified social workers should have demonstrated the knowledge, skills and values to work with a range of user and carer groups, and demonstrate the ability to undertake a range of tasks at a foundation level, demonstrating the capacity to work with more complex situations and in working with resistant service users within a statutory framework. You will meet the requirements set by the Knowledge and Skills Statements in Adults Services (DoH, 2015) or Knowledge and Skills Statement for Child and Family Practitioners (DfE, 2018) and will be ready to continue demonstrating these in their ASYE.

Initial Professional Practice Placement 70 days (15 credits)

Admission Requirements

Academic Requirements

You need the following GPA score:

Required score: Upper Second Class

Applicants for graduate programs must have the equivalent of a bachelor\xe2\x80\x99s degree with a minimum GPA equivalent to Upper Second Class on the UK Honour scale. Admitted applicants typically have an undergraduate GPA of or better on the UK Honour scale. No exam grade should be lower than 4.5 (European grade scale) or D (American grade scale).

Your GPA (Grade Point Average) is calculated using the grades that you received in each course, and is determined by the points assigned to each grade (e.g. for the US grading scale from A-F).

Qualifications

• We normally require an upper second class honours degree or above (i.e. 2:1 or above)
• We also require GCSE English and Mathematics at Grade C or above (or equivalent) and to demonstrate IT competence
• Please note that we can only accept your application for consideration if you have already obtained your GCSE (or equivalent) Maths and English at the appropriate level prior to applying
• We also accept functional skills or key skills and equivalency tests by www.equivalencytesting.com, www.astarteachers.co.uk or any other appropriately accredited provider.

Further requirementsApplicants for the MA Social Work programme are required to have six months full-time (or equivalent) direct work experience within a social care setting at the time of applying. Voluntary experience may be credited at an equivalent level (e.g. two years of one day per week voluntary service) as well as other relevant life experiences (e.g. informal care-giving) which may also be counted towards this entry requirement.Relevant social care experience may be undertaken with a wide range of people that have support needs and who may have need of social care services. These groups may include disadvantaged children and adolescents, people with disabilities or mental health issues, older people and people from diverse and minority communities.You will be expected to be able to describe how these experiences have prepared you for the profession of social work. This may include increased awareness of social issues and challenges faced by service users, self-awareness of strengths and learning needs, communication skills and the ability to respond with empathy and sensitivity. The expectation is that prospective students will have tested out their aptitude and motivation for social work along with basic skills of engagement and communication.Therefore you should make this very explicit in your application form including the exact dates in which you have worked in each setting and the total period of experience gained.We are unable to accept applications for deferred entry or defer existing offers for this programme to the next possible start date.EligibilityUK/EU and international students are eligible to apply for this course.Academic credit for previous study or experienceIf you have relevant qualifications or work experience, academic credit may be awarded towards your Middlesex University programme of study. For further information please visit our Accreditation of Prior Learning page.International entry requirementsWe accept the equivalent of the above qualifications from a recognised overseas qualification. To find out more about the qualifications we accept from your country please visit the relevant Support in your country page.If you are unsure about the suitability of your qualifications or would like help with your application, please contact your nearest Regional office for support.Visas and immigrationYou will not need a visa to study in the UK if you are a citizen of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland. If you are a national of any other country you may need a visa to study in the UK. Please see our Visas and immigration page for further information.English language requirements for international studentsYou must have competence in English language to study with us. The most commonly accepted evidence of English language ability is IELTS 6.5 (with minimum 6.0 in all components). We also normally require Grade C GCSE or an equivalent qualification. Visit our English language requirements page for a full list of accepted tests and qualifications.If you don\'t meet our minimum English language requirements, we offer an intensive Pre-sessional English course.Interviews, entrance tests, portfolios and auditionsAdmissions and interviews adviceSocial work education is nationally currently a very popular choice and at Middlesex University we have attracted more than 1,700 applicants in recent years. Our process aims to select those who are most likely to become confident, effective and safe practitioners, eligible to apply for registration with HCPC as a social worker and who are able to uphold a positive image of the social work profession. This includes recognising the importance of building a diverse group of professionals who are reflective of the communities and localities they will be serving.The process takes a holistic approach in which we examine your intellectual capability and readiness for studying an academic and professional qualification and your personal attributes, attitudes, values and abilities needed to demonstrate readiness to enter qualifying social work courses.Our criteria for selection is assessed against agreed national criteria and is designed to also meet the HCPC Standards of Education and Training. We use a range of methods to enable candidates to demonstrate their capability in different contexts and to provide the University and the applicant with as much information as is needed for informed decisions to be made.Selection methods usually include the following:

• An initial screening of your UCAS application against the academic entry requirements. Your personal statement and first reference also provide important indicators of your potential nd your motivation and commitment to enter professional training (in line with PCF expectations)
• For short-listed candidates, a written test to evidence an acceptable level of literacy and an ability to express appropriate attitudes and values for social work. This test will include writing an essay in relation to a social problem or issue in society
• An individual interview to assess your motivation, strengths, areas for further development, relevant experience and background, aptitude for study and practice at this level
• Participation in a group exercise designed to assess your collaborative working skills and verbal communication, as well as your intellectual curiosity
• Scrutiny of any \'suitability\' or \'fitness to practise\' issues and gathering of any further information required
• A further practice reference (and academic reference if the reference supplied with UCAS form was an employment reference)

We recognise that our selection process involves multiple stages and assessment activities. This allows us to consider evidence from a range of sources and to make clear and confident decisions. This is especially important given the professional nature of this course. All offers are conditional upon a satisfactory enhanced DBS check no matter how well you have done during the process. The team involved in recruitment and selection also includes service users, carers and social work practitioners. Offers may also be conditional upon the completion of certain qualifications in order to meet the entry requirements. Any such conditions must be met within the same application cycle.Individual interviewsAll applicants must perform well in an individual interview (and a group exercise) to test their communication skills, motivation and commitment, understanding of social work and evaluation of their life and work experience. In exceptional circumstances were able to offer interviews of international applicants using equivalent interviewing methods, such as web cams or other video link facilities. The interview takes approximately 30 minutes. The group exercise takes approximately 40 minutes in total and there are opportunities on interview days to look around the campus and usually to meet a current social work student.If you are successful at interview, the final stage involves obtaining from you:

• Any further information in relation to your suitability (health checks, DBS, employer checks)
• Provision of your original educational qualification certificates
• Proof of identity (birth certificate, passport)
• A satisfactory enhanced DBS consistent with the information provided on your suitability form.

Please note that we do not normally accommodate transfers from another social work programme, nor can we usually transfer credit from other studies into this programme, as completion of all modules on our degree is progression requirement. How can I prepare myself for the interviews and also the course?You can do some research on the roles of social work and some background reading about current issues faced by the social work and the social care workforce. You will be asked to reflect on the relevance of your own professional or personal experiences and their relevance to becoming a social work professional. You can find out more about social work and social care issues from the British Association of Social Workers.We strongly advise applicants to be familiar with the different contexts in which social work can occur as it is a very versatile and fluid profession responding to changing needs and priorities. You can also reflect upon any relevant work, educational or personal experiences and your learning from these.Employment-based students and graduate traineesWe often receive enquiries from applicants about this route to the social work degree. Please note that this is not an alternative part time route as social work cannot be studied part time. This route has been agreed with our partner agencies in London who sponsor their employees to undertake the social work qualification, studying alongside other students on the BA.If you are working in a Local Authority or Trust and are interested in training as a social worker then your first point of call should be your workforce development manager or learning and development manager to establish the opportunities available through them, and the process of application. Similarly, some employers recruit graduates into their own local schemes, so you should look out for the advertisements in the press such as Community Care or The Guardian, and apply directly.If you are working in the voluntary sector and your employer has indicated their willingness to support your training then they should make contact with us in the first instance so that we can establish that they are able to meet the partnership requirements for employment based students. These are very stringent and include for example:

• The willingness to pay your course fees in full for the duration of the course
• The ability to release you for a minimum of two days per week to attend the university teaching during term time
• The ability to release you from your normal place of employment to complete the two practice learning placements (70 days and 100 days)
• The ability to find you a placement and a practice assessor and to fund this
• The agreement of a formal contract as part of your overall employment which includes the provision of the above, study leave and support and maintenance of your normal salary, leave and working conditions
• In addition we would welcome partners attendance at our regular partnership forums and to provide a liaison persons in the organisation for students on the programme.

English Proficiency: IELTS 6.5 or equivalent.

Tuition & Financial Information

Tuition Fee

GBP 12,250 (Tuition (Year)) — International students; GBP 7,200 (Tuition (Year)) — EU/EEA students

Tuition fees: GBP 12,250 (Tuition (Year)) — International students; GBP 7,200 (Tuition (Year)) — EU/EEA students

IELTS requirement: 6.5

Financial Aid & Scholarships

Contact Middlesex University directly for scholarship, grant, and financial aid information for this programme. Many European universities offer merit-based and need-based funding for international and domestic students.

About Middlesex University

Middlesex University

London, United Kingdom

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Application Information

• Start Date September 2026
• Language English
• Duration 24 months

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