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Social Work MSci

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    Overview

    Approved by Social Work England, this integrated Master’s degree in Social Work is a professional qualifying course, designed to equip you with the necessary skills, abilities and knowledge to succeed in a future career in social work.

    The four-year programme combines undergraduate and postgraduate study into a single degree, helping to prepare you to work in all social care settings – within statutory, voluntary, private sectors, and in multidisciplinary settings and work teams – including residential, field, day care, healthcare, and education.

    The course is managed and delivered by long-standing partnerships between the University and local social work agencies, including statutory, voluntary, and service user-led organisations, and aims to produce practitioners who can critically reflect on their practice. Social work can be a challenging but rewarding profession, and we take pride in helping you to develop the thoughtful, considerate, and professional qualities you’ll need to succeed in your chosen career in social work.

    Why study Social Work MSci

    This course will introduce you to anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice within a complex and multi-cultural society, and within the context of professional and agency standards and requirements.

    You’ll be taught by experienced staff with a variety of backgrounds in social work and social care. You can also hear experiences and viewpoints from service users and carers, who are part of the Public Partnership Group.

    To enhance your studies, you’ll undertake work placements in your third and fourth year, in a social work or related setting. This will help to increase your future employability prospects and give you the chance to make useful contacts in industry. You may also have the opportunity to work and study abroad via the Turing Scheme

    Working closely with local authority partners ensures you’ll be supported to make the transition to social work practice. It will also ensure you’re aware of available employment opportunities and post-qualifying social work progression pathways.

    The course is part of the Yorkshire Urban and Rural Teaching Partnership, an accredited Social Work Teaching Partnership between local authority employers and the Universities of Huddersfield and York. The partnership develops and delivers innovative and creative approaches to social work education and training for students, ensuring social workers are confident and creative practitioners with the skills required for working in statutory social work. The Partnership also offers high- quality student placements and a social work curriculum that is co-developed and co-delivered by social workers and service users.

    Following the course, you'll be eligible to apply to register with Social Work England, which is the regulatory body for social workers in England. You might go on to work with a range of service user groups, including vulnerable adults, children and families, young people, people with learning disabilities or people with mental health issues, in either statutory or non-statutory settings.

    Entry requirements

    BBB at A Level .

    120 UCAS tariff points from a combination of level 3 qualifications.

    Merit in T Level .

    DDM in BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma.

    • NCFE CACHE Technical Level 3 Extended Diploma / Level 3 Extended Diploma: Grade B.
    • Access to Higher Education Diploma 30 Level 3 Credits at Distinction and 15 Level 3 credits at Merit.
    • 120 UCAS tariff points from International Baccalaureate qualifications including a Higher Level at grade 6.

    In addition you must have GCSE English Language or English Literature at grade 4 or above or grade C if awarded under previous GCSE grading scheme or equivalent Ofqual regulated qualification (IELTS is accepted in place of English GCSE grade 4). You do not require GCSE/Level 2 Maths for entry onto this course. However, please be aware that some employers may require this in addition to your completed degree.

    You will also need satisfactory enhanced Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) and occupational health clearances prior to registration on the course and applicants will be required to attend an interview. Read our guidance on what to expect from your interview. We arrange these as part of the application process. You will be required to sign a self-declaration at the start of each year. All police contact during the course must be reported to the course leader as a matter of urgency and may lead to suspension or termination. We will request an Overseas Police Check if you have lived in a country outside of the UK for 6 months or more (whether continuously or in total) in the last 10 years before applying to us and whilst aged 18 or over.

    Applicants must possess basic IT skills, including word processing, internet browsing and use of email.

    Applicants should be able to demonstrate the potential to become confident, reflective and safe practitioners eligible for registration with Social Work England as a social worker who is able to uphold a positive image of the social work profession.

    If your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum requirements of an English Language qualification. The minimum for IELTS is 7.0 overall with no element lower than 6.5, or equivalent. Read more about the University’s entry requirements for students outside of the UK on our International Entry Requirements page.

    Other suitable experience or qualifications will be considered. For further information please see the University's minimum entry requirements.

    Course Detail

    Core modules:

    Introduction to Law and Social Policy

    The module will introduce you to relevant English legislation and social policy underpinning health and social care practice. You'll cover topics including economic and political context of law and social policy, legislation and policy that applies to health and social care practice, the criminal justice system, work with children and families (including risk and safeguarding issues), work with adults (including risk and safeguarding issues), human rights and the political impact and influence upon law and social policy. The application of law and policy to the practice context will also be explored.

    Social Science and Professional Practice

    This module introduces you to sociological and psychological theories that can help us to understand people’s lives and circumstances. You'll have the opportunity to develop your understanding of these approaches and consider the ways in which they impact upon professional practice in a range of social care settings.

    Understanding Social Work

    You'll be supported to develop the key skills required for undergraduate study, professional social work development and life-long learning. You'll also have the opportunity to develop autonomy in planning, managing and evaluating your own learning through discussions and debates in seminars. Your tutor will complete a report on your readiness to practice.

    Working Together with Service Users and Carers

    You’ll have the opportunity to develop an understanding of what it is like to be a service user or a carer in today’s society. Your understanding of particular groups will be supported through a series of sessions delivered by service users, service providers and carers.

    Core modules:

    Assessing Community Needs and Developing Resources

    This module introduces you to a number of the methods used to assess communities and their needs. You'll consider and appraise needs assessments, community audits and community profiles as methods of assessing community needs and assets. You’ll also consider ways in which a community can organise and participate in such assessments. There will also be consideration of the ethics of such assessment.

    Research Methods and Skills

    You'll be introduced to key issues in research, exploring a range of research designs and examining the concepts of reliability, validity, trustworthiness and ethics at different stages of the research process. This module will help you to develop the necessary skills to understand and undertake research projects, and to engage with, use and critique published research.

    Social Care Interventions

    In this module you'll examine human development across the life course and look at how professionals intervene in order to support people during these changes. This involves looking at some of the contemporary approaches that social work and social care professionals use that support individuals and families. You’ll be encouraged to critically consider how methods of intervention can be applied in practice. This module will help to prepare you for how you can work with people when you are on your placement.

    Social Work Contexts and Organisations

    This module will provide you with the opportunity to develop your understanding of the roles and responsibilities of social workers, and of the challenges and opportunities that come with changing contexts of practice. The module reflects the importance of inter-professional and inter-agency working and you'll develop your understanding of how your practice is influenced by collaborating with service users, different professionals and agencies.

    Core modules:

    Applied Law

    This module will provide the opportunity for you to examine the complexity of the relationship between legislation, health and social care, and social work practice. You’ll have the chance to enhance your knowledge of a wide range of professional social work laws and examine how legislation sets the boundaries for social work practice.

    Assessment and Care Planning

    You’ll be encouraged to critically explore the underpinning theory and methods of assessment, which will enable you to develop the ability to hypothesise, assess and analyse situations. You’ll also be supported to learn how to construct support plans and explore ways of assessing children, families and adults.

    First Practice Placement

    This module will provide you with the opportunity to apply and develop your knowledge, skills and values in a practice setting. You’ll complete 70 days of assessed practice in a social work/care setting where you will be supported by a practice educator. You’ll be required to demonstrate that you can practice in accordance with the Professional Capabilities Framework for social work. Throughout the placement you will produce coursework in the form of a portfolio, which details your development and includes a final report from your Practice Educator, who will recommend a pass or fail in practice.

    Think Family and Strength Based Approaches

    This module introduces two approaches that underpin much of current social care and social work policy and practice in the UK; Think Family and Strength Based approaches. You’ll be encouraged to develop your awareness, knowledge and understanding of the importance of practitioners taking account of the wider family circumstances, needs and responsibilities when working with an individual adult or child and when developing services within a community. You’ll be supported to develop a systematic understanding of the impact of issues such as mental health, domestic abuse, substance misuse, disability, illness and dementia on individuals, family members and communities. You’ll have the opportunity to develop your skills in formulating judgements and framing questions to achieve solutions.

    Core modules:

    Final Practice Placement

    This module provides you with the opportunity to critically apply and develop your knowledge, skills and values in a practice setting. You’ll complete 100 days of assessed practice in a social work setting where you’ll be supported by a practice educator. You’ll also be required to demonstrate that you can practice in accordance with the Professional Capabilities Framework for social work.

    Leadership Skills

    This module will provide the opportunity for you to reflect upon and develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to be effective in leadership roles in health and social care. You'll be encouraged to think strategically and to develop a vision that will inspire and motivate others. As well as explore theories around leadership and reflect upon your own leadership skills. You'll also be supported to explore your own professional development.

    Statutory Social Work: Methods and Approaches

    This module examines the international context of social work and the contested concepts of social work within the UK. You'll be encouraged to develop a critical awareness of the issues, policy and organisational changes that impact on the role, functions, responsibilities and duties of social workers working in adult and children’s services and the multi-disciplinary contexts in which many social workers operate. You'll examine the policy, legal and practice contexts that frame adult and children’s social care, including the tensions, dilemmas and debates that exist between balancing social work activities aimed at supporting individuals and their families.

    On average 13.9% of study time on this course is spent with your tutors (either face to face or online) in lectures, seminars, tutorials. You'll be taught by lecturers from a range of social work and social care backgrounds, service users, carers and guest speakers from current practice settings. Teaching is delivered through lectures, seminars and group work with other health and social care students. During the course you will also undertake 30 days of skills development.

    Student-centred learning is used where appropriate and its role generally increases throughout the course. Modules are designed to embed transferable skills and to allow students to progressively increase their knowledge and confidence.

    You'll be assessed through a wide range of methods including individual and group presentations, essays, reports, case studies, direct observations, reflective writing, coursework and portfolio work. The nature of the assessment varies from module to module, and mirrors the modes of communication expected of graduates in this field, for example, report writing, presentations and essays. Your module specification/course handbook will provide full details of the assessment criteria applying to your course.

    Feedback (usually written) is normally provided on all coursework submissions within three term time weeks – unless the submission was made towards the end of the session in which case feedback would be available on request after the formal publication of results. Feedback on exam performance/final coursework is available on request after the publication of results.

    Further information

    The teaching year normally starts in September with breaks at Christmas and Easter, finishing with a main examination/assessment period around May/June. Timetables are normally available one month before registration. As this is a full-time course, you may have to attend every day of the week. Placements are 70 days in Year 3 and 100 days in Year 4 and these are full-time.

    Your course is made up of modules and each module is worth a number of credits. Each year you study modules to the value of 120 credits, adding up to 480 credits in total for a bachelor’s qualification. These credits will come from a combination of core, compulsory modules.

    If you achieve 120 credits for the current stage you are at, you may progress to the next stage of your course, subject to any professional, statutory or regulatory body guidelines. In order to be able to progress to Year 4 of the MSci in Social Work, students must achieve average marks of 50% in Year 2 and Year 3 of the course.

    1. The University of Huddersfield has been rated Gold in all three aspects of the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023. We were the only university in Yorkshire and the Humber and the North West to achieve Gold ratings in all three aspects of the TEF among those announced in September 2023. In fact only 13 Universities, out of the 96 that were announced in September 2023, were Gold in all three ratings.

    2. Further proof of teaching excellence: our staff rank in the top three in England for the proportion who hold doctorates, who have higher degrees, and hold teaching qualifications (HESA 2024). So, you’ll learn from some of the best, helping you to be the best.

    3. We are first in the country for National Teaching Fellowships, which mark the UK’s best lecturers in Higher Education, winning a total of 22 since 2008 (2023 data).

    4. We won the first Global Teaching Excellence Award, recognising the University’s commitment to world-class teaching and its success in developing students as independent learners and critical thinkers (Higher Education Academy, 2017).

    At Huddersfield, you'll study the Global Professional Award (GPA) alongside your degree* so that you gain valuable qualities and experiences that could help you to get the career you want, no matter what your field of study is. On completion of the Award, you'll receive a GPA certificate from the University of Huddersfield, alongside the specialist subject skills and knowledge you gain as part of your degree, which may help to set you apart from other graduates.

    Giving students access to the Global Professional Award is one of the reasons the University won ‘Best University Employability Strategy’ award at the National Graduate Recruitment Awards 2021. Find out more on the Global Professional Award webpage.

    *full-time, undergraduate first degrees with a minimum duration of three years. This does not include postgraduate, foundation, top-up, accelerated or apprenticeship degrees.

    Placements

    During the course you'll undertake two placements (in your third and fourth year) which provide statutory learning opportunities. We work closely with the Local Authorities in the Yorkshire Urban Rural Teaching Partnership, where the majority of placements are provided by Kirklees and Calderdale Council. You'll be given the opportunity to work in statutory social work settings with a wide range of service user groups. You may have the opportunity to work with vulnerable adults, children and families, young people, people with learning disabilities or people with mental health issues. Placements are also available in the voluntary sector, with previous students placed in national charities, drug and alcohol services, hospices and a wide variety of other sectors.

    "I completed my first placement in an enhanced mental health setting for adults. This was extremely enjoyable and helped me to put the theory I had learnt into practice. I also developed various skills including communication, confidence and time management, which I feel will help benefit my career."

    Natalie Stewart current student

    Natalie Stuart, current Social Work student

    Simulated home visits in our community house
    Simulated hearings in our mock courtroom
    Practising a home visit scenario in our kitchen
    Students learning about home-based engagement

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    Further Study

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    Important information

    We will always try to deliver your course as described on this web page. However, sometimes we may have to make changes as set out below.

    Changes to a course you have applied for

    If we propose to make a major change to a course that you are holding an offer for, then we will tell you as soon as possible so that you can decide whether to withdraw your application prior to enrolment.

    Cancellation of a course you have applied for

    Although we always try and run all of the course we offer, we may occasionally have to withdraw a course you have applied for or combine your programme with another programme if we consider this reasonably necessary to ensure a good student experience, for example if there are not enough applicants to ensure you have a good learning experience. Where this is the case we will notify you as soon as reasonably possible and we will contact you to discuss other suitable courses with us we can transfer your application to. If we notify you that the course you have applied to has been withdrawn or combined, and you do not wish to transfer to another course with us, you may cancel your application and we will refund you any deposits or fees you have paid to us.

    Changes to your course after you enrol as a student

    We will always try to deliver your course and other services as described. However, sometimes we may have to make changes as set out below:

    Changes to option modules

    Where your course allows you to choose modules from a range of options, we will review these each year and change them to reflect the expertise of our staff, current trends in research and as a result of student feedback or demand for certain modules. We will always ensure that you have a range of options to choose from and we will let you know in good time the options available for you to choose for the following year.

    Major changes

    We will only make major changes to the core curriculum of a course or to our services if it is necessary for us to do so and provided such changes are reasonable. A major change in this context is a change that materially changes the services available to you; or the outcomes, or a significant part, of your course, such as the nature of the award or a substantial change to module content, teaching days (part time provision), classes, type of delivery or assessment of the core curriculum.

    For example, it may be necessary to make a major change to reflect changes in the law or the requirements of the University’s regulators; to meet the latest requirements of a commissioning or accrediting body; to improve the quality of educational provision; in response to student, examiners’ or other course evaluators’ feedback; and/or to reflect academic or professional changes within subject areas. Major changes may also be necessary because of circumstances outside our reasonable control, such as a key member of staff leaving the University or being unable to teach, where they have a particular specialism that can’t be adequately covered by other members of staff; or due to damage or interruption to buildings, facilities or equipment.

    Major changes would usually be made with effect from the next academic year, but this may not always be the case. We will notify you as soon as possible should we need to make a major change and will carry out suitable consultation with affected students. If you reasonably believe that the proposed change will cause you detriment or hardship we will, if appropriate, work with you to try to reduce the adverse effect on you or find an appropriate solution. Where an appropriate solution cannot be found and you contact us in writing before the change takes effect you can cancel your registration and withdraw from the University without liability to the University for future tuition fees. We will provide reasonable support to assist you with transferring to another university if you wish to do so.

    Termination of course

    In exceptional circumstances, we may, for reasons outside of our control, be forced to discontinue or suspend your course. Where this is the case, a formal exit strategy will be followed and we will notify you as soon as possible about what your options are, which may include transferring to a suitable replacement course for which you are qualified, being provided with individual teaching to complete the award for which you were registered, or claiming an interim award and exiting the University. If you do not wish to take up any of the options that are made available to you, then you can cancel your registration and withdraw from the course without liability to the University for future tuition fees and you will be entitled to a refund of all course fees paid to date. We will provide reasonable support to assist you with transferring to another university if you wish to do so.

    When you enrol as a student of the University, your study and time with us will be governed by a framework of regulations, policies and procedures, which form the basis of your agreement with us. These include regulations regarding the assessment of your course, academic integrity, your conduct (including attendance) and disciplinary procedure, fees and finance and compliance with visa requirements (where relevant). It is important that you familiarise yourself with these as you will be asked to agree to abide by them when you join us as a student. You will find a guide to the key terms here, along with the Student Protection Plan, where you will also find links to the full text of each of the regulations, policies and procedures referred to. You should read these carefully before you enrol. Please note that this information is subject to change and you are advised to check our website regularly for any changes before you enrol at the University. A person who is not party to this agreement shall not have any rights under or in connection with it. Only you and the University shall have any right to enforce or rely on the agreement.

    Equal opportunities

    The University of Huddersfield is an equal opportunities institution. We aim to create conditions where staff and students are treated solely on the basis of their merits, abilities and potential, regardless of gender, age, race, caste, class, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, family responsibility, trade union activity, political or religious belief, or age. Please visit our website to see our Equal Opportunities and Diversity Policy

    Data protection

    The University holds personal data on all enquirers, applicants and enrolled students. All such data is kept and processed in accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Legislation. The University’s Data Protection Policy and Privacy Notices are available on the University website.

    Students’ Union membership

    Under the 1994 Education Act, students at all UK universities have the right to join, or not to join, the Students’ Union. There is no membership fee. If you choose not to join you have the right not to be disadvantaged; however, you are not entitled to vote, take part in elections, or hold any office. The following arrangements apply in order that non-Union members are not disadvantaged: Non-members are welcome to take part in the activities of Affiliated Clubs and Societies on payment of the appropriate subscription. However, they may not vote or hold office in the society or club. Union members may be offered a discounted subscription. Non-members are free to use Union facilities on the same basis as members. Welfare, catering and shops are available to non-members as well as members. Union members may be offered a discounted price.

    The Office for Students (OfS) is the principal regulator for the University.

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