Overview
Social work requires a skilled, knowledgeable, and creative approach to support and protect some of the most vulnerable people in society at all stages of their lives.
Our MA in Social Work is offered through a two year full-time route. It is approved by the regulatory body for the profession, Social Work England (SWE). On successful completion of the programme students will be eligible to apply for registration as a social worker with the SWE.
The course has academic, practice and skills components; teaching is done mostly through lectures, seminars and presentations with input from academic tutors, external practitioners and people with lived experience of services (experts by experience). The practice component involves placement learning opportunities in a social work-related agency and organisation with the support of practice educators and onsite supervisors.
Why study Social Work at CCCU?
The teaching of social work is long-established at the University with taught sessions taking place on the main campus, centrally located in the historic, bustling city of Canterbury. Our newly built skills facilities include HYDRA simulated skills suite and court room, allowing you to learn and develop hands-on practical incident and critical analysis, court and report writing skills.
The MA Social Work course has three main integrated areas of learning - the study of academic modules, skills development, and practice placements (70-day and 100-day placements).
Social work is underpinned by the core value of inclusion of disempowered, marginalised and socially excluded groups. Understanding the principles of social justice and recognition of structural inequalities that impact on these groups is important. You will examine the role society, including governments play in perpetuating or addressing discrimination through social policies, and inequality that may arise due to deep rooted problems and other intersecting factors that impact individual’s welfare.
Through research, you are also able to explore your own preconceptions in a safe and supported environment and are introduced to these notions/factors, which places an emphasis on inclusivity of all, and the development of listening skills and enabling everyone to have a voice.
The course will provide you with the opportunity to build on your previous experience and educational studies to develop the skills and knowledge required for effective social work practice.
I have felt so supported by the academic team and I honestly can't thank you enough.
Zoe, MA Social Work student
All about the course
The course will enable you to meet the requirements of Social Work England (SWE) Professional Standards; the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) of The British Association of Social Work, and the Knowledge and Skills Statements for Social Work. It has been designed to ensure that by the end of the course, you can practise effectively using a range of knowledge, a strong commitment to social justice, application of professional values and recognition of the diverse needs of members of society.
It integrates theoretical and practice learning through modules, skills and practice placements. Development of professionalism, the ability to apply critical reflection and analysis and the flexibility to work in changing contexts and organisations are key areas of achievement required for successful completion of the course.
The course will enable you to gain 180 credits in a range of subject areas alongside practice learning and skills development. This includes a social work research module in the first year, and a dissertation module in year 2.
Skills of assessment and intervention will be developed and taught throughout the course, in the classroom and through practice placements. You will undertake 30 skills days over the two years of the course, 70 days practice learning in Year 1 and 100-days practice learning in Year 2. Placement experience includes work in at least two settings, working with a variety of service user needs, e.g., children, young people and families, people with mental health needs and vulnerable adults.
Students who do not complete 180 credits for the MA social Work course may exit with 120 credits, an award of a Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work and eligibility to apply for registration with Social Work England (SWE).
Important notice: Many of our placements require students to drive and have access to their own car. This is due to the distances needed to travel and the nature of public transport links within Kent and Medway. Our main practice partners will not allocate essential statutory placements to students who do not drive. However, if a student requires a reasonable adjustment under the Equality Act (2010) in relation to driving, then we will inform our placement providers of this need. We strongly recommend that students have a driving licence and access to a car by the end of year 1 of the course, otherwise students’ placement options may be limited.
Entry requirements
- An honours degree at 2.1 or above in a relevant subject discipline.
- An honours degree at 2.1 or above in an unrelated subject and demonstration of significant social work related experience at an appropriate level, gained either in a paid or voluntary capacity, or experience as a service user/carer.
- If your degree classification is 2:2, this will not preclude consideration of your application as a range of factors are taken into account for admission to the programme.
For more information on the IELTS (International English language Testing System) requirements for this course, please click here to visit our dedicated IELTS web page.
2:1
Honours Degree
Module information
As well as the core modules, you may also have the opportunity to study a number of option modules in your second and third year. Option modules will not be pre-selected for you. We provide examples of option modules. The availability of specific option modules may vary from year to year. The offer of an option will be subject to a minimum number of students choosing the module to ensure the appropriate student experience. The offer of option modules may also be affected by staff availability. It means we cannot guarantee the availability of a particular optional module. However, we will ensure you have a choice of option modules.
Core/optional modules
*Modules subject to approval
How you’ll learn
The course will enable you to meet the requirements of the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) of The British Association of Social Work and the Knowledge and Skills Statements for Social Work. It has been designed to ensure that by the end of the course you can practise effectively using a range of knowledge, a strong commitment to social justice, application of professional values and recognition of the diverse needs of members of society.
The course integrates theoretical and practice learning through modules, skills and practice placements. Development of professionalism, the ability to apply critical reflection and analysis and the flexibility to work in changing contexts and organisations are key areas of achievement required for successful completion of the course.
The course will enable you to gain 180 credits in a range of subject areas alongside practice learning and skills development. This includes the 60 credit research project, an extended module which is introduced early within the course and continues through the duration of the period of study.
Skills of assessment and intervention will be developed and taught throughout the course, in the classroom and through practice placements. You will undertake 30 skills days over the two years of the programme, 70 days practice learning in Year 1 and 100 days practice learning in Year 2. Placement experience includes work in at least two settings, working with a variety of service user needs, e.g., children, young people and families, people with mental health needs and vulnerable adults.
Students who do not complete this module may exit the programme with 120 credits, an award of a Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work and eligibility to apply for registration with Social Work England (SWE).
The MA Social Work leads to academic and professional development, gained through knowledge building and skills in practice placements. The role of a social worker is both challenging and rewarding. Teaching and learning are a partnership activity on the course, and we are committed to support your education and growth throughout your student journey
Charles Fonchingong Che Course Director
How you’ll be assessed
Learning is assessed in a variety of ways including written assignments, group and individual presentations and completion of practice portfolios. Prior to starting your first placement, you are required to demonstrate your readiness for practice through shadowing an experienced social worker.
Your future career
On successful completion of the course you will be eligible to apply for registration with Social Work England (SWE). Social work is a respected professional qualification and there are a range of opportunities in different fields. The course is a generic course enabling graduates to work in a full range of settings, for example in statutory social work for local authorities, private or voluntary agencies, in research or policy development. A high percentage of our graduates gain employment with local employers.
You will leave us equipped with core specialist knowledge and practical skills needed to deal with issues in areas including child protection/safeguarding, fostering and adoption, adult safeguarding, mental health, substance use, disability, among others.
Continuing professional development is a requirement for all professionals and the opportunity to progress to supervisory and managerial roles is reflected in the Professional Capabilities Framework (British Association of Social Work).
Fees
Government loans are available for some postgraduate Master’s courses. Loans are subject to both personal and course eligibility criteria.
The rules around course eligibility mean that in some cases it may depend on how you are studying (full-time or part-time) as to whether you can apply for a postgraduate loan. To check whether your course is eligible, you can email the Student Fees Team or call 01227 923 456.
Tuition fees for this course
| UK | Overseas | |
| Full-time | £8,930 | £15,500 |
| Part-time | £4,465 | £7,750 |
20% Alumni Discount
We offer alumni discounts on CCCU Postgraduate Taught, PGCE Primary and Secondary, and Masters by Research courses for eligible students.
Find out if you're eligible for the discount.
Important Information on Tuition Fees
Tuition fees for all courses which last more than one academic year are payable on an annual basis, except where stated.
There will be an annual inflationary increase in tuition fees for this course where the course lasts more than one academic year. For further information read the Tuition fee statements and continuing fee information.
Apply now
I would like to start
I would like to study
Duration:
2 yearsUCAS code:
L508Location(s):
CanterburyPostgraduate student links
Any questions?
