| Program start date | Application deadline |
| 2023-09-19 | - |
| 2024-01-16 | - |
Program Overview
What makes Social Work at Worcester special?
The MA in Social Work delivers a professional qualification combined with an academic award. Successful completion of the course means individuals are eligible to apply to join the Social Work England register which is a requirement in order to practice as a social worker in England.
This course is approved by Social Work England.
Key features
- The course dynamically integrates theory and practice embracing both learning in the classroom and in placement settings. The course provides a generic learning opportunity encompassing all service user groups and every effort is made to involve service users, carers, practitioners and managers from across the social work arena in the learning experience.
- While the course works to the UK points of reference including the QAA benchmarks and the requirements of Social Work England , the course team also embrace the International Federation of Social Work's definition: The social work profession promotes social change, problem solving in human relationships and the empowerment and liberation of people to enhance well-being. Utilising theories of human behaviour and social systems, social work intervenes at the points where people interact with their environments. Principles of human rights and social justice are fundamental to social work.
Program Outline
What will you study
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Modules - year 2 |
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Graduate view
Recent Social Work MA graduate Melissa talks about her time on the course.
How will you be taught?
The course is offered as a two-year full-time degree course. During the taught elements students will be in the university for a minimum of two days per week and during the placement periods will be in the agency 4.5 days a week over the course of both years.
While the expectation is that students register for and complete the Masters award (180 credits), some students may for various reasons not meet the full requirement but may be able to claim an interim award: Postgraduate Certificate in Social Welfare Studies (minimum 60 credits) or Postgraduate Diploma in Social Welfare Studies (minimum 120 credits).
Applicants should note that only the full MA Social Work award will enable them to apply for registration with Social Work England as social worker.
Teaching and Learning
The University places emphasis on enabling students to develop the independent learning capabilities that will equip you for lifelong learning and future employment, as well as academic achievement. A mixture of independent study, teaching and academic support through the personal academic tutoring system enables you to reflect on progress and build up a profile of skills, achievements and experiences that will enable you to flourish and be successful.
Teaching
Teaching
You are taught through a range of traditional and creative teaching strategies. This includes formal lectures and seminars complimented by a 'flipped classroom' approach, a blended learning strategy that reverses traditional learning. You will engage in peer and self-assessment to promote autonomy in your learning. This also includes a Practice Portfolio which formatively and summatively supports learning and assessment in placement. Additionally, information technology is used to support casework in practice and teaching and assessment in academic modules. Recall days offer an opportunity for you to reflect on experiences in practice, to share best practice and to debate, evaluate and consolidate your learning experiences
In addition, meetings with personal academic tutors are scheduled on at least 4 occasions in the first year and 3 occasions in year 2 of the course.
You have the opportunity to undertake 2 practice placements: a 70 days placement in year 1 and a 100-day placement in year 2.
Contact time
Contact time
In a typical week you will have around 9 contact hours of teaching, which will include a mix of lecturing activities as well as seminar activities.
During the practice placements as well as in the final year there is less contact time in order to allow students to focus more on independent study. Both placements take place over the summer months.
Typically class contact time will be structured around:
- Lectures
- During the practice placement, around placement meetings and recall days
- During dissertation, through group and individual tutorials
Independent self-study
Independent self-study
In addition to the contact time, you are expected to undertake around 30 hours of personal self-study per week. Typically, this will involve reading, literature searching, directed study activities via Blackboard, online discussions and preparation for assessment.
Independent learning is supported by a range of excellent learning facilities, including the Hive and library resources, the virtual learning environment, and extensive electronic learning resources.
Teaching staff
Teaching staff
You will receive teaching from a teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are matched closely to the content of the modules on the course. The team includes senior social work academics with practice expertise from a range of practice contexts in the statutory and voluntary sectors, experienced practitioners from our partner social work agencies and service users and carers from the University IMPACT group, who have a wide range of experience of using social work and social care services.
A range of contemporary social work research and development activity informs the team's teaching. In addition, 90 per cent of course lecturers are Fellows of the Higher Education Academy and hold a higher education teaching qualification. You can learn more about the staff by visiting our
staff profiles
.Assessment
Assessment
The course provides opportunities to test understanding and learning informally through the completion of practice or 'formative' assignments. Each module has one or more formal or 'summative' assessment which is graded and counts towards the overall module grade.
Assessment methods include essays, simulated learning, portfolios, oral presentations, a verbal examination and reflective pieces of work.
Feedback
Feedback
You will receive feedback on practice assessments and on formal assessments undertaken by coursework. Feedback is intended to support learning and you are encouraged to discuss it with personal academic tutors and module tutors as appropriate.
We commit to providing you with feedback on formal course work assessments within 20 working days of hand-in.
Programme specification
Programme specification
For comprehensive details on the aims and intended learning outcomes of the course, and the means by which these are achieved through learning, teaching and assessment,
please download the latest programme specification document.
Practice Placements
Where could it take you?
On successful completion of the course you will be eligible to apply to join the Social Work England register and seek employment as a qualified social worker in a variety of organisations in the statutory, voluntary and independent sectors.
The programme works closely with Worcestershire and Hereford Councils to enhance employment opportunities on completion of the degree.
To date graduates have demonstrated a good record in gaining employment.
On successful completion of the course you will be eligible to apply to join the Social Work England register and seek employment as a qualified social worker in a variety of organisations in the statutory, voluntary and independent sectors.
The programme works closely with Worcestershire and Hereford Councils to enhance employment opportunities on completion of the degree.
To date graduates have demonstrated a good record in gaining employment.