Name: Social Work, MA
Price: £9,450 per year GBP

Interested? See

Attendance

Campus

Start

Duration

2 years

Start

September 2025

UCAS Code

L508

Delivery

In-person

Our MA Social Work degree will give you the knowledge, skills and values you need for a career as a social worker. On successful completion, you will be eligible to register with Social Work England.

You will learn about social work practice, including the professional skills you need. This includes communication and team work. You'll reflect on your own professional development and consider how you can improve.

You'll also learn about the complexities of social work. Our teaching is research-informed and we work closely with research groups across the university. These groups research issues such as domestic violence or coercive control.

As part of the course, you will also hear from people with lived experience of social care. This forms part of our community engagement and service user support groups (Comensus). This will enrich your learning and help you understand social work from different perspectives.

During your degree, you will complete simulated learning and placements. Our simulated learning will help you prepare for placements and feel confident in applying your knowledge to real-world scenarios. Placements are normally with a local authority, NHS or a private charity. This will give you real-world, practical experience. You will complete a total of 170 days in placements

Our course is accredited by Social Work England and meets their professional standards. This means you can apply for professional registration upon graduation. You will also meet the British Association of Social Workers (BASW) Professional Capabilities Framework at the Qualifying Level for Social Workers in England.

Social Work England also provides information on using your registered qualification to practice outside of England. This includes guidance for practicing in Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, as well as locations beyond the EEA.

Why study with us

You'll gain experience through simulated learning and placements. This will allow you to apply what you have learned to the real world.
You'll be taught by lecturers who have experience as social workers. You'll also have a personal tutor who will provide 1:1 support throughout your degree.
Once you've completed your degree, you are eligible to register with Social Work England as a social worker. The majority of our graduates find work straight away.

Interested?

Download

What you'll do

You'll develop the skills you need to work as a social worker. This includes self-awareness, personal development, resilience and team work skills.
You will consider the complexities and challenges of social work. This is informed by our research into issues such as domestic abuse and coercive control.
You will complete simulated learning scenarios to prepare you for placements. This will give you the practical experience you need to face complicated social work issues.

No, a specialist team arranges all student placements. You do not have to find your own placements. First placements normally take place in private, voluntary, independent or charitable (PVI) organisations. Final placements take place either in PVI organisations, NHS teams, or local authority teams.

All placements are audited according to Social Work England’s professional standards and the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF).

Slide 1 of 1

The tutors are really supportive – they tell you what your development areas are, helping you progress to your full calibre.

Usman Ahmed

Social Work graduate

Modules

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of our published course information. However, our programmes are subject to ongoing review and development. Changing circumstances may cause alteration to, or the cancellation of, courses. Changes may be necessary to comply with the requirements of accrediting bodies or revisions to subject benchmarks statements. As well as to keep courses updated and contemporary, or as a result of student feedback. We reserve the right to make variations if we consider such action to be necessary or in the best interests of students.

Academic expertise

Charlotte Ennis

Lecturer in Social Work

Katie Martin

Senior Lecturer in Social Care and Social Policy

Che McGarvey-Gill

Lecturer in Mental Health Social Work

Dr Ruth Parkes

Senior Lecturer

Matthew Graham

Senior Lecturer in Social Work

Future careers

Recent graduates of the MA in Social Work have gained jobs in social work teams in safeguarding/support roles, in children’s, young people and adult’s services, and with local authority, third sector and private organisations.

Entry requirements

Please note if your application is deemed unsuccessful subsequent applications submitted within the same UCAS cycle will not be considered.

2:1 degree and English GCSE grade C/4 or equivalent
IELTS: grade 7.0 with no component lower than 7.0
B3 from WAEC acceptable
Applicants are required to attend a selection day when they will be interviewed for the course
A satisfactory Criminal records declaration (DBS/Disclosure Scotland) and Fitness to Practice assessment are required for this course

This course will involve you working with vulnerable groups of individuals, this may include children. In order to ensure that the University offers places on their programmes to suitable candidates you will be required to obtain a satisfactory Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service clearance (formerly termed CRB).

We will be able to guide you through this process once you have been offered a conditional place of study at the University of Central Lancashire.

It is important to note that should your Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check prove to be unsatisfactory for the purpose of the course you have applied to, your offer of a place for that course may be withdrawn. If you have already enrolled on a course and your DBS check subsequently discloses a criminal conviction, you may be required to withdraw from the course even if you have already started. If you are aware that your DBS check will disclose a previous conviction, please contact the course leader for advice as not all convictions may preclude you from continuing with the course.

Fees and funding

2025/26

Full-time£9,450 per year

International

Full-time£17,900 per year

Scholarships and bursaries

We have a wide range of bursaries, scholarships and funds available to help support you whilst studying with us.

Select your country to see eligibility information and how to apply by selecting more info on the cards below.

Select your country/region

Social Work Bursary (NHS)
The Social Work Bursary is available through the NHS Business Services Authority, it can help with study and living costs and is a grant not a loan.
Find out more about Social Work Bursary (NHS)
NHS Learning Support Fund
If you are thinking of studying for a health-related undergraduate or postgraduate degree, take a look at what financial support is available.
Find out more about NHS Learning Support Fund
Dependants Bursary
Students with financially dependent children may be eligible for our Dependants Bursary as part of our financial support package. 
Find out more about Dependants Bursary
Carers Bursary
If you need extra support because you have unpaid caring responsibilities alongside your studies.
Find out more about Carers Bursary

Key aspects of the programme include:

Professionalism: developing awareness in students of how to behave as a professional social worker and in accordance with professional requirements.
Values and ethics: understanding and applying values and ethics to practice in an anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory manner.
Diversity: recognising diversity in all its forms and applying anti-oppressive principles in practice.
The advancement of human rights, social justice and economic wellbeing.
Applying knowledge for social work: knowledge of human growth and development, psychology, social policy, sociology, law, research and theory for social work.
Critical reflection and analysis in respect to professional decision making: critical approach to contexts, professional development and individuals/groups concerned.
Self-awareness, emotional intelligence and skills and knowledge for resilience within a challenging profession.
Skills to intervene to promote independence, provide support and prevent harm and abuse – both digitally and in person.
Working in organisations. including collaborative working between agencies/organisations and individuals/professionals.
Taking responsibility for professional learning and development of yourself and others through leadership.

Interested?

Download

This course is delivered by the School of Health, Social Work and Sport

For information on possible changes to course information, see our essential and important course information

You can find regulations and policies relating to student life at the University of Central Lancashire on our student contract page

Your saved courses

Social Work

Why study with us

What you'll do

Social work placements

Hear from our students

Modules

Modules studied

Compulsory modules

Academic expertise

Accreditations

Future careers

Entry requirements

Fees and funding

Scholarships and bursaries

Social Work Bursary (NHS)

NHS Learning Support Fund

Dependants Bursary

Carers Bursary

Social Work

Why study with us

What you'll do

Social work placements

Do I have to find my own placement?

Where will my placement be?

Hear from our students

Looking to start your postgraduate journey?

Modules

Modules studied

Academic expertise

Accreditations

Social Work England

Future careers

Entry requirements

Fees and funding

Additional costs

Scholarships and bursaries

Social Work Bursary (NHS)

NHS Learning Support Fund

Dependants Bursary

Carers Bursary

Learning and assessment

Further information