Masters in Social Work
University of York
UCAS Code: L507 | Master of Social Work - MSW
University of York
UCAS Code: L507 | Master of Social Work - MSW
Entry requirements
A level
Access to HE Diploma
Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal
Extended Project
If you achieve C or higher at EPQ, you may be eligible for an alternative offer up to one A Level grade (or equivalent) below our typical offer.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma
We consider a range of OCR qualifications equivalent to 3 A Levels, or in combination with A Levels or other qualifications.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
We consider a range of BTEC qualifications equivalent to 3 A Levels, or in combination with A Levels or other qualifications.
Please use the course link below for more details on Scottish entry requirements.
Please use the course link below for more details on Scottish entry requirements.
We consider a range of T Level qualifications. Please contact us to discuss your qualifications.
Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (first teaching September 2015)
We will consider this qualification alongside or in combination with A Levels or other qualifications, as equivalent to one A Level.
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About this course
The Master in Social Work (Hons) is a professional qualification which entitles you to apply to register as a social worker: a challenging and rewarding career.
This four-year course, which includes two years of postgraduate study, provides an advanced alternative to standard three-year BA Social Work degrees. You'll gain a Masters-level qualification which is highly valued by employers. You'll have the opportunity to gain practice experience in a voluntary sector placement in your second year, followed by placements within diverse social work settings in Year 3 and 4. Service users and carers contribute directly to our teaching, giving you an unparalleled insight into the complexities of social work. Join a thriving School, internationally recognised for its teaching and research excellence and gain a solid foundation from which to begin your professional journey.
Modules
In Year 1, you'll study core modules which introduce social work concepts, fundamental social and sociological theory and social policy. The core modules in Year 2 will introduce more practical elements, building on Year 1's theoretical foundation. You'll develop essential skills for social work, which you'll have a chance to refine on placement with a voluntary organisation or independent social care agency. You'll also learn how to evaluate and develop service provision, and carry out practice-related research.
In the first half of Year 3 you'll prepare for your first statutory placement with a range of core modules which ensure you're ready for practice. You will explore the ethical, legal and policy contexts for social work, which will equip you to manage the competing pressures of social work practice. The placement begins in the Spring Term and lasts for 70 days, after completion of a module designed to support your professional development.
As part of your fourth year you'll undertake your final statutory placement. This will take 100 days and will contribute 40 credits toward your course. You will also choose a module that will allow you to study a particular branch of social work in more depth, and work on your dissertation. You will work with a qualified social work practice educator who will support and assess you throughout the placement. Your placement is a chance to develop and follow your own professional interests, with guidance from our academic staff.
Assessment methods
Types of assessment in this course include: essays, practical assessment of communication skills, presentations and reports, portfolios, placement supervision and assessment, 16,000 word dissertation. You'll also submit work that won't contribute to your final grade. This allows you to get feedback on your progress and understanding before you submit assessed work.
Tuition fees
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The Uni
University of York
School of Business and Society
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Social work
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Social work
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
We're short of social workers - so if you want a degree that is in demand, then this could be the one for you! There's a shortage of social workers all over the UK, and graduates can specialise in specific fields such as mental health or children's social work. If you decide social work is not for you, then social work graduates also often go into management, education, youth and community work and even nursing. Starting salaries for this degree can reflect the high proportion of graduates who choose a social work career - social work graduates get paid, on average, more than graduates overall, but not all options pay as well as social work. This is also an unusual subject in that London isn't one of the more common places to find jobs - so if you want to get a job near to your home or your university this might be worth thinking about.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Social work
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£27k
£26k
£31k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).
This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.
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You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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