Social Work

Entry requirements

You should have completed a degree with a minimum of 2.2 or higher in any discipline. You will also need GCSEs in English and Mathematics, Grade 4 (previously a C) or equivalent, such as Functional Skills Level 2.

You should have three months or more practice based experience involving working with people. Working in a care, support, or people development capacity is preferred but not essential. Applications will be considered on an individual basis.

You will need two positive references, one from a recent Higher Education Institution (Not Further Education) and one from a recent employer. If you do not have an employer reference, a character reference will be required.

You will need DBS and Occupational Health Clearance.

Applicants need to confirm prior to interview decision/offer that they have the ability to use basic IT facilities.

You must upload a considered and substantive personal statement at the time of application. Applications not meeting this criteria will be rejected automatically.

Any offer of a place is subject to satisfactory performance at interview.

Months of entry

September

Course content

We have over 50 years' experience in training people to become social workers in the super-diverse and cosmopolitan city of Birmingham. If you already have a degree and want to become a professional social worker, successful completion of this generic course will enable you work with children and adults in a variety of areas and to apply for registration with the regulator, Social Work England, to obtain the protected title of social worker.

Once you are registered, you will be immediately ready and able to engage in social work with any vulnerable citizen group in any setting. This includes working with children and families, adults, disabled people, older people and/or people with mental health problems in the local authority, health, or private, independent or voluntary sectors.

You will experience student-centred academic learning on campus and practice-based learning in a service delivery setting, in the community.

Academic learning will include a carefully blended mix of face to face lectures, workshops and seminars, complemented by online resources. In addition to practitioners and academics from other relevant disciplines, teachers include experienced social work academics, practitioners, who are currently in practice and service users and carers who are experts by experience. They will assist you to obtain the knowledge, skills, values and professional capabilities you need for successful social work practice in today’s world. This includes legal, theoretical and research knowledge, the core skills of reflection, assessment, communication, resilience, report writing and leadership, and the values of being empowering, person-centred, strengths-based, results and outcomes focused.

Information for international students

Successful international applicants must meet the International English Language Test (IELTS) at Level 7, no element must be below 6.5.

Fees and funding

You may be eligible for a Postgraduate loan. More information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/masters-loan

You may also be able to apply for a Social Work bursary from the NHS. Please see the NHS Business Services Authority for more details: https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/social-work-students

Learn more about postgraduate fees and funding