Social Work
Entry requirements
The general University entrance requirement for registration for a research degree is normally a First or Upper Second Class Honours degree (1st or 2:1).
An interview will be required as part of the admissions process and will be conducted by at least two academic staff members remotely via MS Teams, Zoom, or face to face.
Applicants will be required to submit a personal statement and a research statement.
Please contact your proposed supervisor, where possible, to receive feedback and guidance on your research statement before submitting it. Learn how to prepare a research statement here.
Months of entry
January, April, October
Course content
Social Work at Brunel University is aligned with grand challenges for social work research including focus on individual and family well-being, creating a stronger social fabric, and developing a just society. The Social Work team has expertise in many current issues with which social work engages, such as ageing, children and families, LGBT identities, mental health, migration, health, loss/grief and environmental concerns. The team holds strengths in social policy and interdisciplinary practice as well as planning for and adapting to current societal shifts. Brunel is one of the leading providers of social work and social policy research in London, funded by high-profile organisations like the ESRC, the AHRC, Nuffield Foundation, the Rowntree Trust, the European Union, the Department for Education and Skills and the NHS.
Find out about the exciting research we do in this area. Browse profiles of our experts, discover the research groups and their inspirational research activities you too could be part of. We’ve also made available extensive reading materials published by our academics and PhD students.
Learn more about research in this area.
Brunel Experts by Experience has a long and proud history at Brunel whereby service-users help the delivery of Social Work training to students and staff.
In the Division of Social Work we have members of staff who are:
- Editor of Ageing and Society, the leading social gerontology journal in the UK
- Fellows of the Gerontological Society of America (GSA)
- Fellow of the Faculty of Public Health
- Academician of the Academy of Social Sciences
- University of Auckland Ralph & Eve Seelye Charitable Trust Award Fellowship holder
- Serve on many editorial boards and have won many teaching awards
Other activities include:
- Health Research Authority Social Care Research Ethics Committee.
- National Institute for Health Research-Health Services and Delivery Research panel
- Welfare, Health and Wellbeing theme at the Institute of Environment, Health and Societies.
The Division of Social Work has:
- specialism in gerontology and children and families
- commitment to anti-oppressive practice
- service user perspectives and experiences
- specialist researchers in gender and sexualities
Information for international students
If you require a Tier 4 visa to study in the UK, you must prove knowledge of the English language so that we can issue you a Certificate of Acceptance for Study (CAS). To do this, you will need an IELTS for UKVI or Trinity SELT test pass gained from a test centre approved by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) and on the Secure English Language Testing (SELT) list. This must have been taken and passed within two years from the date the CAS is made.
English language requirements
- IELTS: 7 (min 6.5 in all areas)
- Pearson: 64 (59 in all subscores)
- BrunELT: 68% (63% in all areas)
- TOEFL: 98 (min 23 in all areas)
Fees and funding
Brunel offers a number of funding options to research students that help cover the cost of their tuition fees, contribute to living expenses or both. Recently the UK Government made available the Doctoral Student Loans of up to £25,000 for UK and EU students and there is some funding available through the Research Councils. Many of our international students benefit from funding provided by their governments or employers. Brunel alumni enjoy tuition fee discounts of 15%..
Qualification, course duration and attendance options
- PhD
- part time72 months
- Campus-based learningis available for this qualification
- full time36 months
- Campus-based learningis available for this qualification
- MPhil
- full time12 months
- Campus-based learningis available for this qualification
- part time24 months
- Campus-based learningis available for this qualification
Course contact details
- Name
- Enquiries
- enquiries@brunel.ac.uk
- Phone
- +44 (0)1895 265599