Social Work and Social Care (MA or MSc by Research / MRes)

Entry requirements

• For the MA or MSc by Research/MRes: at least a 2.1 honours degree or equivalent qualification in a relevant subject area
• For the PhD: a master’s degree or equivalent in a subject area relevant to the proposed research topic
• We actively encourage applications from students from a range of diverse backgrounds who demonstrate appropriate research experience and achievement
• EU and international students need IELTS 6.5 overall (no less than 6.0 in writing and 5.5 in any other band) or equivalent

Months of entry

February, October

Course content

Ranked 6th globally in the Postgraduate Research Experience Survey, 2019.

With a wide range of staff expertise in nursing, allied health professions, social work and social care, the team is able to supervise research across a range of subject areas, and tailored to your discipline. We provide a broad research environment for candidates from a range of health and care settings.

You will be supported by our researchers, who have active leadership roles across the health and care communities in the county. Their involvement in the community means our students, join a group of engaged researchers involved in pushing forward both new knowledge and professional practice. We offer supervision for cross-disciplinary projects linking to management, public health, health promotion, education and social care.

Our particular strengths lie in workforce development, health and wellbeing, mental health, intervention design and evaluation, and public health. The university offers a range of research training events and students are encouraged to attend national and international academic conferences.

To support the development of your research skills, you’re required to undertake the Postgraduate Certificate in Research Methods and you’ll be encouraged and supported to publish in both academic and professional outlets.

Applied research has been carried out for a variety of organisations including Gloucestershire Care Services NHS Trust, Sue Ryder Leckhampton Hospice, Gloucestershire Royal Hospitals NHS Trust, Skills for Care, and the Greenwich Primary Care Trust. Some current topics include: investigating the clinical benefits from closer links in a three-way therapeutic relationship between carers, service users and clinicians; evaluating the implementation of the Sherborne Developmental Movement Programme with children with severe autistic spectrum disorders; and considering the effects of obesity and well-being on women's fertility.

The university offers a range of research training events and students are encouraged to attend national and international academic conferences. To support the development of your research skills, you are required to undertake the Postgraduate Certificate in Research Methods and you will be encouraged and supported to publish in both academic and professional outlets.

Our School of Health and Social Care offers you access to the latest equipment, facilities and placements to bring learning to life and make you a confident practising professional. We will support you to care for yourself so you'll be more resilient and efficient when caring for others.

• workforce development
• health and wellbeing
• professional development
• mental health nursing
• physical activity promotion in health care and community settings
• intervention pathways and effectiveness for patient care
• public health
• intervention design and evaluation

This research contributes to the research priority area Learning and Professional Contexts.