Social Work MSc

Are you looking for a rewarding career that impacts the lives of individuals, families and communities? On successful completion of the Social Work course at Brunel, you’ll be eligible to apply for Social Work England registration which is mandatory to practise social work.

Through a combination of academic expertise and high-quality practice placements you’ll be prepared for your career in social work, where 95% of our graduates are in employment after completing their studies. Brunel is located in London, home to a diverse landscape of social work settings. Our academics have strong connections within the sector and you’ll benefit from excellent work placement experience.

This Social Work England accredited course will equip you with the skills to tackle the challenges faced in social work today including problems such as county lines, cyber bullying, discrimination and extremism. You’ll learn about law, psychology, social policy and sociology, giving you a comprehensive understanding of various approaches. You’ll develop the skills to identify, understand and critically appraise evidence and research which can inform social work practice.

You may be entitled to a Social Work Bursary provided by the NHS. You can find out if you’re eligible and how to apply here. The NHS are advising all NHS Social Work students to send their applications to them by 31 July to ensure they can process them in time for the start of the September academic year.

Dean’s International Scholarship: This course is eligible for a £2,000 fee waiver, per academic year, subject to availability. This Scholarship is for full-time international students only. Find out more.

The curriculum provides teaching in both academic and practice elements. Your learning outcomes will enable you to demonstrate progression in professional knowledge, skills and values through your two years of study. Year one consists of compulsory modules. 

This course can be studied 2 years full-time or 4 years part-time, starting in September.

Brunel University London has strong partnership links with local authorities such as Ealing and Hillingdon and our postgraduate social work students have a track record of securing social work jobs with our partner agencies. You’re on-track to get a great job when you graduate from Brunel as 95 per cent of our Social Work graduates go onto employment after completing their studies.

Employers and Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) coordinators regularly attend careers workshops where you’ll benefit from intensive training in interviewing skills, presenting a comprehensive portfolio of work and being competitive in the social work market. Many students from Brunel are offered jobs with their placement provider after they graduate.

• A 2:1 (or above) UK Honours degree, or an equivalent internationally recognised qualification, in a non-related subject with the appropriate experience will be considered. 

        Or

• A 2:2 (or above) UK Honours degree, or an equivalent internationally recognised qualification, in a related subject (e.g. Education, Sociology, Social Policy, Politics, Psychology, Law, Health and/or Social Care).

Applicants must demonstrate how their previous experience in paid employment, or structured voluntary work, with a relevant organisation has prepared them for a career in social work. While there is no formal requirement for a set amount of time spent getting work experience we normally expect at least a year’s full-time (or part-time equivalent) experience. Applicants should also demonstrate what they have learnt from their own life/educational/work/voluntary experiences as appropriate to their life stage and how these have prepared them for a career in social work. Each application will be considered on an individual basis.

An ability to communicate accurately and clearly in spoken and written English and the ability to think critically and analytically.

All applicants will be required to go through a Disclosure and Barring Service check (DBS). To ensure candidates’ fitness to study and identify any additional support needs, all applicants will also be required to complete a health declaration

Applicants will need to provide an academic reference from their first degree. If the academic experience is 5 years old a character/employment reference would suffice.

Applicants will be invited to attend an Interview. Applicants will be able to choose whether to attend an online or on-campus interview. Applicants in the UK are encourage to attend an on-campus interview.

Please be aware that to apply for this course you will need to submit an application through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).

Applicants are welcome to apply for the next entry point or the one following that (i.e. deferred entry).

• 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)

You’ll be assessed through essays, presentations debates and group work task designed to give you and us a variety of ways to assess your learning and ensure you learn both the knowledge and skills you will need as a qualified social worker. You’ll complete 180 taught credits of which 60 will be the research project of the dissertation and two contrasting practice placements.