Start your career as a social worker with an advanced four-year course which knits together study and practice
Year of entry: 2025/26
L507
Y50
4 years full-time
Complete University Guide 2025
Times Higher Education’s ranking of the Research Excellence Framework 2021
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.
After completing this degree you can apply to register as a social worker with Social Work England. As a social work student you will be expected to adhere to the standards set out in the Social Work England professional standards.
Current demand for professionally qualified social workers is strong in the statutory and voluntary sectors.
This course follows the British Association of Social Workers Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF). Throughout your four years, you'll focus on the PCF's nine key domains:
Three placements, including two which provide statutory social work experience, will cultivate a wide range of essential skills and ensure that you are well-prepared for the realities of social work in different sectors. You will spend 200 days on placement, and complete 30 skills days which are integrated into modules throughout the course.
Before starting a placement that forms part of your course, you are likely to be asked by the placement provider to sign a confidentiality agreement. This is to ensure that you do not disclose any information that is confidential to the placement provider.
In your first year you'll study core modules which introduce fundamental social and sociological theory.
You will also study one option module. Examples from previous years have included:
In addition to the above you will also need to complete our online Academic Integrity module.
This module covers some of the essential skills and knowledge which will help you to study independently and produce work of a high academic standard which is vital for success at York.
This module will:
The core modules of your second year 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.
You will also study one option module. Examples from previous years have included:
Placement
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'll 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 Semester 2 and lasts for 70 days, after completion of a module designed to support your professional development.
This counts towards the 200 days of practice which you must complete before you can register as a social worker. You'll spend 70 days at a social work agency as well as Skills Days at the University, developing specialist techniques for working with individuals, families and groups.
You'll 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.
As part of your placement report you will complete written work which will evidence how you have brought the knowledge gained in the classroom into your professional practice.
As part of your fourth year you'll undertake your final statutory placement. This will take 100 days. This counts towards the 200 days of practice which you must complete before you can register as a social worker. You'll spend 100 days at a social work agency, developing skills for career-long learning, self-care and leadership.
Throughout the year you'll work on your Masters dissertation. This is a 16,000-word extended essay based on your own original research. You'll work with your supervisor to choose a topic which interests you and design an empirical study or systematic literature review to explore your research question in depth.
The dissertation will allow you to demonstrate your skills in research as well as applying insights from the taught modules and your placement experience.
Examples of recent dissertation titles include:
Our modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff, and in line with Department/School academic planning.
Every course at York has been designed to provide clear and ambitious learning outcomes. These learning outcomes give you an understanding of what you will be able to do at the end of the course. We develop each course by designing modules that grow your abilities towards the learning outcomes and help you to explain what you can offer to employers. Find out more about our approach to teaching and learning.
| UK (home) | International and EU |
|---|---|
| £9,250 | £25,800 |
Fees for students starting in the 2025/26 academic year.
The level of fee that you will be asked to pay depends on whether you're classed as a UK (home) or international student. Check your fee status.
For more information about tuition fees, any reduced fees for study abroad and work placement years, scholarships, tuition fee loans, maintenance loans and living costs see undergraduate fees and funding.
You will require a DBS check to take part in this course. You will pay £40 at the beginning of your course and a £13 update fee in subsequent years.
You will be responsible for travel costs to placements but can apply for an NHS Bursary to meet these costs (British citizens only). Some agencies may reimburse travel costs.
Course books will be available to you from the Library either in print or online format - new copies, if you wish to buy them, usually cost around £30. All other teaching resources will be available online.
We'll confirm more funding opportunities for students joining us in 2025/26 throughout the year.
The NHS offers bursaries for students studying social work in years 3 and 4 of their degree, subject to eligibility and availability.
You can use our living costs guide to help plan your budget. It covers additional costs that are not included in your tuition fee such as expenses for accommodation and study materials.
Our teaching, learning and student experience is outstanding, recognised by a Gold rating from the Office for Students in the 2023 national assessment (Teaching Excellence Framework).
You’ll study and learn with academics who are active researchers, experts in their field and have a passion for their subjects. Our approach to teaching will provide you with the knowledge, opportunities, and support you need to grow and succeed in a global workplace. Find out more about our approach to teaching and learning.
Your lectures, seminars and workshops will be delivered by enthusiastic and knowledgeable academic staff who are experienced practitioners. Guest speakers with specialist expertise, including service users from our Service User and Carer Participation Advisory Group, provide unique insights into social work practice.
You will develop your knowledge and understanding with focused and guided reading and group work. For some modules you'll undertake online activities to support your learning beyond the classroom. Throughout your degree you'll participate in regular professional development group sessions, developing social work knowledge and skills.
You'll meet with your personal supervisor at least once each term. This is a member of teaching staff who will provide academic and personal support. While on placements you will receive specialist support from a practice educator or work-based supervisor who will manage your induction on the placement as well as guide you through your time there.
In order to qualify as a social worker you must spend 200 days in practice learning. This comprises 70 days in Year 3 and 100 days in Year 4. In addition over the course of Years 3 and 4 you'll participate in 30 skills days, offering insight into a variety of social work settings.
We are part of the Yorkshire Urban Rural Teaching Partnership, working closely with local councils and the University of Huddersfield. The partnership collaborates to develop, inspire and sustain highly-skilled and confident social workers to improve outcomes for children, adults, families and communities.
In your first year, you can expect:
| Lectures | 6 hours per week |
|---|---|
| Seminars | 3 hours per week |
| Practicals | 3 hours (no practicals in Year 1) |
These figures are representative of a typical week. Your contact hours will vary throughout the year due to your module choices, non-compulsory classes, exam periods and changes to scheduled activities.
Outside your timetabled hours, you'll study independently. This may include preparation for classes, follow-up work, wider reading, practice completion of assessment tasks, or revision.
In the UK, full-time students are expected to spend 1,200 hours a year learning. That's about 40 hours of classes and independent study each week during semesters. Everyone learns at a different rate, so the number of hours you spend on independent study will be different to other students on your course.
You will be based in the School for Business and Society which is based on Campus West. Most of your contact hours will be in Campus West, although there may be some teaching on Campus East.
You will undertake three placements with agencies based predominantly in York and North Yorkshire. You will be responsible for arranging travel to and from your placements.
Our beautiful green campus offers a student-friendly setting in which to live and study, within easy reach of the action in the city centre. It's easy to get around - everything is within walking or pedalling distance, or you can use the fast and frequent bus service. Take a campus tour.
Most of your modules will be assessed by written assignments and presentations. We'll provide you with feedback on assignments within four weeks of submission. Types of assessment in this course include:
Your placements are assessed by your social work practice educator. They'll assess your competence to practice by observing your interaction with services users and by reading your report. They'll also use feedback from services users and your colleagues when assessing your placement.
You'll also submit work that won't count towards your final grade. The feedback you receive will allow you to discover your academic strengths and identify areas for improvement.
After completing the Master in Social Work you'll be able to apply to register as a social worker in England. Some of our students choose to go on to further study, often progressing to a PhD.
As well as registering as social workers, graduates go on to work in a range of areas, including:
You'll develop a range of transferable skills that are highly valued by employers, including:
| Typical offer | |
|---|---|
| A levels | BBB |
| Access to Higher Education Diploma | 21 credits at Distinction and 24 credits at Merit or higher |
| BTEC National Extended Diploma | DDM |
| Cambridge Pre-U | M2, M2, M2 |
| European Baccalaureate | 75% overall |
| International Baccalaureate | 31 points overall |
| T levels | We will consider a range of T Level qualifications for entry. Please visit our dedicated T Levels page for a full list of accepted T Levels. |
| Scottish Highers / Advanced Highers | Scottish Highers - BBBBB Advanced Highers - not required for entry We may also be able to consider three Advanced Highers or a combination of Highers and Advanced Highers, where an applicant does not meet the grade requirement through Highers alone. Please contact us to discuss your qualifications. |
| Other international qualifications | Equivalent qualifications from your country |
Grade 4 (C) in GCSE English or an equivalent qualification. An offer of a place will also be subject to a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and a satisfactory health declaration.
Experience of working in social care, health care or any related field, including voluntary work, or direct experience of service provision, is essential.
Meeting the following additional criteria may qualify you for an alternative offer.
| Criteria | Adjustment |
|---|---|
| Widening participation | If you successfully complete one of the following programmes, you may be eligible for an alternative offer up to two A level grades (or equivalent) below our typical offer: Black Access Programme, Next Step York, Realising Opportunities. More about widening participation. |
| Contextual offers | If you have experience of local authority care or live in an area with low progression to university, you may be eligible for an alternative offer up to one A level grade (or equivalent) below our typical offer. More about contextual offers. |
| EPQ | 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. |
| Core Maths | If you achieve B or higher in Core Maths, you may be eligible for an alternative offer up to one A level grade (or equivalent) below our typical offer. |
If English isn't your first language you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. We accept the following qualifications:
| Minimum requirement | |
|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic) | 7.0, with a minimum of 7.0 in each component |
| Cambridge CEFR | 185, with a minimum of 185 in each component |
| Oxford ELLT | 8, with a minimum of 8 in each component |
| Oxford Test of English Advanced | 146, with a minimum of 146 in each component |
| Duolingo | Integrated subscores: 120 overall, with a minimum of 105 in each component |
| GCSE/IGCSE/O level English Language (as a first or second language) | Grade C / Grade 4 |
| LanguageCert SELT | C1 with a minimum score of 33/50 in each component |
| LanguageCert Academic | C1 Expert with a minimum score of 25/50 in each component |
| Kaplan Test of English Language | 510 Main Flight score with 510 in each component |
| Skills for English | C1: Pass overall, with Pass in each component |
| PTE Academic | 67, with a minimum of 67 in each component |
| TOEFL | 96 overall, with a minimum of 24 in each component |
| Trinity ISE III | Distinction in all components |
| Other English language qualifications | We also accept other English Language qualifications, including various school-leaving certificates. |
For more information see our undergraduate English language requirements.
You may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language courses. These courses will provide you with the level of English needed to meet the conditions of your offer.
The length of course you need to take depends on your current English language test scores and how much you need to improve to reach our English language requirements.
After you've accepted your offer to study at York, we'll confirm which pre-sessional course you should apply to via You@York.
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