MSW Social Work
Full-time
This course is subject to reapproval
Location • Collegiate Campus
Subject area • Social work
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At a glance
Make a difference to people's lives by choosing a career in social work, providing people with help, support and guidance when they need it and protecting vulnerable children, families and adults. You split your study time between teaching and learning at university and practice learning in service settings. This approach ensures that you qualify with the skills, knowledge and experience you need to success in your career.
Key points
• Work in specialist facilities that include the £13m Health and Wellbeing Building.
• Learn from Lecturers and practitioners who have worked as social workers and related professions
• Develop your knowledge, skills and experiences by attending 200 days working in professional settings and attending specialist skills days.
• Benefit from our strong partnerships with service users, carers and service providers in the region.
Study the theories, skills and values of social work on this course which is well connected with social work and social care service providers in the region. As a result of these connections you get the benefit of supervised practical work in a range of social work settings.
Parts of your studies focus on learning how to work with people who have problems in their lives or whose actions cause significant problems for others. This might involve dealing with people who behave in a volatile manner. As a student on this course and for your career, you must develop the strength and skills to manage uncertain situations. There is a strong interprofessional learning environment where some of your learning would be along peers from a multi-disciplinary perspective.
During your studies, you spend some of your time studying in our £13 million purpose-built Robert Winston Building, described as 'a beacon for the future development of health education in this country' by a leading UK health body. You also use other specialist facilities including a practical skills room in our Woodville Building.
As well as specialist facilities, you also benefit from a teaching team made up of qualified and experienced social workers, or practitioners from related professions. Many are involved in research in social work and have a well-established reputation in various international projects. This engagement with research helps to keep course content up to date and relevant.
One key aspect of the degree is that you spend at least 170 days across the degree putting what you’ve learnt into practice in real working situations such as social work teams, nurseries, family centres, primary care practices, hospitals and residential settings.
Your placements take place with our partners in local authority, private and voluntary agencies across South Yorkshire and the North East Midlands.
Service users and carers are central to all aspects of the course delivery and development, including teaching, assessment and placements. Other key aspects of the course and assessment include essays, presentations, exams and a dissertation.
Your dissertation is an independent piece of research work based on a topoc of your choice. It involves original research, a review of an appropriate body of research or an original critique of theory using a case study. It is between 12,000 and 15,000 words.
Our teaching staff
All our teaching staff are qualified and experienced social workers, or have experience in related professions. Many are involved in research in social work and have a well-established reputation in various international projects, including
• international practice learning opportunities for students
• EU-funded projects to develop an international curriculum
• projects developing social work practice and social work education
Full-time – 26 months
Taught modules take place, on average, two days a week.
You must be available for and complete one day of self-directed learning for each taught University study day you attend.
Periods of practice learning require you to attend for five days week.
Starts January (this is subject to change depending on the course revalidation)
You apply directly to UCAS using the UCAS code L508.
2013/14 academic year
Full-time typically £9,000 a year
If you are a home or EU resident, you can normally apply for a NHS-funded bursary.
To qualify as a home student, you must have been living in the UK for over three years and have indefinite leave to remain or refugee status.
For information about the social work bursary scheme visit the NHS Social Work Bursaries website.
The course fee may be subject to annual inflationary increase. For further information on fees and funding see www.shu.ac.uk/funding
2013/14 academic year
Typically £12,060 per year
2014/15 academic year
Typically £12,150 per year
The course fee may be subject to annual inflationary increase. For further information on fees, scholarships and bursaries see www.shu.ac.uk/international/fees
Includes • essays • examinations • practice-learning portfolios • group presentations • report writing.
You put together a number of portfolios as evidence of your personal and professional development. You can use them to demonstrate your specialist ability when you go on to post-qualifying study.
We involve service users and carers in teaching and assessment, including service user-led workshops.
This course is approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
After successfully completing the course you are eligible to apply to register with them to practise as a social worker.
Selena Grant
MSW Social Work, final year
Why did you choose to study here?
'I studied my undergraduate degree here and really enjoyed it, so returning was an easy decision. Plus I live in Sheffield and have a family, so being able to study here is perfect for me.'
Can you tell us the best things about your course?
'Well it’s very challenging, but really rewarding. It helps you to critically evaluate yourself, helping you to help others. And there’s plenty of opportunity for group work and presentations, which has developed my team working and professional skills.'
Does the course include placements?
'Yes, I’m actually on a placement at the moment. I’mworking at an adult mental health facility with people with learning disabilities and mental health problems. It’s really helped me to learn how to communicate in a different way and to be more considerate. And it’s helped me to deal with mental health issues and to think about how mental health is viewed in society.'
Finance is obviously a hot topic – how have you been managing yours?
'One of the great things about this course is you get your tuition fees paid and you get a means tested bursary. But I’ve also taken out a career development loan and I sometimes do social care agency work to supplement it. It’s a good idea to spend time researching the different funding options because there are so many out there.'
Profiles
Selena Grant
MSW Social Work, final year
Staff profiles
Visit the Department of Allied Health Professions website to view profiles of the staff who teach in this subject area.
