Everything you need to know...
International: £27,810 for the course
Course summary
- Gain the knowledge, skills, methods and values that inform social work.
- Work with other professionals, service users and carers in practice placements across the social care sector.
- Experience and engage in a variety of learning activities aimed at developing you as a professional social worker.
Prepare for a career in social work with a course that is well connected with social work and social care service providers in the region.
Graduate view
‘Being able to learn on the job and go on placement is a great opportunity to meet different people from the profession, and develop a deeper understanding which you don’t get from a textbook.’
Katie Bell, MSW Social Work
Come to an open day
Find out more at our postgraduate open days. Book now for your place.
How you learn
You split your study time between acquiring the latest knowledge and necessary skills at university, and then putting it into practice on professional work placements. You spend a total of 200 days working in professional settings and attending specialist skills days.
You engage with a range of topics which includes
- assessment, planning, intervention and review
- skills development
- psychosocial knowledge applied across the life course
- professional ethics
- law and policy
- social work theory and practice models
- research methods and evidence based practice
Course leaders and tutors
Richard Martin
Senior Lecturer and Course Leader for Masters in Social WorkRichard became the Course Leader and Assessment Officer for the Masters in Social Work in 2015
Applied learning
Work placements
Practical work experience is at the heart of this course and is delivered through placements in relevant workplaces. Placements take place in the public sector and in private and voluntary agencies. During these placement periods you work full time putting what you've learned on the course into practice. You must complete 70 days for a first placement in your first year, and 100 days for the placement in your second year. Your placement attendance, learning and practice is assessed as part of your course.
These placements take place with our partners in local authorities, private and voluntary agencies across South Yorkshire and the North East Midlands. Previous students have worked in Child Protection teams, adult social care, NHS mental health units, Youth Offending teams,and charities including the NSPCC, Age UK, Barnados, Mind and Women's Aid.
Networking opportunities
We invite practitioners to come in and discuss topical issues that are relevant for the profession of social work. They also co-deliver some of our teaching.
Social workers are required to work with many other professionals, therefore you study alongside students and staff from related disciplines, including occupational therapy and law and criminology. Service users and carers are central to all aspects of the course delivery and development, including teaching, assessment and placements.
The course enjoys close working relationships with key local employers with an aim of enhancing the employability of students. Placements are also a key part of the way students gain employment. The knowledge, skills and experience from the two placements provide the opportunity for work experience which can be used when applying for social work posts.
Future careers
This course prepares you for a career in
- social work
Employability for those graduating has been above the national average for social work students.
Previous graduates of this course have gone on to work for
- local authorities
- voluntary agencies
- the private sector
Accreditation
This course was approved by the previous social work regulator, the Health and Care Professions Council. From 2 December 2019, responsibility for the approval of courses transferred to Social Work England. This course remains approved by Social Work England. This means that people qualifying from this course can apply to become a registered social worker.
Student success story
Up to 30 students on the University's social work, social care and community studies courses put everything they learned into practice when they travelled to Calais and Dunkirk to help displaced migrants.
Where will I study?
You study at Collegiate Campus
Collegiate campus
Collegiate Campus can be found just off Ecclesall Road, a bustling student district.
Collegiate Campus map
Collegiate library
Collegiate Library can be found just off Ecclesall Road. It's open 24 hours a day, every day.
Learn moreEquipment and facilities
On this course you are based at our Collegiate Crescent campus which includes
- the £13 million purpose-built Robert Winston Building
- specialist facilities including a courtroom
- a virtual reality training environment
- a library and learning centre, open 24 hours
Entry requirements
All students
Normally five GCSEs at grade C or above, including mathematics, English language or literature or equivalent*, plus
• an honours degree recognised in the UK at 2.2 or above in any subject, together with relevant personal or professional experience of social care
You may also be able to claim credit points which can reduce the amount of time it takes to complete your qualification at Sheffield Hallam. Find out more
GCSE English and maths equivalents are
• equivalency test from www.equivalencytesting.co.uk
International and European Union entry qualifications
If you are an international or EU student, please visit our international qualifications web page to see the country specific academic qualifications we accept.
IELTS
If English is not your first language you will need an IELTS score of 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in all skills, or a recognised equivalent. If your level of English language is currently below IELTS 7.0 we recommend you consider an appropriate Sheffield Hallam University Pre-sessional English course which will enable you to achieve the required level of English. Please note that the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) require IELTS 7.0 with no element below 6.5 for registration.
Helping your application succeed
Experience of interacting with members of the public from a range of backgrounds in different settings is essential when applying to a health or social care course. It is important to be able to understand and explain how your experiences relate to the activities and qualities which are required of those in the profession you are considering joining. Values are key to our social work course. For further information on the values required of students undertaking a social work course please look at the Health and Care professions code of conduct and ethics and the British Association of Social Work Code of Ethics.
There are many ways you can gain experience - this might be as part of a programme of study or in a paid or voluntary capacity, and doesn¿t always need to be within a care setting. Interacting with people with different life experiences will help you develop a deeper level of understanding of the diversity of the population who access health and social care. In your personal statement please reflect upon your learning from any of these experiences demonstrating an understanding of the profession and a genuine, reasoned commitment to studying a professional course.
You will be invited to attend an interview if these key elements are included in your personal statement.
Learn more at our health and social care application support sessions
Applying
You can find out more about how to apply to university, and your personal statement here. For social work courses your personal statement should
• Demonstrate some understanding of what social work is and that you are aware of the complex demanding nature of it. Include in your statement evidence of social work values and the legal and safeguarding aspects of social work practice.
• Evidence that you have done some reading and thinking about social work.Try to provide evidence that you are aware of current research and policy initiatives relating to social work. If possible provide examples of how these relate to your own experiences.
• Reflect upon relevant work experiences, drawing out your own skills and knowledge and what you have learned about the experiences that service users have. Try not to list the types of work you have undertaken.This is your opportunity to relate your own experiences to social work practice and values. Download our applicant experience guidelines for more details.
• In preparing your application you should review the Professional Capabilities Framework for social work, which contains information about the expectations for anyone wishing to pursue a career in social work.
You apply directly to UCAS for this course using the UCAS code L508.
For more details on how to apply, download our guide (.DOCX, 16KB)
The selection event
If you are shortlisted, we will invite you to a selection event. To confirm your identity on the day please bring a valid form of photo ID with you, preferably a passport or photo driving licence.
View our selection event guidance to ensure you understand the selection process and how you can prepare.
Please note the University will only admit students who are aged 18 at the point of enrolment.
Additional information for EU/International students
If you are an International or non-UK European student, you can find out more about the country specific qualifications we accept on our international qualifications page. You can also watch a video guide on how to apply.
For details of English language entry requirements (IELTS), please see the information for 'All students'.
Modules
Module and assessment information for future years is displayed as currently validated and may be liable to change. When selecting electives, your choices will be subject to the core requirements of the course. As a result, selections may be limited to a choice between one of two or more specified electives in some instances.
Year 1
| Module | Credits |
|---|---|
| Module: Evaluating Research Methodologies | Credits: 15 |
| Module: Foundations Of Values, Ethics And Anti-Oppressive Practice For Social Work | Credits: 15 |
| Module: Law And Policy For Social Work | Credits: 15 |
| Module: Professional Practice Placement 2 | Credits: - |
| Module: Professional Practice Placement 1 | Credits: - |
| Module: Psychosocial Theories And Methods For Social Work Practice | Credits: 15 |
| Module: Understanding Complexity In Practice | Credits: 15 |
Final year
| Module | Credits |
|---|---|
| Module: Creating Original Practice | Credits: 45 |
| Module: Evaluating Complexity In Practice | Credits: 15 |
| Module: Professional Practice | Credits: 15 |
| Module: Social Work With Adults | Credits: 15 |
| Module: Social Work With Children And Families | Credits: 15 |
Fees and funding
Home/EU students
Our tuition fee for UK/EU students starting full-time study in 2020/21 is £16,480 for the course.
† If you are studying an undergraduate course, postgraduate pre-registration course or postgraduate research course over more than one academic year then your tuition fees may increase in subsequent years in line with Government regulations or UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) published fees. More information can be found in our terms and conditions under student fees regulations.
International students
Our tuition fee for international students starting full-time study in 2020/21 is £27,810 for the course which includes placement costs.
Postgraduate student loans
Up to £10,906 available for UK and EU students on most masters courses.
Additional course costs
This link allows you to view estimated costs associated with the main activities on specific courses. These are estimates and, as such, are only an indication of additional course costs. Actual costs can vary greatly depending on the choices you make during your course.
Additional costs for Social work courses (PDF)Legal information
Any offer of a place to study is subject to your acceptance of the University’s Terms and Conditions and Student Regulations.
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