MSc Social Work

at Birmingham City University

COURSE IN DEPTH

 

Year One

 

Level 7:

The MSc Social Work course is run over two years.

 

In order to progress from Year 1 to Year 2, students must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 80 credits) and the two professional practice modules Core Skills for Practice, and First Placement.

 

Core Skills for Practice
0 credits

 

In line with the philosophy and aims of the Social Work programme, and central to the delivery of high quality social work is the ability to understand and develop competence in using and applying a range of professional skills in direct practice with service users, carers and other professionals.

 

This module is a ‘professional requirement’ and must be passed before you are considered ready and eligible to safely undertake your First Placement working directly with vulnerable people. Service users, carers and qualified practitioners work alongside academic tutors as part of an interactive and practical approach to delivery and assessment.

 

Law and Social Policy
20 credits

 

Numerous court cases have emphasised the need for a sound knowledge of, and ability to critically reflect on, the relationship between social work practice and the law, and there have been calls for increased legal literacy amongst social workers. Legal and policy knowledge is inherent in the domains of the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF), most notably domain four (Rights, Justice and Economic Wellbeing) and domain five (Knowledge). Social workers are required to work within the legal and ethical boundaries of their profession and to demonstrate an understanding of legislation relating to social work practice across various settings.

 

Ethics, Values and Anti-Discriminatory Practice
20 credits

 

Central to the delivery of high quality professional social work will be your ability to understand the link between identity, inequality and injustice and to critically apply core values, ethics and anti-discriminatory principles and approaches during practice.

 

This module supports the programme aims of pursuing excellence, being practice-led, employable and having a local, national and global outlook.

 

Theories and Methods for Social Work Practice
20 credits

 

In order to prepare you for the complex and constantly evolving nature of modern social work practice this module enables you to develop knowledge and understanding of theory and methods of intervention. This module supports the programme aims of pursuing excellence, being practice-led, employable and having a local, national and global outlook.

 

Research Methods of Enquiry
20 credits

 

This module specifically addresses the broader programme aims related to “pursuing excellence” and “practice-led, knowledge applied” through a flexible provision that encourages students to develop their research ideas, enabling those on various Health MSc programmes to satisfy their individual learning needs, whilst contributing to their area of study.

 

First Placement
0 credits

 

In line with the philosophy and aims of the Social Work programme, the First Placement module will focus upon practice learning. Social work is a practice led profession and this is reflected in practice learning being integral to the social work programme. The First Placement module will support you to link your developing knowledge, skills and values to practice through the provision of a 70 day practice placement that will provide opportunities for you to work directly with service users, carers, colleagues and other professionals. This module also contributes to the programme philosophy and aims by enhancing your interdisciplinary, for example by developing your ability to work with and learn from other professionals; and employability, for example by giving you opportunities to develop your professionalism and practice excellence in a service delivery setting, and be work ready.

 
Year Two

 

In order to complete this course, a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 100 credits) during the second year, and the professional practice module Last Placement:

 

Safeguarding Law and Practice
20 credits

 

The module contributes to the overall programme philosophy of producing critically reflective and knowledgeable social work graduates, who are prepared for the reality of contemporary modern social work practice. The module has been designed to provide you with the necessary knowledge of safeguarding practices and legal insight needed to become effective social work practitioners in the complex world of modern social work practice to safeguard and protect vulnerable service users as specified by the Standards of Proficiency, Professional Capability Framework, and Key Indicator Statements. It contributes to the programme aims of pursuing excellence in safeguarding practice, applying legal knowledge to practice, developing your ability to understand the roles of and work in partnership with other agencies and professionals, enhancing your employability and ensuring that your global outlook includes being aware of and learning from international research.

 

Dissertation
60 credits

 

This triple module forms the final bridge between the award of a Postgraduate Diploma and a Health MSc related to a named award. It provides the student with the opportunity to complete a piece of work around a chosen topic in order to demonstrate competence in the planning, execution, analysis and evaluation of a Research Project, a Systematic Review or Project Management. The focus is on facilitating the student's independent, critical study in their academic discipline or area of professional practice. It will also serve those who wish to embark on Doctoral studies in the future.

 

Enhancing Transformative Capabilities in Professional Practice
20 credits

 

This module contributes to the programme philosophy and aims by embracing diversity, values, emotional intelligence and continuing personal and professional development. Your goal in undertaking this module will be to further enhance one or more of the following capabilities that can transform your current professional practice, the organisation and community you work in and the lives of the citizens you serve - leadership, innovation, resilience and/or taking a strengths/asset based approach. It will provide you with opportunities to pursue excellence, be practice-led, apply current and developing knowledge, learn with and from other disciplines, develop your local, national and global outlooks and further enhance your employability and professional practice.

 

Last Placement
0 credits

 

In line with the philosophy and aims of the Social Work programme the Last Placement module will focus upon practice learning. This practice-led, knowledge applied module contributes to the programme philosophy and aims by further enhancing your interdisciplinarity for example, your ability to work with and learn from other professionals; and employability for example, giving you opportunities to develop your professionalism and practice excellence in a service delivery setting, and be work ready. The Last Placement module is a professional requirement that builds on the level 5 First Placement module.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament. View fees for continuing students.

 

Award: MSc Starting: Sep 2022
Full Time 2 Years £16,300 in 2022/23

Employability

By the end of the course you will have the knowledge, attitudes and skills that employers need and want.   You will also have the skills that will ensure your future and ongoing success as a social work practitioner.

 

The skills that enhance your employability are developed through our teaching and learning strategy which has a significant focus on embedding core skills whilst at University and developing these further during your practice placements. 

 

PLACEMENTS

 

There are two major practice-based placements that ensure, by the end of your course, you are work-ready, employable and prepared for social work practice.

 

Your First Placement in Year 1 will be for 70 full working days and your Last Placement in Year 2 will be for 100 days. In order to ensure you have a ‘generic’ qualification i.e. you will have gained the experience to apply for and work effectively with either adults or children once you qualify (or during your career), we ensure that, if you are placed in a setting working with adults in your first placement, you will be placed in a setting working with children in your last placement or vice versa.

 

During each placement you will be given learning opportunities and support from a qualified practice educator to help you to meet the social work professional capabilities framework at first or last placement levels.

 

In your last placement you will be enabled to take on more complex work, work more independently, exercise more initiative, demonstrate higher levels of judgement and leadership, and collaborate on more equal terms with other professionals.

 

We will take into account your preferred area of future practice and do our best to ensure that your last placement is within a setting or has learning opportunities that helps with your future career aspirations.