MSc Social Work

at Brunel University London

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. In year two you'll have the opportunity to choose your pathway to either work with children and families or vulnerable adults. You'll study either Social Work with Children and Families or Social Work with Adults based on your chosen pathway.
This course can be studied 2 years full-time or 4 years part-time, starting in September.
Year 1
Compulsory

• PN5604 - Applied Research for Health and Social Care
• To develop the student’s ability to critically understand and conceptualise the process of research and improvement in health and social justice, recognising the impact of research and health improvement, and refinement of critical appraisal and project planning skills.
• SW5703 - First Placement (MA1)
• During the first placement students will acquire professional knowledge, understanding and related practice skills.
• SW5618 - Foundations of Social Work Practice
• This module prepares students to understand the profession’s ethical principles and recognise the impact of own values in professional practice. Thus, the ability to demonstrate basic skills in communication and to engage with people to develop effective relationships will be acquired to aid an initial understanding of a range of theories and models for social work intervention.
• SW5700 - Legal Frameworks for Social Justice
• This module gives students an understanding of the legal framework in England for social work and social welfare. Students will learn about the broad range of remedies available to individual service users and carers, groups and communities. Students will learn ethical responsibilities and dilemmas in social work practice.
• SW5621 - Lifespan Behaviour and Development
• This module outline aims to prepare the students in understanding the key theoretical and empirical underpinnings of human development. Applying an understanding of human growth and development to social work practice. Also, aims prepares students to undertake critical observation of children and/or others.
• SW5701 - Practice Learning (MA1)
• This module prepares students for their first placement. Students will be helped to understand the appropriate level requirements from the HCPC Standards of Proficiency and Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics and the TCSW Professional Capabilities Framework.
• SW5702 - Professional Skills Development (MA1)
• This module enables students to develop an understanding of the role of the social worker through three days of shadowing. Students will learn to demonstrate a readiness for practice with social work clients.
• SW5620 - Social Policy and Sociology
• This study blocks aims to apply sociological concepts towards a critical understanding of society and contemporary social problems. Understanding the origins, character, and politics of the contemporary social welfare system, and critically engage in competing theoretical discourses, which explain structural and institutional inequalities in relation to gender, disability and employment. Students will also understand the policy-making process and the links between social problems, social policy and social work practice.
• SW5619 - Social Work Theories and Perspectives
• Equipping students to apply contemporary theoretical perspectives in social work to interpret social problems from both the micro-level of intra-personal and macro-level. Leading students to critically analyse the intersection between theoretical orientations, social work values, and service users. This module also draws a critical understanding of the development, meaning and interpretation of theory within social work.
  Year 2
  Compulsory
• SW5704 - Assessment and the Management of Risk and Complexity
• This module teaches students to develop knowledge, skills and confidence to undertake assessments, planning, intervention, review and decision-making with service users in complex, challenging and uncertain practice situations.
• SW5600 - The Dissertation
• This project is designed to conduct an original piece of research in an area of professional relevance and to integrate conceptual and theoretical issues within social work and social care. The topic of research may include a quantitative project focusing on the measurement and analysis of data, a qualitative project focusing on professional (clinical) practice, or a systematic review of the evidence relevant to a question from within the discipline.
• SW5705 - Effective Practice with Domestic Violence, Mental Health and Substance Misuse
• This module covers the understanding, theory and work methods involved in helping service users facing issues of domestic violence, mental health and substance misuse.
• SW5708 - Final Placement (MA)
• By the end of the last placement students should have acquired and demonstrated a range of skills related to the HCPC's standards of proficiency and the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF).
• SW5706 - Practice Learning (MA2)
• This module prepares students to undertake their Final Placement.
• SW5707 - Professional Skills Development (MA2)
• Students will further develop their knowledge and understanding of the key skills appropriate to social work practice.
• SW5622 - What Works in Social Work?
• This module is based on showing an awareness of the impact of service user characteristics on the effectiveness of interventions and evaluating the contribution of different theories of change. Students consolidate knowledge of how to measure and critically review and analyse practice in light of a broad-based knowledge of different influences on case outcomes.
  Optional
• SW5623 - Social Work with Children and Families (MA)
• Consolidate knowledge of key legislation and current policy in child welfare and how these are applied in social work practice with children and families. Familiarising students of child development and how to use this to assess children and families alongside an understanding of the impact of child abuse and neglect in the short and longer term; apply in practice the principles of social justice, inclusion and equality and develop skills for practice under the Professional Capability Framework.
• SW5624 - Social Work with Adults (MA)
• This aims to provide knowledge of key policy and current legislation in relation to community-based care and support and integrated adult health and care, and apply this in social work practice. This includes acquiring skills for a range of adult practice specialisms, including legislation guiding practice and relevant evidence-informed assessment. Develop skills for practice under the Professional Capability Framework.

English language requirements

• 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) 

2022/23 entry
UK
£8,735 full-time
£4,365 part-time
International
£16,825 full-time
£8,410 part-time
Fees quoted are per year and are subject to an annual increase. 
Fees for EU applicants – For entry in 2022/23 academic year, eligible EU applicants will have the same tuition fees as UK students to continue our support during this transition period. These fees will be applied for the duration of the course.

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.