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Social Work

MA (PG) · 2 Years · Full-time · 21/09/2026 · UndergraduateMain Site

Course options

2026-2027
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Course summary

This Master’s degree is both an academic qualification and a professional qualification. As it is approved by Social Work England you’ll be eligible to apply for registration as a social worker on successful completion of the course.

Why study MA Social Work at BU?

  • This practical degree blends a powerful combination of academic study with essential practical experience

  • Placements during the course mean you will gain lots of relevant experience operating in real-world settings and will develop strong working relationships with those already in the profession

  • Our cohorts are small and extremely well supported

  • Our staff team is research active across a wide range of topics relevant to current social work practice, and this informs the curriculum and the learning experience of students

  • Each student is allocated a Personal Tutor from the teaching team

  • People with lived experience are actively and meaningfully involved in all aspects of the course, through the Public Involvement in Education and Research (PIER) partnership. The involvement of service users and carers was developed in social work and is now a feature across the faculty.

This course is approved by Social Work England, which means you’ll be eligible to apply for registration as a social worker on successful completion of the course.

Modules

Year 1: Law in Social Work Practice, Applying Social Work Models and Methods in Social Work, Developing Relationship Skills as a Social Work Practitioner, Readiness for Direct Practice in Social Work, Human Development: Applying Theory to Practice, Professional Practice with Children and Families, Professional Practice with Adults and MA Social Work First Substantive Placement (Parts A and B) Year 2: MA Social Work Final Substantive Placement (Parts A and B), Reflection on Professional Learning and Dissertation or Service Improvement Project and Critical Literature Review.

Professional bodies

Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

  • Social Work England

Ways to study this course

Campuses

  • Main Site

Study options

  • MA (PG) • Full-time • 2 Years

Start dates

  • 21/09/2026

Apply by
14 January

This is the equal consideration deadline. You can still apply after this date, but your application may not receive guaranteed consideration.

Application codes

Course code:
L501
Institution code:
B50
Campus name:
Main Site
Campus Code:
-
Points of Entry:
Year 1

Bournemouth University has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.

See why these ratings were awarded
What does this TEF outcome mean?

How to apply

Apply by
14 January

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Application codes

Course code:
L501
Institution code:
B50
Campus name:
Main Site
Campus Code:
-

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1

Open days

Entry requirements

Qualification requirements

UCAS Tariff

A Bachelors Honours degree, 2:1 or above or equivalent in any subject area. Applicants with a 2:2 may be considered if they have strong relevant work experience.

GCSE/National 4/National 5

GCSE English Language or English Literature and Mathematics grade 4 (or grade C in the old grading system). We also accept iGCSEs, Key Skills and Functional Skills and other qualifications at Level 2 of the National Qualifications Framework.

AccessBU: AccessBU provides you with the opportunity to tell us about your circumstances that are not always evident in your UCAS application. This widening access initiative also considers relevant criteria such as being in care or if you live in an area with a low participation rate in Higher Education - if you are eligible, your offer could be up to 16 UCAS tariff points below the published tariff.

Apprenticeships: We recognise the transferable knowledge and skills gained through apprenticeships and welcome applications from students with a Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship recognised by the Institute for Apprenticeships. Each application will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Deferred entry: We are happy to consider eligible applicants for deferred entry. If you have already submitted your application, please submit your deferral request through our website.

Direct entry: We welcome applications from students who have previously studied at degree level at other institutions and wish to transfer onto a BU course. Our Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) procedure enables credit awarded from one institution to contribute to a BU award, subject to an application process. Please visit our RPL webpage for more information.

Mature applicants: We recognise that mature applicants may have a wealth of experience rather than formal qualifications, so we’ll consider your application on these merits if included in your application. You’ll need to apply to BU in the usual way through UCAS and you may be invited to an interview to discuss your suitability for the course based on the experience you tell us about in your application.

Additional entry requirements

Interview
Criminal records declaration (DBS/Disclosure Scotland)

Contextual admissions

Universities and colleges consider more than grades when assessing applications and may make offers based on a range of criteria. Learn more about contextual offers.

Please note that this information reflects historical entry requirements for UK 18-year-olds who pursued A level and BTEC qualifications. Please see the relevant course page of our website for the most up-to-date details on this course’s entry requirements and selection methods. Our offer-making process is based on your potential to succeed on your chosen course and considers a range of factors. This course also has additional selection methods, such as an interview.

Historical entry grades data BETA

This section shows the range of grades students (with UK A-Levels or Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diplomas) who received offers were previously accepted with (learn more). It is designed to support your research but does not guarantee whether you will or won't get a place. Admissions teams consider various factors, including interviews, subject requirements, and entrance tests. Check all course entry requirements for eligibility.

Not enough data available

We are unable to show previous accepted grades for this course. This could be because the course is new, it's a postgraduate course, there isn't enough historical data, or the provider has opted out of sharing their entry grades data for this course - learn more.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

No fee information has been provided for this course

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.

Additional fee information

No additional fees or cost information has been supplied for this course, please contact the provider directly.

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