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Master of Social Work (MSW) [Postgraduate Entry]

  • MSW
  • 2 Years
  • Full-time
  • 14 September 2026
  • Undergraduate
Central area campus
More about The University of Edinburgh

Course options

2026-20272027-2028
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Course summary

This programme offers you a professional qualification recognised by the Scottish Social Services Council and The Health and Care Professions Council, and eligibility for registration as a social worker. You’ll gain a fundamental understanding of the theory and practice that underpins all work in the field, splitting your time between theoretical learning on campus and practical work in various learning environments. The programme is approved by the Scottish Social Services Council, complies with the Scottish Requirements for Social Work Training and enables you to meet the Standards in Social Work Education and the Key Capabilities in Child Care and Protection. It is also recognised as a professional qualification in social work across the world, including the United States and Canada.

This course is available in Clearing. If you have submitted an application, you can add this course. If you haven’t sent us an application yet, you can do this until 24th September 2026.

Ways to study this course

Campuses

  • Central area campus

Study options

  • MSW • Full-time • 2 Years

Start dates

  • 14 September 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:
L508
Institution code:
E56
Campus name:
Central area campus
Campus Code:
-
Points of Entry:
Year 1

How to apply

This course has limited vacancies, and is no longer accepting applications from some students. See the list below for where you normally live, to check if you're eligible to apply.
  • EU
  • Wales
  • England
  • International
  • Scotland
  • Northern Ireland
  • Republic of Ireland

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:
L508
Institution code:
E56
Campus name:
Central area campus
Campus Code:
-

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1

Entry requirements

UCAS Tariff
Not accepted

A level
Not accepted

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Not accepted

Access to HE Diploma
Not accepted

Scottish Higher
Not accepted

A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, is preferred. Applicants holding or predicted less than a 2:1 degree (or equivalent) with additional qualifications and/or substantial relevant experience may also be considered.

Full, detailed entry requirements including English language requirements are available on the University of Edinburgh’s website along with important information on how to apply.

Find out more about qualification requirements for this course.

Minimum Qualification Requirements

Find out more about minimum qualification requirements for this course.

Additional entry requirements

Criminal records declaration (DBS/Disclosure Scotland)
Other
You must be able to demonstrate knowledge and experience of social work and a sound motivation to train as a social worker through a period of paid or voluntary work in a social care/social work settings or any settings that allowed you to work with people in need. You will normally have at least six months of work experience at the time of applying. We may also consider your application if you have other voluntary or work experience and can demonstrate an ability to transfer your learning and experience, and to manage complex relationships in personal or work contexts. You must be able to demonstrate this in your personal statement.

English language requirements

TestGradeAdditional details
IELTS (Academic)77.0 overall with 6.5 in each component.
TOEFL (iBT)100100 or above with 23 in each section (including Special Home Edition). We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
Cambridge English Advanced185 overall with 176 in each component.
Cambridge English Proficiency185 overall with 176 in each component.
Trinity ISEISE III with a pass in all four components.
You must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies, regardless of your nationality or country of residence. We accept a wider range of international qualifications and tests. English language qualifications must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the degree you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL, or Trinity ISE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Full details of our English language requirements can be found on our website:https://www.ed.ac.uk/studying/postgraduate/applying/your-application/entry-requirements/english-requirements

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.

The University of Edinburgh welcomes students from the UK and all over the world. We accept a wide range of qualifications and our policies support students with diverse backgrounds and experience. UCAS entry grade data is currently not available for our degrees but we publish admissions statistics on our website. We also provide information on widening access offers and entry requirements.

Learn more on the The University of Edinburgh website

Historical entry grades data

This section shows the range of grades that students who received offers were previously accepted on to this course 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 available

Historical entry grades data is not currently available for The University of Edinburgh - we are working with them to try and make it available soon - 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

Tuition fees for students starting a course of study in academic year 2025-26 or later have not yet been confirmed. Decisions are expected before the start of academic year 2025-26.

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