Social Work

• Gain experience in work placements where you can put theory into practice
• Study a course approved by Social Work England
• Apply for a bursary from the Department of Health and you may be eligible for funding towards your tuition fees and work placement travel expenses. 

Partnerships with people

Social workers form partnerships with people, helping them to assess and interpret the problems they face, and support them in finding solutions. This course will provide you with the skills and theories that will enable you to work as a qualified social worker in a range of settings. A career in social work is very challenging, but equally rewarding, as you get the opportunity to help make a difference in someone's life.

Engaging placements

During this course, you'll spend 170 days in work placements where you can apply the theory you learn into practice. You'll have 80 days in practice during stage one, and 90 days during stage two.

We have great links with our partners in the local and surrounding areas, so we can provide you with the effective and practical experience you'll need.

We’re proud to say that our courses are closely mapped against the health and social care sector. This ensures that our curriculum is up-to-date, providing you with the assurance that your learning is current and relevant. This does mean that we do have to respond to national changes, such as government policy. As a result, some of the information about our courses may change. Please check the website for the latest information.

Placement hours are subject to change.

Please note that our modules are subject to change - we review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects.

Our teaching team includes several qualified social workers with many years of experience working in the sector. Some of the classroom-based activities include lectures, small group work, case discussions and debates. During this course, you’ll spend 170 days in work placements where the theory you have learnt can be put into practice. All placements are allocated for you and will give you a broad range of experience. 

You'll be taught by an experienced team which includes:

• Catherine John-Baptiste (Programme Leader and Admissions Tutor)
• Michael Balkow
• Tonimarie Benaton
• Jennifer Brown
• Joanne Smith
• Vita Snowden
• Cynthia Tuuli 

How you'll be assessed

Our teaching team uses a range of interesting assessment techniques to provide you with appropriate challenges and assess your development. These include written assignments, presentations, role play and oral examinations. 

There's a growing demand for qualified social workers who can work in a variety of fields, and this course prepares you for that. You could work with issues such as child protection, vulnerable adults, mental health, disability, older adults and youth justice. These may exist in a variety of settings such as hospitals, day centres, area offices, residential centres, voluntary sectors and schools.

Once you are a qualified social worker, you'll be expected to continue your professional development so you can keep up-to-date with current trends in the sector and keep your skills updated.

You'll need:

• A minimum 2:1 honours degree (except in exceptional circumstances) or international equivalent
• GCSE grade C or above in English and maths or certificated equivalences, regardless of previous educational qualifications
• Completion of a written test, regardless of previous qualification or educational background
• Non-UK applicants should achieve a minimum score of 7.0 overall in the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) assessment (or an equivalent assessment) with a minimum of 6.5 in each skills area. Non-UK applicants for September 2023 should submit a final certificate to evidence the required level 2 qualifications are held and not being worked towards. This can be as IELTS with an overall score of 7.0 and a minimum of 6.5 in each skills area and minimum of C4 for English and C6 for Maths in the WAEC qualification. If these qualifications are not held and evidence provided, applications will be refused
• International applicants can demonstrate their English language from any of the accepted qualifications or by taking the Derby English Language Test (any testing with evidence of attainment needs to be completed prior to the submission of an initial application). If applicants are using a WAEC qualification as certified evidence this must be at a minimum of C4 for English and C6 for Maths

• To be considered for interview your Personal Statement must evidence the following:

  • An understanding of the roles and responsibilities of UK based social workers

  • Relevant social care/work experience (paid or unpaid).* You need to state how this relates to social work.  You may want to refer to Social Work England/BASW Professional Capabilities Framework domains to do this.

  • The length of time you have spent gaining this experience and how it makes you suitable for undertaking the social work course at this time.

• Applications that do not provide the above at the time of application may be rejected. Re-submission of applications will not be accepted if an unsuccessful application has already been submitted in the same academic year
• To undergo a health check and a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. The health check determines your fitness for practice
• Confirm prior to interview/offer decision making that you can use basic IT facilities, including word processing, internet browsing and use of email

Accreditation of prior learning will not be considered for this course

*Experience can take the form of voluntary or paid work in which you are able to demonstrate interaction with children and adults in a range of diverse settings.  For example, this could be acting as a peer mentor, working within a nursery setting, having caring responsibilities for a sibling or parent, and understanding and applying safeguarding measures or working in a care home and supporting residents with welfare needs.

Interview information

2024/25 (August 2024 - July 2025)

Please note fees normally increase in line with inflation and the University's strategic approach to fees, which is reviewed on an annual basis. The total fee you pay may therefore increase after one year of study.

Additional costs and optional extras

Funding your studies

Find out more about fees, postgraduate loans and support you may be entitled to.

Find out about funding your studiesFind out about funding your studies

Alumni discount for Derby graduates

We offer a discount on postgraduate course fees for all Derby alumni.

Find out about the Alumni discountFind out about the Alumni discount

Any postgraduate social work bursaries awarded to the University of Derby (by NHSBSA) will be allocated according to the following criteria: performance from the admission process: Stage 1 written test and the Stage 2 interview. These are both completed during the admissions process.

Additional costs and optional extras

Additional information about your studies

Download programme specification

Teaching hours

Like most universities, we operate extended teaching hours at the University of Derby, so contact time with your lecturers and tutors could be anytime between 9am and 9pm. Your timetable will usually be available on the website 24 hours after enrolment on to your course.

Minimum numbers

Please note that this course is subject to minimum numbers in order to run.

Other courses you might like

• Applied Social Work BA (Hons)

Contact us

If you need any more information from us, eg on courses, accommodation, applying, car parking, fees or funding, please contact us and we will do everything we can to help you.