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To liberate. To protect. To support. To work with some of the most vulnerable members of our society.
How do you support families to remain together? How do you work with somebody who is homeless? How do you tell someone with dementia that their life partner of 60 years has died?
Social workers often find themselves working in challenging situations. You’ll work with people, their families, and their communities to bring about change and to help improve lives.
Working in a range of settings across various sectors, which may include statutory, private, voluntary, and charitable sectors, you’ll promote and advocate human rights and social justice. It can be difficult to appreciate the difference social workers make until you’ve experienced social work in action and that’s why you’ll complete two placements in your second and third years of study.
...3 years full-time
Richard Hawkins“The training we put on is different to what the students are used to. It is not your average lecture. By the end of the training days, students will really value the importance of being trained by someone with ‘lived experience’ and what they get out of that is a sense of realism of the profession.”
a person with lived experience and someone who has previously accessed support services around mental health and disability.
BA (Hons) Social Work focuses on addressing social justice through a combination of research, theory, and practice so that when you graduate, you’re a skilled, knowledgeable and capable social work practitioner.
At university, you’ll have days with a mix of lectures, tutorials, and collaborative project work such as group presentations. We focus on problem solving and sample cases throughout the course, and one of the ways we help you to develop analytical skills is through group tasks, where you’ll often work with a person who has experience of using social work services.
You’ll explore topics such as how welfare is delivered across society, the psychological factors that impact on communication, how the law supports and protects people in society, and the ethical and professional responsibilities of social workers.
Bursaries may be available for this course subject to specific criteria applied by the University and the NHS Bursaries office. Decisions are based on confirmed bursary numbers. Inclusion criteria will include score at interview and in line with Government guidance, this ranking can be adjusted in year one based on attendance and progression including passing assessment and readiness for direct practice. For the latest information visit nhsbsa.nhs.uk/students
Social Work England
Teaching Excellence Framework 2023-2027
National Student Survey 2024 (NSS)
Whether you’ve already made your decision about what you want to study, or you’re just considering your options, there are lots of ways you can meet us and find out more about student life at Manchester Met.
We offer:
Your studies are supported by a department of committed and enthusiastic teachers and researchers, experts in their chosen field.
We often link up with external professionals too, helping to enhance your learning and build valuable connections to the working world.
These typical entry requirements may be subject to change for the 2025/26 academic year. Please check back for further details.
Full-time fee: £9,250 per year. This tuition fee is agreed subject to UK government policy and parliamentary regulation and may increase each academic year in line with inflation or UK government policy for both new and continuing students.
Full-time fee: £21,500 per year. Tuition fees will remain the same for each year of your course providing you complete it in the normal timeframe (no repeat years or breaks in study).
A degree typically comprises 360 credits, a DipHE 240 credits, a CertHE 120 credits, and an integrated masters 480 credits. The tuition fee for the placement year for those courses that offer this option is £1,850, subject to inflationary increases based on government policy and providing you progress through the course in the normal timeframe (no repeat years or breaks in study). The tuition fee for the study year abroad for those courses that offer this option is £1,385, subject to inflationary increases based on government policy and providing you progress through the course in the normal timeframe (no repeat years or breaks in study).
Optional estimate: £2 to £12 a day whilst on placement (costs will vary considerably)
You will need to budget for travel costs to your placement which could be up to 80 kilometres from the University. Travel costs to placement will vary considerably depending on where you live, the location of your placement and how you choose to travel. Information on public transport costs within Greater Manchester can be found at www.tfgm.com You should also budget for car parking whilst on placement.
Compulsory estimate: £0.00 to £51.00 depending on your status
DBS Checks - before starting on your course, you must undergo a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service check (Enhanced Disclosure). The University covers the cost of payment for the DBS application and ID verification for new students where the DBS check is a requirement of the course, and where the application is made through the University, using the University’s approved service provider, currently First Advantage Disclosures.
Responsibility for DBS clearance on employment-based and CPD programmes normally lies with the employer, not the University. Where a DBS check is required for placement but not supported by your employer, the University will cover the cost of the first check when completed through the University, using the University’s approved provider, currently First Advantage Disclosures, as above.
Upon completion of the DBS check on whichever course, students have the option to subscribe to the DBS Update Service. The Update Service allows individuals to keep their DBS certificates up-to-date, and allows employers or education providers to check a current certificate, without the need to request a new certificate. At April 2022, the cost of subscription to the DBS Update Service is £13.00 per year, to be paid by the student. Subscription is strongly encouraged for students embarking on programmes, where DBS clearance will be an ongoing requirement for placements and professional practice.
Students who have resided outside the UK continuously for a period of twelve months or more in the last ten years, while over the age of 18, will also be required to provide evidence of a satisfactory overseas police check, and to meet any associated costs, including the cost of a certified translation if required.
Returning students who have previously obtained DBS clearance but who require a new check, for example, due to a suspension of study, are required to pay the DBS application fee of £38.00 (accurate at 6th April 2022) and any associated costs, including the cost of ID verification through the Post Office Certification Service, which is approximately £13.00 but subject to the relevant cost at the time of application.
You may also need to budget for student membership of professional bodies.
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Find out more about financing your studies and whether you may qualify for one of our bursaries and scholarships
Money MattersFrom working with homeless teenagers to women experiencing domestic abuse to adults with learning disabilities, your career as a social worker could develop in a number of different areas.
You might work in a social work department within a local authority or for an organisation such as the NHS or Cafcass. Or, perhaps you’ll work for a private company, such as in a residential care home, or for a charity.
As a graduate, you can apply for professional registration with the Social Work England and this allows you to use the protected title of social worker and to practise as a professional social worker. Our graduates are able to apply for jobs across the sector as although you have the opportunity to undertake units such as social work with children and families or social work and mental health you’ll qualify as a generic social worker.
Learning places and study spaces
Based in our award-winning Brooks building, you’ll have access to outstanding facilities throughout your studies. Our courses provide you with a variety of practical experience.
To give you as broad a range of experiences, you’ll take part in practical simulations in Birley Place (our specialist space that represents a community flat) and our home and hospital suites, as well as special projects with local organisations.
You can apply for the full-time option of this course through UCAS.
UCAS code(s)L500
Institution code: M40
Get advice and support on making a successful application.
You can review our current Terms and Conditions before you make your application. If you are successful with your application, we will send you up to date information alongside your offer letter.
Programme review
Our programmes undergo an annual review and major review (normally
at 6 year intervals) to ensure an up-to-date curriculum supported by the
latest online learning technology. For further information on when we
may make changes to our programmes, please see the changes section of our
terms and conditions.
Important notice
This online prospectus provides an overview of our programmes of study
and the University. We regularly update our online prospectus so that
our published course information is accurate. Please check back to the
online prospectus before making an application to us to access the most
up to date information for your chosen course of study.
Confirmation of regulator
The Manchester Metropolitan University is regulated by the Office for
Students (OfS). The OfS is the independent regulator of higher education
in England. More information on the role of the OfS and its regulatory
framework can be found at
officeforstudents.org.uk.
All higher education providers registered with the OfS must have a student protection plan in place. The student protection plan sets out what students can expect to happen should a course, campus, or institution close. Access our current student protection plan.