Viewing course details for 2025-26 year of entry

How to apply

Code: 005L50T
Attendance: Part-time
Start: March 2025
Fees: £65 per taught credit (UK)
Duration: 7 months part-time
Course Leader: Lynette Lee-Messenger
Study mode: On campus
Location: Hendon campus
School / Department: School of Health and Education

Currently Reading: Course overview

Why study MA Social Work (Top-up) at Middlesex University?

We are looking for people who are committed to social inclusion and who are familiar with issues surrounding disempowerment, deprivation and inclusivity. You will bring leadership skills, the ability to empathise and an ability to deal with complex situations working in partnership with others. You will have a strong commitment to developing the social work profession and to developing evidence based practice.

This course has been designed for Social Work England registered social workers who have a PGDip in Social Work and who wish to achieve a masters level award. You will experience an integration of practice and research.

Course highlights

You will benefit from live on-campus teaching sessions alongside our pre-qualifying MA/PGDip Social Work students in interactive workshop-style seminars. Students wishing to join virtually may also be considered.
You will be supported every step of the way via 1:1 sessions with your allocated dissertation supervisor
You will be taught by staff from within our Department of Mental Health and Social Work where prominent and pioneering research projects in the disciplines are undertaken.
As a student of this course you'll receive a free electronic textbook for the module, free printing and copying, 24 hour library services and access to a range of other valued resources

What will you study on the MA Social Work (Top-up)?

You will be undertaking independent, guided research in your chosen area which will be directly relevant to social work practice. The curriculum is mapped against the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF), Professional standards and the Knowledge and Skills Statements (KSS) for both children and adults.

What will you gain?

Successful completion of the module will allow you to upgrade your PGDip in Social Work to an MA in Social Work. As well as an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the subject, you will also gain and develop research skills, critical thinking and an ability to develop and apply evidence based practice.

About your course

You will undertake a dissertation relevant to Social Work practice. You will be supported by an academic supervisor who will help you to navigate your research and the writing of your dissertation.

To find out more about this course please download the MA PGDip Social Work and MA Social work top up (PDF).

Register your interest

Teaching

You'll be taught by an experienced teaching team with a wide range of expertise and professional experience.

We aim to model a wide range of teaching strategies and approaches on the course which you can adapt to your own setting.

How is the MA Social Work (Top-up) taught?

This programme involves undertaking a small scale research project. You will have the opportunity for individual supervision from an academic adviser and the module leader will run a series of dissertation workshops which comprise the module.

Please email Rahaman Mohammed for further information.

Learning structure: typical hourly breakdown in 2023/24
On-campus	Contact time per week, per level:	Total for the single module: 6 hours workshops 7 hours individual supervision
Independent study	Average hours per week, per level:	5 hours

This information is likely to change slightly for 2024/25 entry as our plans evolve. You'll receive full information on your teaching before you start your course.

Definitions of terms

On campus learning – This will focus on active and experiential sessions that are both:
- Led by your tutors including seminars, lab sessions and demonstrations We'll schedule all of this for you
- Student-led by you and other students, like small group work and presentations.
Independent study– This covers activities which will be set for you by your tutor, but which you will undertake in your own time. Examples of this include watching online materials, participating in an online discussion forum, completing a virtual laboratory or reading specific texts. You may be doing this by yourself of with your course mates depending on your course and assignments. Outside of these hours, you’ll also be expected to do further independent study where you’ll be expected to learn, prepare, revise and reflect in your own time.

You will be based at our north London campus in Hendon.

Assessments

You will be expected to produce a 10,000 word dissertation.

Academic support

You have a strong support network available to you to make sure you develop all the necessary academic skills you need to do well on your course.

Our support services will be delivered online and on campus and you have access to a range of different resources so you can get the help you need, whether you’re studying at home or have the opportunity to come to campus.

You have access to one to one and group sessions for personal learning and academic support from our library and IT teams, and our network of learning experts. Our teams will also be here to offer financial advice, and personal wellbeing, mental health and disability support.

Four students walking through the Hendon campus

North London campus

Our north London campus is 23 minutes away by underground train, travelling from London Kings Cross.

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Facilities

The Sheppard Library

Our library is open from 7am to 11pm Monday to Sunday during the term and includes:

Over 1,000 study areas with rooms for group study and over 600 computer spaces
350,000 books and e-books and more than 24,000 online journals
Free laptop loans, Wi-Fi and printing.

Student support

We offer lots of support to help you while you're studying including financial advice, wellbeing, mental health and disability support.

Additional needs

We'll support you if you have additional needs such as sensory impairment or dyslexia. And if you want to find out whether Middlesex is the right place for you before you apply, get in touch with our Disability and Neurodiversity team.

Wellness

Our specialist teams will support your mental health. We have free individual counselling sessions, workshops, support groups and useful guides.

Work while you study

Our Middlesex Unitemps branch will help you find work that fits around uni and your other commitments. We have hundreds of student jobs on campus that pay the London Living Wage and above. Visit the Middlesex Unitemps page.

Financial support

You can apply for scholarships and bursaries. We have also reduced the costs of studying with free laptop loans, free learning resources and discounts to save money on everyday things. Check out our guide to student life on a budget.

Careers

How can the MA Social Work (Top-up) support your career?

Our graduates have been successful in obtaining employment in advanced social worker roles across a wide range of social work settings. Having a masters-level qualification in social work is advantageous if you would like to:

Progress your social work career with an internationally recognised qualification
Work as a social worker overseas
Work in academia
Complete further study at PhD level.

Entry requirements

             
             Qualifications
We require applicants to have a PGDip Social Work and be registered with Social Work England
Applicants must have evidence of having studied a research methods module either at undergraduate or postgraduate level

Further requirements
Enhanced DBS check may also be required

Interviews

Entry onto this course does not require an interview.

Applications for postgraduate study should be made directly to the university. Please visit our Postgraduate application page for further information and to apply.

Fees and funding

The fees below are for the 2023/24 academic year.

UK students¹

Part-time students: £63 per dissertation credit

Course costs

The following course-related costs are included in the fees:

All printing and copying required for your study
Self-service laptops available for loan for a maximum of 24 hours.

For more information and to answer your frequently asked questions, please visit our postgraduate funding page.

Fees disclaimers

1. UK fees: The university reserves the right to increase undergraduate tuition fees in line with changes to legislation, regulation and any government guidance or decisions. The tuition fees for part-time UK study are subject to annual review and we reserve the right to increase the fees each academic year by no more than the level of inflation.

Student Testimonials

"I appreciated the sessions and found them helpful. Each session was designed to support each aspect of the dissertation. It was a positive experience."

Top-up student

Jan 2021

Get answers from our Unibuddy student ambassadors

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Next steps

We’ll carefully manage any future changes to courses, or the support and other services available to you, if these are necessary because of things like changes to government health and safety advice, or any changes to the law.

Any decisions will be taken in line with both external advice and the University’s Regulations which include information on this.

Our priority will always be to maintain academic standards and quality so that your learning outcomes are not affected by any adjustments that we may have to make.

At all times we’ll aim to keep you well informed of how we may need to respond to changing circumstances, and about support that we’ll provide to you.

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