Social Work Degree Courses in the UK - Bachelors & Masters

Program University Student satis­faction Unem­ployed Drop­out Tuition (UK) Tuition (Inter­national) UCAS Tariff City
Social Work BA (Hons) University of East London 57% 7% 3% £9250 £14160 137 London On campus Full-time
Social Work BA (Hons) University of the West of Scotland 47% 5% 1% £9250 £15250 164 Paisley On campus Full-time
Applied Social Work BA (Hons) University of Derby 92% 5% 5% £9250 £14900 123 Derby On campus Full-time
Social Work BA (Hons) Liverpool Hope University 70% 0% 0% £9250 £12500 138 Liverpool On campus Full-time
Social Work BA (Hons) University of Hull 79% 5% 4% £9250 £9250 £15400 £16500 152 Hull On campus Full-time
Social Work BA (Hons) Bournemouth University 88% 5% 10% £9250 £18800 144 Poole On campus Full-time
Social Work BA (Hons) Middlesex University 60% 0% 5% £9250 £15100 133 London On campus Full-time
Social Work BA (Hons) University of Strathclyde 71% 0% 2% £9250 £19600 180 Glasgow On campus Full-time
Social Work BSW (Hons) Queen's University of Belfast 93% 5% 3% £9250 £20800 151 Belfast On campus Full-time
Social Work BA (Hons) Staffordshire University 74% 5% 17% £9250 £16750 136 Stoke-on-Trent On campus Full-time
Social Work BA (Hons) Glasgow Caledonian University 80% 6% 3% £9250 £9250 £14500 £15200 178 Glasgow On campus Full-time
Social Work BSc (Hons) London Metropolitan University 88% 0% 0% £9250 £17600 86 London On campus Full-time
Social Work BSc (Hons) University of Portsmouth 67% 10% 6% £9250 £18800 151 Portsmouth On campus Full-time
Social Work BA (Hons) University of Suffolk 81% 0% 5% £9250 £14598 104 Ipswich On campus Full-time
Social Work BSc (Hons) The University of Winchester 72% 0% 5% £9250 £16700 127 Winchester On campus Full-time
Social Work BSc (Hons) Buckinghamshire New University - 0% 10% £9250 £15000 £15000 118 High Wycombe On campus Full-time
Social Work BA (Hons) University of Dundee 96% 0% 5% £9250 £20900 148 Dundee On campus Full-time
Social Work BA (Hons) University of East Anglia 77% 0% 10% £9250 £20600 146 Norwich On campus Full-time
Social Work BA (Hons) University of Greenwich 85% 0% 15% £9250 £15100 £17000 143 London On campus Full-time
Masters in Social Work MSW The University of York 62% 0% 5% £9250 £23700 161 York On campus Full-time
Social Work BSc (Hons) Birmingham City University 75% 5% 10% £9250 £16085 146 Birmingham On campus Full-time
Social Work BA (Hons) Sheffield Hallam University 39% 0% 2% £9250 £15860 £16655 139 Sheffield On campus Full-time
Social Work BSc (Hons) The University of Edinburgh 85% 3% 3% £9250 £26500 186 Edinburgh On campus Full-time
Social Work BA (Hons) Teesside University 89% 5% 7% £9250 £15000 127 Middlesbrough On campus Full-time
Social Work BA (Hons) Robert Gordon University 98% 0% 5% £6750 £17040 123 Aberdeen On campus Full-time
Social Work (Undergraduate) MSc University of Huddersfield 67% 0% 5% £9250 £17600 157 Huddersfield On campus Full-time
Social Work BA (Hons) The University of Nottingham 85% 5% 0% £9250 £20500 141 Nottingham On campus Full-time
Social Work BA (Hons) Southampton Solent University - 0% 0% £9250 £15000 £16125 127 Southampton On campus Full-time
Social Work BA (Hons) University of Bradford 59% 0% 0% £9250 £18628 151 Bradford On campus Full-time
Social Work (Relevant Graduate Route) BSW (Hons) Queen's University of Belfast 85% 0% 0% £9250 £20800 151 Belfast On campus Full-time
Social Work BSc (Hons) University of South Wales - 0% 0% £9000 £12600 108 Pontypridd On campus Full-time
Social Work BA (Hons) Kingston University 67% 5% 5% £9250 - 136 Kingston upon Thames On campus Full-time
Social Work BA (Hons) University of Central Lancashire 56% 5% 15% £9250 - 141 Preston On campus Full-time
Social Work BA (Hons) Anglia Ruskin University 81% 5% 5% £9250 - 126 Cambridge On campus Full-time
Social Work BA (Hons) De Montfort University 100% 5% 5% £9250 - 159 Leicester On campus Full-time
Social Work BA (Hons) Leeds Beckett University 77% 5% 5% £9250 - 140 Leeds On campus Full-time
Social Work (including Foundation Year) BA (Hons) University of Chester 76% 0% 5% £9250 - 139 Chester On campus Full-time
Social Work BA (Hons) Oxford Brookes University 42% 5% 5% £1155 - 129 Oxford On campus Part-time
Social Work BA (Hons) Canterbury Christ Church University 67% 0% 5% £9250 - 107 Canterbury On campus Full-time
Social Work BA (Hons) The University of Northampton 60% 0% 15% £9250 - 125 Northampton On campus Full-time
Social Work BA (Hons) University of Birmingham 44% 5% 15% £9250 - 141 Birmingham On campus Full-time
Social Work (Qualified Status) BA (Hons) Wrexham Glyndwr University - 10% 10% £9000 - 115 Wrexham On campus Full-time
Social Work BA (Hons) University of Chester 76% 0% 5% £9250 - 149 Chester On campus Full-time
Social Work BA (Hons) Manchester Metropolitan University 77% 5% 5% - - 146 Manchester On campus Full-time
Social Work with Foundation Year BA (Hons) University of Keele 67% 0% 10% - - 110 Newcastle under Lyme On campus Full-time
Learning Disabilities Nursing and Social Work (Integrated Practice) BSc (Hons) University of Salford 71% 5% 5% - - 147 Salford On campus Full-time
Social Work BSc (Hons) University of Salford 74% 5% 5% - - 151 Salford On campus Full-time
Social Work BSc (Hons) Swansea University 74% 0% 0% - - 141 Swansea On campus Full-time
Social Work BA (Hons) University of Keele 67% 0% 5% - - 139 Newcastle under Lyme On campus Full-time
Social Work BA (Hons) University of Kent 56% 0% 10% - - 122 Canterbury On campus Full-time
Social Work BA (Hons) Nottingham Trent University 88% 0% 0% - - 156 Nottingham On campus Full-time
Social Work BA (Hons) University of Leeds 38% 4% 0% - - 156 Leeds On campus Full-time
Social Work BA (Hons) Lancaster University 80% 0% 5% - - 145 Lancaster On campus Full-time
Social Work BA (Hons) Plymouth University 81% 0% 9% - - 140 Plymouth On campus Full-time
Social Work (Postgraduate Entry) MSc (PG) Robert Gordon University - - - £5640 £14350 - Aberdeen On campus Full-time
Social Work and Social Policy PhD University of Huddersfield - - - £4765 £16000 - Huddersfield On campus Full-time
Social Work BA (Hons) University of Essex - - - £9250 £19500 - Colchester On campus Full-time
Social Work (Postgraduate) MA (PG) University of Hull - - - £9000 £12000 - Hull On campus Full-time
Social Work (Postgraduate Entry) MSc (PG) University of Portsmouth - - - £12000 £18100 - Portsmouth On campus Full-time
Social Policy and Social Work PhD The University of York - - - £2325 £2403 £9450 £11100 - York On campus Part-time
Social Work BSc (Hons) Cardiff Metropolitan University - - - £9000 £15000 £16000 - Cardiff On campus Full-time
Social Work PgDip Middlesex University - - - £8800 £11600 - London On campus Full-time
Social Work MA University of Derby - - - £8775 £14900 - Derby On campus Full-time
Social Work (Postgraduate) MA (PG) University of Hull - - - £6100 £9000 £10000 £12000 - Hull On campus Full-time
Nursing (Learning Disability) and Social Work BSc (Hons) Sheffield Hallam University - - - £9250 £15860 £16655 - Sheffield On campus Full-time
Social Work MA (Postgraduate Entry) MA (PG) University of Bradford - - - £4500 £18566 - Bradford On campus Full-time
Social Work (including foundation year) BSc (Hons) London Metropolitan University - - - £9250 £17600 - London On campus Full-time
Social Work PhD University of Kent - - - £4195 £13810 - Canterbury On campus Full-time
Social Work MSc University of Portsmouth - - - £12000 £18100 - Portsmouth On campus Full-time
Social Work BSc (Hons) University of Gloucestershire - - - £9250 £15000 £15450 - Cheltenham On campus Full-time
Social Work MA (PG) Middlesex University - - - £9250 £14000 - London On campus Full-time
Social Work (Postgraduate Entry) MA (PG) Liverpool John Moores University - - - £4052 £18250 - Liverpool On campus Full-time
Social Work and Social Policy MSc (Res) University of Huddersfield - - - £2420 £8000 - Huddersfield On campus Part-time
Social Work MSc University of Bristol - - - £9800 £22000 - Bristol On campus Full-time
Social Work (Graduate Entry) MSW University of Strathclyde - - - £7200 £17350 - Glasgow On campus Full-time
Social Work (Postgraduate entry) MA (PG) The University of York - - - £9540 £23900 - York On campus Full-time
Social Work MA The University of Sheffield - - - £9850 £21400 - Sheffield On campus Full-time
Social Work Research MSc University of Bristol - - - £11000 £22000 - Bristol On campus Full-time
Social Work MA (PG) University of Essex - - - £10000 £21700 - Colchester On campus Full-time
Advanced Social Work Practice PgCert Middlesex University - - - £10800 £13500 - London On campus Part-time
Social Work MA (PG) University of East London - - - £9250 £14160 - London On campus Full-time
Social Work MSc London Metropolitan University - - - £9100 £9100 - London On campus Full-time
Advanced Social Work Practice PgDip Middlesex University - - - £10800 £13500 - London On campus Part-time
Social Work (Postgraduate) MSc (PG) University of Huddersfield - - - £6900 £17600 - Huddersfield On campus Full-time
Social Work MSW Durham University - - - £8500 £22300 - Durham On campus Full-time
Social Work (Postgraduate Entry) MSc (PG) London Metropolitan University - - - £8270 £8270 - London On campus Full-time
Social Work MSc (PG) The University of Winchester - - - £9550 £17450 - Winchester On campus Full-time
Social Work (MA) (PG) MA (PG) Liverpool Hope University - - - £9250 £12500 - Liverpool On campus Full-time
Social Work MSW Sheffield Hallam University - - - £9250 £15860 £16655 - Sheffield On campus Full-time
Social Work - Central London Campus MSc Royal Holloway, University of London - - - £8600 £18200 - Egham On campus Full-time
Social Work MA Bournemouth University - - - £8000 £16750 - Poole On campus Full-time
Social Work (Postgraduate Entry) MSc (PG) Buckinghamshire New University - - - £9650 £9250 £16750 £15000 - High Wycombe On campus Full-time
Social Work (Postgraduate Entry) MA (PG) The University of Sheffield - - - £10240 £23110 - Sheffield On campus Full-time
Advanced Social Work Practice (Practice Education) PgCert Middlesex University - - - £10500 £14000 - London On campus Part-time
MA Social Work MA (PG) University of Greenwich - - - £7000 £9250 £8150 £17000 - London On campus Part-time
Social Work (Postgraduate Entry) MA (PG) University of East Anglia - - - £7600 £21200 - Norwich On campus Full-time
Social Work (Postgraduate Entry) MSc (PG) Glasgow Caledonian University - - - £7000 £7300 £15500 £16200 - Glasgow On campus Full-time
Social Work PgDip Middlesex University - - - £9250 £14000 - London On campus Full-time
Social Work (postgraduate entry) MA (PG) The University of Nottingham - - - £7500 £20000 - Nottingham On campus Full-time
Social Work (Postgraduate Entry) Central London Campus MSc (PG) Royal Holloway, University of London - - - £9000 £19100 - Egham On campus Full-time
Social Work (Postgraduate Entry) MA (PG) Leeds Beckett University - - - £9250 - - Leeds On campus Full-time
Social Work (Postgraduate Entry) MA (PG) University of Birmingham - - - £9250 - - Birmingham On campus Full-time
Social Work PhD University of Bristol - - - £2332 - - Bristol On campus Part-time
Social Work (Postgraduate Entry) MA (PG) University of Central Lancashire - - - £8400 - - Preston On campus Full-time
Advanced Social Work MA Kingston University - - - £3427 - - Kingston upon Thames On campus Part-time
Social Work MSW Kingston University - - - £4000 - - Kingston upon Thames On campus Part-time
Social Work Masters (Postgraduate) MSW Kingston University - - - £9250 - - Kingston upon Thames On campus Full-time
Social Work Practice Education PgCert University of Suffolk - - - £944 - - Ipswich On campus Part-time
Social Work PhD The University of Warwick - - - - - - Coventry On campus Full-time
Social Work MA Bangor University - - - - - - Bangor On campus Full-time
Social Work MA Manchester Metropolitan University - - - - - - Manchester On campus Full-time
Social Work Studies BA (Hons) Canterbury Christ Church University - - - - - - Canterbury On campus Full-time
Social Work MA University of Chester - - - - - - Chester On campus Full-time
Child Protection and Adult Safeguarding MSc Buckinghamshire New University - - - - - - High Wycombe On campus Part-time
Social Work PhD (3 years) PhD University of Dundee - - - - - - Dundee On campus Full-time
Social Work MSW Liverpool Hope University - - - - - - Liverpool On campus Full-time
Advanced Social Work Studies (Mental Health Officer Award) PgCert The University of Edinburgh - - - - - - Edinburgh On campus Part-time
Advanced Leadership for Professional Practice (Social Work) MSc The University of Manchester - - - - - - Manchester On campus Full-time
Social Work MA (PG) Anglia Ruskin University - - - - - - Cambridge On campus Full-time
Social Work Practice MA University of Bedfordshire - - - - - - Luton On campus Full-time
Social Work MA (PG) Bournemouth University - - - - - - Poole On campus Full-time
Social Work ProfDoc University of East London - - - - - - London On campus Part-time
Social Work MSc Birmingham City University - - - - - - Birmingham On campus Full-time
Social Work MA (PG) Canterbury Christ Church University - - - - - - Canterbury On campus Full-time
Social Work BSc (Hons) University of Bedfordshire - - - - - - Luton On campus Full-time
Social Work, Master of MSW The University of Edinburgh - - - - - - Edinburgh On campus Full-time
Social Research (Social Work and Professional Practice) PgDip University of Birmingham - - - - - - Birmingham On campus Full-time
Social Work PhD The University of Edinburgh - - - - - - Edinburgh On campus Part-time
Social Work MA University of Birmingham - - - - - - Birmingham On campus Full-time
Social Work MSc (PG) Swansea University - - - - - - Swansea On campus Full-time
Social Work MA MA The University of Nottingham - - - - - - Nottingham On campus Full-time
Social Work (Professional Doctorate) DSW ProfDoc University of Dundee - - - - - - Dundee On campus Part-time
Social Work (Postgraduate Entry) MA (PG) University of Salford - - - - - - Salford On campus Full-time
Social Work MA University of Kent - - - - - - Canterbury On campus Full-time
Social Work MA (PG) University of Keele - - - - - - Newcastle under Lyme On campus Full-time
Social Policy and Social Work PhD The University of Warwick - - - - - - Coventry On campus Part-time
Social Work (Postgraduate Entry) MSc (PG) University of Bedfordshire - - - - - - Luton On campus Full-time
MA Social Work (Postgraduate Entry) MA (PG) The University of Manchester - - - - - - Manchester On campus Full-time
Social Work MA Cardiff University - - - - - - Cardiff On campus Full-time
Social Work MA Nottingham Trent University - - - - - - Nottingham On campus Full-time
Social Work PhD Queen's University of Belfast - - - - - - Belfast On campus Full-time
Professional Social Work Practice PgDip University of Bedfordshire - - - - - - Luton On campus Full-time
Social Work MA (PG) University of Kent - - - - - - Canterbury On campus Full-time
Master of Social Work (MSW) [Postgraduate Entry] MSW The University of Edinburgh - - - - - - Edinburgh On campus Full-time
Advanced Child Protection MA University of Kent - - - - - - Canterbury On campus Part-time
Social Work (MA) (Postgraduate entry) MA (PG) Manchester Metropolitan University - - - - - - Manchester On campus Full-time
Social Work MA The University of Manchester - - - - - - Manchester On campus Full-time
Social Science Research (Social Policy and Social Work) MA The University of Nottingham - - - - - - Nottingham On campus Part-time
Social Work (3 years) (part time) PhD PhD University of Dundee - - - - - - Dundee On campus Part-time
Social Work MSc MSc University of Dundee - - - - - - Dundee On campus Full-time
Social Work MA Canterbury Christ Church University - - - - - - Canterbury On campus Full-time
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Student Reviews

Overall student satisfaction
69 /100
3757 total respondents

Primarily based on data from undergraduate degree students.

chart data
Source: National Student Survey NSS 2023. The Overall student satisfaction data point is from 2022 (latest available year). The Office for Students made the unfortunate decision to discontinue collecting overall student satisfaction data points per course.
The NSS is commissioned by the Office for Students

Salary

Primarily based on salary data of undergraduate students

Salary of all UK Graduates of Social Work

  15 months after graduation 3 years after graduation 5 years after graduation
Median salary £30014 £24882 £27670
25-75 percentile range £26322 - £32477 £17078 - £30541 £18866 - £34301
Source: Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) by UK Department for Education Dec 20, 2022
All Social Work courses in the UK

Salary of all UK Graduates of all subjects

  15 months after graduation 3 years after graduation 5 years after graduation
Median salary £30030 £24399 £27500
25-75 percentile range £26473 - £32238 £17860 - £29048 £20458 - £33321
Source: HESA - Graduate Outcomes Survey Oct 10, 2023

Jobs & Career Perspectives

Career perspectives for Social Work

15 months after graduation, graduates of this subject were asked about their current circumstances of employment, what they do, and whether their activities and perspectives are directly related to their studies.

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Source: HESA - Graduate Outcomes Survey Oct 10, 2023

Current jobs

Among graduates of Social Work who indicated that they are working, the percentage below represents the number who “agree” or “strongly agree” with the statements about their job.

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Source: HESA - Graduate Outcomes Survey Oct 10, 2023

Typical employers for graduates of Social Work

  • Social Services
  • Children's Homes
  • Primary Care Trusts
  • Prisons
  • Private Fostering Agencies
  • Nursing Homes
  • Voluntary Organisations

Jobs of graduates of Social Work (15 months after graduation)

Example below based on all graduates of Social Work at Anglia Ruskin University

75% Information Technology Professionals
10% Managers, directors and senior officials
Source: Unistats by Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Oct 10, 2023

Grading & Study Time

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Grading Distribution

Students of Social Work in the UK received the following grades.

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Source: Unistats by Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) 2016

Entry Requirements / Admissions

UCAS Tariff of Accepted Students for Social Work

chart data
Source: Unistats by Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Oct 10, 2023
Get advice on which foundation courses are best for you to still study Social Work, if you do not meet the minimum requirements in terms of UCAS score, A levels, or English language requirements.

FAQ

Social Work is the study of the organised means of providing basic support services for vulnerable/under-privileged individuals and/or groups.

The median salary of graduates of Social Work was £30014 15 months after graduation, £24882 3 years after graduation and £27670 5 years after graduation.

  • The following degrees are offered for Social Work studies:
  • Bachelor of Arts (Honours) - BA (Hons)
  • Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) - BSW (Hons)
  • Bachelor of Science (Honours) - BSc (Hons)
  • Master of Social Work - MSW
  • Master of Science - MSc
  • Master of Science (Postgraduate) - MSc (PG)
  • Doctor of Philosophy - PhD
  • Master of Arts (Postgraduate) - MA (PG)
  • Master of Philosophy - MPhil
  • Postgraduate Diploma - PgDip
  • Master of Arts - MA
  • Master of Science (Research) - MSc (Res)
  • Postgraduate Certificate - PgCert
  • Professional Doctorate - ProfDoc