Social Work (Children and Families) Bournemouth University (BU)

Why study PG Dip/MA Social Work (Children and Families) at BU?

• If you already hold an undergraduate degree and are interested in specialising in work with children and young people, this is the ideal social work course option
• This course is an intensive full-time training programme that could see you start a career as a social worker in just 14 months, whilst receiving a Department for Education bursary in addition to course fees
• This generic social work qualification covers all aspects of child and family social work and working with adults required to be eligible for registering with Social Work England as a Social Worker
• The Department of Education funds this course through Local Authorities including Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole Council, Dorset County Council and Wiltshire Council
• Statutory placements throughout the course mean you will gain lots of relevant experience operating in real-world settings and will develop strong working relationships with those already in the profession
• You’ll have the option to continue your studies from a Postgraduate Diploma to a Master’s by undertaking a dissertation and a service improvement project, which will be self-funded.

Please note that although this course is delivered by Bournemouth University, the course is funded by the Department for Education (DfE) and can only go ahead if funding is secured from the DfE.  

Course approval

This course is approved by Social Work England, which means you’ll be eligible to apply for registration as a social worker on successful completion of the course.

Entry requirements

Essential criteria

You will need:

• a degree-level qualification in any discipline except social work from a UK higher education institute or an approved overseas equivalent
• a minimum 2:2 (level 6) degree qualification, for example, an honours degree or a graduate certificate
• to have GCSEs in English or English Language and Mathematics at grade C or above, or the new grade 4 and above (or an approved equivalent)
• to have completed your degree, final year students are not eligible to apply
• to show evidence of your qualifications (such as certificates) and be able to upload this to the application form – this is mandatory for overseas qualifications (please ensure you have relevant electronic versions to hand prior to submitting your application)
• to have a minimum of 6 months full-time (or equivalent) direct experience of working with vulnerable children, young people and/or families/carers or adults, either in a paid or voluntary capacity
• to live in England
• a driving licence and use of a vehicle in some locations, or to confirm that you’ll be able to travel for work if you do not have a vehicle
• to complete an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check ​

Applications which do not meet all of these criteria will not be assessed.

If English is not your first language, you will need IELTS (academic) 7.0 overall with a minimum of 6.5 in each component, or equivalent.