Social Work

Our Master of Social Work (NFQ Level 9) programme is a two-year full-time course that combines academic study with fieldwork placements. This programme is approved by CORU. When you finish this MSW you will have a qualification that enables you to register as a social worker with regulatory bodies in Ireland (CORU) and abroad.

Prospective applicants should also visit our School of Applied Social Studies website at: http://www.ucc.ie/en/msw. This website has been designed to answer questions you may have about our social work programmes.

This MA is a full-time professional training programme running for 21 months over two academic years from the date of first registration for the programme.

As part of this MA you will take modules in social work theory, skills, social policy and topics specific to social work settings such as child and family welfare and mental health.

Students take 60 credits in each year of the programme (a total of 120 credits). The programme is divided into six thematically-based combinations as detailed below.

Year I

Social Work, Counselling and Development Issues
SS6101 Social Work Approaches 1: Theory and Practice (10 credits)
SS6102 Human Growth and Development (5 credits)
SS6108 Child and Family Welfare I (5 credits)

Social Work Practice and Fieldwork Placement I
SS6112 Practice Skills and Fieldwork Placement 1 (20 credits)

Social Science, Law and Social Work Settings
LW6005 Social Work and the Law (Child Law) (5 credits)
SS6105 Social Policy and Social Exclusion (5 credits)
SS6106 Applied Social Research (5 credits)
SS6107 Social Work Settings 1 (5 credits)

Year II

Social Work, User Groups, and Law
LW6003 Social Work and the Law (The Rights of Vulnerable Persons) (5 credits)
SS6200 Social Work Approaches II: Theory and Practice (5 credits)
SS6201 Child and Family Welfare II (5 credits)
SS6202 Social Work Settings II (5 credits)

Social Work Practice, Counselling Skills, and Fieldwork Placement II
SS6207 Practice Skills and Fieldwork Placement II (20 credits)

Dissertation and Practice Research Presentation
SS6206 Dissertation in Social Work (20 credits)

Admission to the Masters of Social Work (MSW) is open to a limited number of students holding at least a Second Class Honours Grade I in a primary honours (NFQ, Level 8) BSocSc Degree (or its equivalent), or graduates who have successfully completed an approved conversion programme, i.e. the Higher Diploma in Social Policy with at least a Second Class Honours Grade I (or its equivalent).

There is a selection process based on the following combined elements: academic performance and research capacity; certified social work-related experience and initiative; knowledge of social work and motivation, commitment and suitability.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Applicants should NOT apply for both the Masters and Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work Studies options as there is ONE selection procedure for both options.
Requirements for MSW applicants:

1) Applicants have already graduated with at least a Second Class Honours Grade I in a primary honours (NFQ, Level 8) BSocSc Degree (or its equivalent);
2) Applicants have already graduated with at least a Second Class Honours Grade I in an approved level 8 conversion programme, i.e. the Higher Diploma in Social Policy (or its equivalent);
3) Applicants are current final year students in BSocSc (level 8) (or its equivalent) pending their final results in their Summer exams; or
4) Applicants are current students on an approved level 8 conversion programme, i.e. the Higher Diploma in Social Policy (or its equivalent) pending their final results in their Summer exams.

Current final year students/current Higher Diploma in Social Policy students who are successful at interview will be allocated places on the MSW, conditional on achieving a minimum 2nd Class Honours Grade I in their final degree/Higher Diploma in Social Policy exams. Should they not obtain a 2nd Class Honours Grade I but at least a 3rd Class Honours, they will then be allocated a place on the Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work Studies on confirmation of their results.

The Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work Studies option is aimed at graduates who have already completed their BSocSc level 8 degree (or equivalent) but achieved an overall 3rd Class Honours result. BSocSc Graduates (level 8) (or its equivalent) who have already completed their degrees and did not achieve at least a 2nd Class Honours Grade 1 but achieved at least an overall 3rd Class Honours result can apply for the Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work Studies option.

Please see http://www.ucc.ie/en/CKC06 for more details of the Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work Studies and https://www.ucc.ie/en/cka50/ for its online option entry requirements.

GARDA VETTING
Please note that as part of this programme students will require Garda Vetting as they will take part in a placement or UCC related activity where they will be working in an unsupervised capacity with children and/or vulnerable adults. For more information on this process please read the UCC Student Garda Vetting Policy

FITNESS TO PRACTISE
This programme is subject to the University's Fitness to Practise Policy - full details may be found here.

Closing Date 6 February 2024

Assessment
You will undertake a wide variety of academic and practice assessments. You are assessed through group projects, enquiry-based learning assignments, reflective portfolios and learning journals, essays, research presentations, and a minor dissertation.

2 years full-time.

Start Date 9 September 2024

Skills and Careers Information
On graduation, you will have been prepared for professional registration and be in a position to demonstrate the core social work practice proficiencies (as prescribed by CORU) in the areas of professional autonomy and accountability, interpersonal and professional relationships, effective communication, personal and professional development, provision of quality services, knowledge, understanding and skills. You will be able to exhibit a good knowledge of theory, legislation, policy, official inquiry reports and international conventions, and apply it to assessment and intervention planning in social work practice. Consequentially, you will be well prepared to respond reflectively and reflexively to a variety of social work situations in a diversity of social work settings, including multi-disciplinary contexts.

The variety of social work fields that have attracted and employed our graduates to date include medical, mental health, child protection, probation, physical and intellectual disability, community social work and primary care.