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NUI Galway

Social Work

Your course
This course will equip you with the skills and knowledge to be registered as a social worker by the CORU registration body. It provides both university and practice-based learning to students, offering opportunities to learn about social problems and their causes, as well as policy solutions. It also equips students with skills in working with individuals, groups and communities, putting an emphasis on the promotion of human rights and social justice. Students complete two practice placements as well as a range of modules, such as Social Work Practice and Theory, Law and Human Rights, Social Policy, Mental Health and Health Promotion, Working with Vulnerable Children and Adults, Crime Reduction and Probation Work, and Human Behaviour and the Social Environment.

3 Good Reasons To Study This Course

1. Placement opportunities: Practice placements are carried out in a variety of settings, including those dealing with child protection, domestic violence, mental health, disability and with older people.

2. Employability: Excellent employment prospects.

3. Accredited: The programme is currently accredited by the statutory regulatory agency, CORU (see www.coru.ie), the Health and Social Care Professionals' Council.

Entry requirements

Minimum entry requirements
A primary undergraduate degree (minimum of Second Class Honours, Grade 2) in one of the following: BA with a major in Social Work, Sociology, Psychology Social Policy, Social Science, Social Studies, Social Care, Public and Social Policy, Youth and Family Studies, Childhood Education, Health and Social Care, Psychology, Community Development or other relevant qualifications deemed equivalent by NUI Galway. Applicants must have the equivalent of six months' full-time relevant experience (960 hours) by the time of application. Up to 240 hours can be allocated to relevant placement, and the remaining must be from supervised practice in a relevant social service organisation.

GARDA VETTING/POLICE CLEARANCE:
Garda vetting/ police clearance is required for this programme.

Duration

2 years full-time.

Careers or further progression

Career opportunities
Social workers are much in demand and deal with a range of issues that affect people, including poverty, violence, abuse, mental health, addiction and disability. A range of voluntary, public and private sector organisations require social work services, such as the HSE , the Department of Justice's probation services and local authorities. The voluntary/non-governmental sector includes specialist services to children and adults such as Ability West, Enable Ireland, Brothers of Charity Services, Galway Drugs Service, Jigsaw and COPE.