Why study social work?
Social workers can make a significant difference to people dealing with major problems.
You'll work with individual people and families to help them tackle challenges such as living independently and protecting vulnerable children and adults from harm.
The MA Social Work course at Manchester is for graduates who want to make the move into a social work career.
Through our postgraduate course, you'll learn how to become a highly effective social worker through academic and practical learning.
Social work at Manchester
High-quality placements and rigorous teaching
Study social work at Manchester and you'll gain the knowledge and skills you need to make a difference to the lives of individuals and families, with scope to pursue specialisms in the future.
Our MA will give you a nationally and internationally recognised professional social work qualification, and eligibility to register as a qualified social worker with the Health and Care Professions Council.
You will learn through academic teaching and placements that benefit from our membership of the Greater Manchester Social Work Academy, a government-sponsored Teaching Partnership that fosters close links between employers and universities in Greater Manchester.
Practice learning
You'll undertake placements in a variety of local authority, voluntary or private agency settings.
Teaching and learning
Develop the knowledge you need to succeed as a social worker through blended online and on-campus learning informed by research.
International students
See how the MA in Social Work can benefit students from outside the UK.
Research
Our social work course is informed by the latest research.
From our students
Switching from fashion design to social work
Panashe explains why she changed career direction after studying fashion design for her undergraduate degree.
Read the blog : Switching from fashion design to social work
A day on placement at Trafford Council Early Help
MA student Charlotte talks us through a day on placement at Trafford Council.
Read the blog :Charlotte takes us through a day on her placement at Trafford Council.
How the MA has had an impact on my career
MA graduate Thomas talks about how the course has contributed to his role as a social worker specialising in child protection.
Read the blog : How the MA in Social Work has had an impact on my career
How my MA has influenced my career trajectory
Josh reveals how the Social Work course has shaped his career over three years after graduating.
Read the blog : How my MA has influenced my career trajectory
Course information
For 2025 entry
Find out more about studying social work at Manchester on the course page.
- Social Work (MA)
Making an application
Apply for the MA in Social Work
You will need to apply for this course via UCAS. More information can be found on the MA Social Work course page: Application and selection.
If you have any questions, please email us at pgtaught.socialwork@manchester.ac.uk.
Contact us
In the Social work section
In the social work section
There's more information in this section for you to explore.
Postgraduate information
There's more to discover about becoming a postgraduate on our Faculty and main University websites. Here are some links to get you started.