Social Work MA | Northumbria University
2 Years Full-Time | September Start
Option for Placement Year
Option for Study Abroad
Social Work MA | Northumbria University
Please note: this course is now closed for 2026 entry. Register your interest for future intakes and explore our full range of masters courses.
What is a Social Worker?
A social worker is someone who seeks to improve people’s lives by helping with social and interpersonal difficulties, promoting human rights, and wellbeing. They can support many kinds of people including the elderly, those with disabilities, people who have a learning disability, young offenders, children at risk of abuse, children living in foster care, autistic people, refugees, asylum seekers, people experiencing mental health difficulties, and those vulnerable to drug or alcohol abuse.
Social Work is motivated by human rights and the wellbeing of the public, ensuring that everyone, no matter their circumstances, is treated fairly and is safe from harm. They may do this by assessing the needs of an individual, planning the best solution to their problems, making referrals, organising support, or even providing direct support.
What is a Masters in Social Work and what does the course entail?
A Master in Social Work is a graduate-level degree program that prepares individuals for advanced practice in the field of social work. The MA Social Work at Northumbria has both a national and international focus and offers the opportunity to gain experience across cultures. Trips previous students have undertaken include observing social work practice in Greece, Turkey and Northern Ireland. This year, some of our MA students will be visiting South Africa. This Social Work Master’s programme has excellent placements within local networks providing excellent practice learning opportunities (70 days in Year 1 and 100 days in Year 2). We ensure that all our students are offered two, high-quality, contrasting placements in order to offer the very best and most varied work experience to prepare you for qualified practice. Students are supported by a placement team focused on your learning needs during placements.
How will this course prepare me for a career in Social Work?
Social Work is a diverse and challenging profession where you will encounter people from a breadth of social, economic, religious, racial, cultural and diverse backgrounds. We are keen to reflect this diversity in our student recruitment and will consider every applicant beyond their professional and academic experience within the context of their life experience too. We welcome applicants with any undergraduate degree and upon successful completion of this course, you will be eligible to apply for registration with the regulator, Social Work England, to be granted the protected title of Social Worker.
Why study this course at Northumbria University?
Research Powerhouse: Social Policy is ranked 3rd in the UK for research power in the UK (REF 2021).
Social Work is an incredibly rewarding career that gives you an opportunity to work with people in times of need to achieve positive change in their lives. Northumbria University is proud to have over 50 years' experience in providing excellent qualifying Social Work programmes. We are the largest provider of Social Work education in the North East and boast a team with extensive experience in broad range of social work contexts. You will learn from the very best during your Master's in Social Work.
Course Information
Level of Study
Postgraduate
Mode of Study
2 years Full Time
School
Communities and Education
Location
Coach Lane Campus, Northumbria University
City
Newcastle
Start
September 2026
Fees
Fee Information
Facilities / Coach Lane Campus
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Fees and Funding 2026/27 Entry
Full UK Fee: £15,920
Tuition fees in the academic year 2027/28* will be £10,050. Fees are set in line with the UK Government's tuition fee cap. The University may increase fees in subsequent years in line with any changes to the tuition fee cap. Increases will be linked to inflation. For example, increases may be linked to RPIX (Retail Price Index excluding mortgage interest payments) Students will be notified of any increase ahead of it taking effect. Student fee loans rise in line with the tuition fees cap.
*if your course is longer than one year
Full International Fee: £36,940
This is the tuition fee for your first year of study. You should expect to pay tuition fees for every year of study. The University may increase fees in the second and subsequent years of your course at our discretion in line with any inflationary or other uplift. Students will be notified of any increase ahead of it taking effect.
Scholarships and Discounts
ADDITIONAL COSTS
TBC
* At Northumbria we are strongly committed to protecting the privacy of personal data. To view the University’s Privacy Notice please click here
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Any Questions?
Our Applicant Services team will be happy to help. They can be contacted on 0191 406 0901 or by using our Contact Form.
All information is accurate at the time of sharing.
Full time Courses are primarily delivered via on-campus face to face learning but could include elements of online learning. Most courses run as planned and as promoted on our website and via our marketing materials, but if there are any substantial changes (as determined by the Competition and Markets Authority) to a course or there is the potential that course may be withdrawn, we will notify all affected applicants as soon as possible with advice and guidance regarding their options. It is also important to be aware that optional modules listed on course pages may be subject to change depending on uptake numbers each year.
Contact time is subject to increase or decrease in line with possible restrictions imposed by the government or the University in the interest of maintaining the health and safety and wellbeing of students, staff, and visitors if this is deemed necessary in future.
Accessibility and Student Inclusion
Northumbria University is committed to developing an inclusive, diverse and accessible campus and wider University community and are determined to ensure that opportunities we provide are open to all.
We are proud to work in partnership with AccessAble to provide Detailed Access Guides to our buildings and facilities across our City, Coach Lane and London Campuses. A Detailed Access Guide lets you know what access will be like when you visit somewhere. It looks at the route you will use getting in and what is available inside. All guides have Accessibility Symbols that give you a quick overview of what is available, and photographs to show you what to expect. The guides are produced by trained surveyors who visit our campuses annually to ensure you have trusted and accurate information.
You can use Northumbria’s AccessAble Guides anytime to check the accessibility of a building or facility and to plan your routes and journeys. Search by location, building or accessibility feature to find the information you need.
We are dedicated to helping students who may require additional support during their student journey and offer 1-1 advice and guidance appropriate to individual requirements. If you feel you may need additional support you can find out more about what we offer here where you can also contact us with any questions you may have:
Page last updated 03/07/26
