ProfMasters Social Work

Graduate Taught (level 9 nfq, credits 150)

The Professional Master of Social Work is a full-time programme approved by CORU (The Social Workers’ Registration Board www.coru.ie), leading to a professional social work qualification. With this qualification you are eligible to apply for professional registration which is a requirement to practice social work in Ireland. The Masters is also recognised internationally. The programme is taught by research-active academics with broad teaching and practice experiences. Modules will address topics such as social work counselling skills, social work theory and methods, human development and behaviour,  justice and human rights, working with children, families and adults, research methods, as well as working with groups and communities. We have very strong practice partnership arrangements that enable us to deliver high quality placements for students

 

The long-established UCD Professional Master of Social Work is a 2 year full-time programme, approved by the Social Workers Registration Board at CORU. The programme emphasises reflective and anti-oppressive practice and equips students  with the knowledge, values and skills to work as social workers in a range of settings. With this qualification you will be eligible to apply for professional registration which is a requirement to practice social work in Ireland. Our Masters is also recognised internationally. The programme is taught by research-active academics with broad teaching and practice experiences. Modules address topics such as social work counselling skills, social work theory and methods, human development and behaviour,  justice and human rights, working with children, families and adults, research methods, as well as working with groups and communities. We have very strong practice partnership arrangements that enable us to deliver high quality placements for students

Highlights:

  • Registered graduates can work in a range of practice settings including: medical social work, mental health social work, child welfare and protection and criminal justice social work.
  • Extensive fieldwork placements are an integral part of the programme and are sourced by our Practice Learning Team.
  • A range of teaching methodologies are used, including lectures, small group discussions, and experiential skills workshops.
  • Modules are taught by research active academics, experienced social work practitioners and people who use social work services.
  • A commitment to engagement with people who use social work services is a key feature of the programme. For example, we have a long-established partnership with the SAOL project, an integrated programme of education, rehabilitation, advocacy and childcare for women impacted by addiction, with women from the SAOL project contributing to the programme.
  • The programme has long-established links with social work agencies and with individual practitioners, ensuring relevance to current practice. For example, twice yearly students have an opportunity to attend the UCD-Tusla Joint Learning Forum which brings practitioners, students and academics together to develop further understanding of key current practice issues
  • The programme is recognised in many countries internationally.

 

Careers & Employability

  • Graduates with this degree have successfully registered as professional social workers in Ireland, the  United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, among other countries.
  • Graduates obtain employment in a range of social work practice contexts including criminal justice, child welfare and protection, community based social work, and health-related social work. They work with communities, children and families, older people, offenders, people with disabilities, and people with mental health difficulties, amongst others

Curricular information is subject to change


Full Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EEA) applicants currently residing outside of the EEA Region. Yes

This programme will be of interest to you if you are passionate about human rights and social justice, wish to better understand societal problems, and want to be actively involved in working with people and communities to overcome challenging situations and to enhance their well-being. Full attendance is a programme requirement. This, combined with the professional nature of the programme, demands a considerable commitment from students for its duration, both in terms of lecture attendance, completion of coursework, and attendance at placement.

Social work has had a long and distinguished presence in University College Dublin. Over many decades our social work programmes have graduated highly qualified professionals that have been employed in many social, health and community settings, both in Ireland and internationally. We enjoy very strong partnership arrangements with a range of local and national social work, health and community agencies.

The Professional Master of Social Work offers generic professional training in social work.  The aim of the Programme is to build on students’ prior learning and experience to develop their practice expertise. Our Programme is approved by the national Social Workers' Registration Board (CORU).

The curriculum is planned as an integrated whole, delivered by staff who possess a wide range of practice and research experience.The content of the curriculum meets regulatory body standards in terms of university and practice learning curricula.

The Programme enables students to apply university based learning through the completion of two professionally supervised, three month, practice placements.

Reflecting UCD’s University for All ethos, we are proud of the fact that our programme at UCD always has a very diverse student group – for example, diverse in terms of age, gender, nationality,ethnicity, socio economic background, ability, disability and neurodivergence . Our programme includes students who have recently completed their undergraduate degrees from across Ireland, students who are returning to education or changing career, Irish students of different ethnicities and socio-economic backgrounds, and international students from different countries and continents. This diversity of student cohort is widely regarded as a key strength of the programme, resulting in opportunities to learn from peers with different perspectives and life experiences.

Upon successful completion of this masters programme, graduates are eligible to apply for registration with CORU, the Social Workers' Registration Board as well as other international registration boards and upon registration with the relevant registration boards can then pursue a career in social work in Ireland or in many other jurisdictions.

View All Modules Here

On the UCD Professional Master of Social Work you will study a range of different modules. Some of these will focus on developing a generic knowledge base – such as theories of human behaviour and development and social justice and human rights– while others will focus on more specific areas of practice, including adult services and health and child welfare and protection. In addition, there are modules that prioritise the development of skills through role plays and reflective practice in small groups. Modules are taught by our academic staff with varied social work practice and research backgrounds, who actively contribute to practice, policy and academic debates at a national and international level. The programme also, very importantly, has teaching input from people who use social work services and from experienced practitioners.

The above list is the stage 1 modules, at Stage 2 the offering is as follows: 

Practice Placement 2
Group Work and Community Work
Adult Services and Health 2
Advanced Social Work Theories and Methods 
Social Justice & Human Rights 
Social Work Counselling Skills 2
Research Methods 2
Child Welfare and Protection 2
Preparation for Professional Practice 2

Modules are subject to change

To obtain the Professional Master of Social Work award, all modules on the programme must be successfully completed. As all modules specifically relate to social work and contribute to the attainment of the CORU-required Standards of Proficiency for Social Workers, recognition of prior learning is not permitted.

As a full time programme, students are required to attend lectures in-person three days per week in Trimester 1 and to engage in coursework on the other days. In Trimester 2, placement takes place from Monday to Friday. In Trimester 3 (summer) of Year 1 all students complete a research dissertation. As such the programme is suited to students who can offer the commitment that this intensive programme requires.

 

ProfMasters Social Work (W426) Full Time
EU          Year 1 - € 10752
nonEU    Year 1 - € 22600
EU          Year 2 - € 10374 aa
nonEU    Year 2 - € 21950 aa

aaSecond Year Fee applies to Students in 2nd Year in 2024 and who were a 1st Year Student on the programme in 2023/24
***Fees are subject to change

Tuition fee information is available on the UCD Fees website. The UCD Access and Life Long Learning website has information about Cothrom na Féinne scholarships and Sanctuary scholarships.  UCD also offers a number of graduate scholarships for full-time, self-funding international students, holding an offer of a place on a UCD graduate degree programme. For further information please see International Scholarships

 

Practice Placements: 

Students will undertake two, full-time fourteen-week placements, one in Year 1 and one in Year 2. Placements are sourced by our Practice Learning Team through an extensive network of long-standing relationships with agencies across Ireland. All placements meet the requirements set out by CORU, with ongoing-training provided to all placement supervisors (practice teachers).

Placements reflect the diverse areas of practice in which social workers work and aim to meet the learning needs of the individual students concerned. Placements offer students the opportunity to apply their learning from college to the practice context and this application of theory to practice is supported by both the professionally qualified social worker who supervises the student on placement and by a UCD Practice Tutor

 

The Professional Master of Social Work includes extensive fieldwork placements and is widely recognised abroad as a professional social work qualification. Graduates with this degree have successfully registered as professional social workers in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, among other countries.  If you are unsure what the requirements are for professional social work registration in the country in which you hope to practice, you should check with the relevant registration body in that country.

Admission requirements
For graduates of UK universities, grading of undergraduate degrees is similar to that used in Ireland and the academic requirements defined in the initial screening criteria set out above apply directly.
For North American students, the minimum academic standard for entry equates to a GPA of around 3.0 on undergraduate degrees from most universities. To be competitive for entry, North American applicants would normally require a GPA of at least 3.5, though since work experience and orientation to social work are also taken into account, the level of academic qualification required for final selection is not fixed.


To qualify under initial screening, primary degrees must be the equivalent of an honours level Bachelor’s degree. Such degrees are defined as Level 8 qualifications in the Framework of Qualifications for the European Higher Education Area (also known of the Bologna Framework ).   Degrees classed ‘ordinary level’ (Level 7 in the Bologna Framework) are not considered as eligible for entry to the Professional Master of Social Work. Applicants are required to submit transcripts from all previous bachelors or masters programmes as well as a personal statement, references and details of work experience (the form on which to do this can be found below). Also applicants should submit a copy of either their birth certificate or the photo page of their passport for nationality verification purposes.

  • The minimum standard for entry is the equivalent of an overall Second Class Honours Grade II in the applicant's primary (Level 8) degree
  • Applications should hold a BSocSc degree with a major in Social Policy or a BSocial Work or equivalent; or another undergraduate degree, at least half of which has involved the study of Social Policy or Social Policy related subjects.
  • Alternatively, applicants must hold a level 8 primary degree together with a Second Class Honours (or GPA equivalent in the institution which awarded the degree) in a postgraduate (level 8) Higher Diploma in Social Policy or equivalent. 
  • If your degree grade is given as a GPA, the standard for entry is the GPA equivalent of a Second Class Honours Grade II in the institution which awarded your degree. You should note that this may vary from institution to institution. For degrees awarded by UCD it is a GPA of 2.48.

Written Piece

There will be a short written piece included as part of this year's application process, on the same day as the  interview. This will involve writing a short reflection on your participation in the group interview process. If you have a disability or specific learning difficulty e.g. Dyslexia, and require exam accommodations, please contact the admissions administrator at least one week before the interview so that appropriate exam accommodations can be put in place. Students are required to provide evidence of their disability in order to receive accommodations.

Work Experience
In addition to the academic requirements described above, we expect applicants to have been involved in relevant paid or volunteering experiences to demonstrate their commitment to a career in helping people. For this reason we expect them to have completed at least 250 hours of relevant paid or voluntary employment experience at the time of submitting their application, and in total 420 hours by the time the programme begins (end of August in the year of application). You will be asked to complete details of this on the application under an 'Employment History' section.The template can be downloaded from the “Graduate Programmes” page of the School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice website in the section for “Professional Master of Social Work. Placements completed as part of your eligibility degree programme CANNOT be counted in these hours.

You should note that UCD reserves the right to check the information submitted on your online Work Experience form with your employer or the organisation that you are volunteering with.

We regard a variety of types of paid or voluntary work experience to be relevant to the application. It is important that applicants can demonstrate that they have had access to supervision over the course of your experience. Relevant experience should generally be interactive and involve direct contact with service users.
The following are suggested, but not exclusive, types of relevant paid or voluntary work experiences:
• Working in social care settings with adults or children in day care, residential or community based settings
• Working with people in health care settings
• Working with people in criminal justice settings
• Working with young people in educational and youth services
• Working with voluntary sector organisations that are involve in advocacy services for disadvantaged groups
• Working with voluntary sector organisations involved in online helping

Current students in the 2nd (BSocSc Social Policy and Sociology - Social Work and Professions pathway only) or final year of their degree or higher diploma programme may apply for the Professional Masters in Social Work (Full Time) programme if they meet the work experience requirements. Places on the programme will be offered subject to the attainment of the required admission standard in their degree/higher diploma programme.

Shortlisting for Interview

Applicants will be shortlisted for interview on the basis of academic results and relevant work experience. Interviews will take place in the February of the calendar year before the programme commences. As the programme tends to be over-subscribed we regret that not all eligible candidates will be shortlisted / interviewed. Eligible candidates will receive invitation to interview with further details.

Students who successfully complete the Professional Master of Social Work and are eligible to graduate may apply to CORU for registration as a professionally qualified social worker.  

English language requirement

  • You will normally be required to have a minimum IELTS score of 7.0, or its equivalent on other similar English-language tests recognised by UCD, with a score of 6.5 or above on all individual bands. In addition, proficiency in spoken English may be assessed by interview and will be taken into account for selection purposes.

Sarah McLaughlin Social Worker in the US

My experience of studying social work at masters level at UCD has been overwhelmingly positive. The campus has excellent facilities and a proactive student body ensures a great student life definitely worth experiencing. The faculty in the School are extremely supportive and the curriculum is well recognised internationally.

Now, working as a professional Social Worker, I realise that the masters provided an excellent basis for this challenging and rewarding career.

Darren Malone, 2023 Graduate, now working as a Tusla social worker.

“On the UCD Professional Masters in Social Work, the lecturers really take it upon themselves to get to know the students and these relationships guided us through the programme. The staff also bring their practice experience and their own research to the classroom so that students get greater insight into the profession.  There is also a good balance of both practical and theoretical modules on the programme which aids both personal and professional development. The smaller class sizes for the practical modules ensured that students got opportunities to apply and perfect skills for future practice.  Whilst on our practice placements, it was recognised that the UCD programme is well established, and the organisation of preparing students for the placements and supporting students during the placements was faultless.  Overall, the programme was well structured and prepared me well for my career in social work”

Rose Ngegwe, 2023 Graduate

“Studying the Professional Master of Social Work has been a worthwhile and informative experience for me. The Programme provided me with a range of modules, intense teaching and two 14-week practice placements, that helped me feel prepared and equipped to start a career in social work. I liked how there was diversity in the classroom and I believe that UCD prides itself in ensuring that it is integrative and inclusive for students. It is worth studying the Social Work masters in UCD because the degree is not only recognised in Ireland but internationally. I like how the Programme offers graduates a range of career opportunities such as working in child protection, criminal justice, medical social work and community based social work. Also, the Programme opens the door to further study for a PhD.”

Sarah Maguire, 2023 Graduate now working in HSE Social Inclusion

My experience on the UCD Professional Masters in Social Work is one that I will forever cherish.  Upon entering UCD in 2018 as a mature student with no experience of third level education, I completed a Diploma in Community Drugs and Alcohol and then the undergraduate BSocSc in Social Policy and Sociology. While completing the degree, I was strongly encouraged to apply for the Professional Master of Social Work programme. As a mature student, I did have some doubts about whether I would succeed; however, with the support of fellow students and staff in UCD I successfully completed the programme. This was as a result of the ongoing support and encouragement from the administrative staff and the excellent lecturers whose passion for teaching and encouragement of students was second to none. They really went out of their way to support us students in everyway. I also made lifelong friendships with other students on the course. The programme has been life changing for me. I can genuinely say that the skills and experiences I gained from the social work  programme have allowed me to develop into a confident professional social worker now working on a HSE Social Inclusion team.

Amy Donlon, current UCD PMSW student:

“I am thoroughly enjoying my time as a social work student at UCD. Coming from a scientific background, the UCD HDip in Social Policy facilitated a smooth transition to the Professional Master of Social Work. The Master's programme is well organised, and communication from the faculty is excellent. I have found the content interesting and the incorporation of guest lecturers and diverse assignments particularly engaging.” 

The academic and administrative staff working on the Professional Master of Social Work programme are committed to ensuring that your time in UCD is rewarding and fulfilling and that you have the opportunity to develop the knowledge and skills to equip you in the social work profession. The diversity of practice and research backgrounds among the staff means that students benefit from a wealth of knowledge and experience that aligns with the modules that you will study. All of our academic staff are actively engaged in Irish and international research related to practice and policy development. Our staff embed this knowledge and experience in the classroom,ensuring our students can then apply the latest knowledge in practice contexts when on placement. In addition, staff recognise the significant knowledge and expertise that students themselves bring to the programme from their undergraduate degrees, previous work experience, and from their life experiences. As such, significant emphasis is placed on peer learning and ensuring that students have opportunities to learn from one another, as well as from staff, practitioners and people who use social work services.

To learn more about the programme team, including their research and practice backgrounds, please click on the links below:

Assistant Professor Sarah Donnelly, Director of Graduate Studies
Associate Professor Marie Keenan, Director of Admissions 
Assistant Professor Mary Kennedy, Year 1 Coordinator
Assistant Professor Alan Maddock, Year 2 Coordinator
Assistant Professor Joseph Mooney, Director of Professional Practice
Ms Grainne Murtagh, Teaching Fellow
Associate Professor Muireann Ní Raghallaigh, Programme Director, Head of Subject
Prospera Tedam Profile | University College Dublin (ucd.ie)
Assistant Professor Elaine Wilson Associate Dean, Graduate Social Sciences

Additionally two Emeritus colleagues are involved wtih the teaching of the programme:

Professor (Emeritus) Jim Campbell
Associate Professor (Emeritus) Hilda Loughran

Programme administrative colleagues are:

Martina Reidy, Senior Administrator, Professional Programmes
Paula Slavin, Practice Placement Coordinator

 

The following entry routes are available:

Professional Masters Social Work FT (W426)
Duration
2 Years
Attend
Full Time
Deadline
Closed

Applications are made online via the "Apply now" links above. Applications close on the 2nd February 2024 at midnight, Dublin time. Interviews for shortlisted applicants are likely to take place during the week of 19th February, 2024.   In exceptional circumstances to facilitate international applicants, the interview may be conducted by audio-visual link or Zoom, subject to it being possible to make suitable arrangements. Arrangements in this regard will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Interviews
Applicants will be shortlisted for interview on the basis of academic results and relevant work experience. Individual and group interviews will normally be conducted.

Written Test

In addition to interviews, there will be a short written test included on the same day as the interview. This will involve writing a short reflection on your participation in the group selection process.

If you have a disability or specific learning difficulty, and require accommodations either for the written test or the interviews, please contact the admissions administrator at least one week before the interview so that appropriate accommodations can be put in place. Students are required to provide evidence of their disability in order to receive accommodations.