Why choose the School of Society, Community and Health
The MProf Social Work Practice allows graduates holding the Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip) Professional Social Work Practice to progress to a full Master's award.
A flexible work-based course where you study part time to gain a full postgraduate academic award.
Design, carry out and evaluate original research in the workplace, with supervision from a member of the academic team.
About the course
The Master of Professional Social Work Practice (Step Up to Social Work) course allows graduates holding the Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Social Work Practice to progress to a full Master's award by undertaking a work-based research project.
This work-based course enables you to gain the systematic and independent ability to critically evaluate current theoretical understanding and practice. You develop the skills needed to apply knowledge-informed and evidence-based practice in the workplace while undertaking a piece of supervised research.
At the end of your studies, you will have achieved a nationally recognised professional qualification in social work together with a postgraduate academic award.
Course accreditation
Our Social Work courses are accredited by Social Work England.
Your student experience
In the Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey 2025, our social sciences courses rank in the top 10 in their subject field for teaching (3rd); organisation and feedback (6th); and student engagement (6th).
Design, carry out and evaluate original research in the workplace under the supervision of a member of the academic team.
Gain a deep understanding of the applied social sciences that inform social work including sociology, social policy, law and ethics.
Study in both classroom and workplace settings to build the skills you need in communication, teamwork and leadership to address a range of complex issues.
Explore, understand and critically evaluate current social issues including the social power structures that create inequalities, and acquire the tools and techniques to counter them.
Develop the initiative, resourcefulness, critical reflection and emotional literacy you need to offer successful solutions to human problems.
Course Leader - Laura Shephard
I have been a qualified social worker for over ten years, with an MA in Social Work from Goldsmiths College, University of London. I am also a qualified Practice Educator. I took up my position as Senior Lecturer in Social Work at the University of Bedfordshire in 2021 and have been teaching across undergraduate and postgraduate pre-qualifying social work courses. I currently have the role of course coordinator for Step Up to Social Work, a fast-track postgraduate social work qualifying programme which we deliver in collaboration with our Local Authority partners.
Dissertation For Social Workers
The aims of this unit are:
To create a learning environment in which you will be able to develop critical understanding of the processes of social scientific investigation including developing confidence in the critical application of advanced research skills and analysis of complex and/or contradictory data.
To offer you the opportunity to develop the ability to undertake a systematic piece of individual practice-based research into a or relevant topic by conducting either primary or secondary (literature based) research, or a combination of the two.
To identify and articulate the links between research issues and professional or organisational practice including developing critical responses to research findings and generating empirically informed solutions to improve practice.
Given the complex nature of social work practice and the vulnerability of many service users, primary research will normally be limited to studies which draw solely on professionals, rather than service users. Before beginning any research, you must obtain ethical approval via the Institute of Applied Social Research (IASR) ethics committee.
The course is assessed using a range of methods including formally assessed papers assignments case studies group and individual presentations research based work and evidence drawn from learning in the work place. All unit assessments will draw on your experiences in the work place in order to embed the integration of theory and practice. These methods are designed to test you in all the areas necessary for professionally capable practice as qualified Social Workers as well as the academic disciplines underpinning such practice.
Through the use of a variety of assessment methods you will be able to demonstrate a wide range of key skills for both academic and practice capability. Representatives of students' sponsoring authorities and service users and carers will be fully involved in all relevant assessment tasks to ensure that your learning is assessed against the requirements of the profession. Formal Practice Learning will be assessed over two periods of work-based learning in a variety of social work and related settings.
All students qualifying with the Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Social Work Practice are required to meet both the HCPC Standards of Proficiency (SOPs) and the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) (BASW 2018) In order to ensure this the course and unit learning outcomes have been carefully designed to meet and are clearly mapped to both the SOPs and the PCF.
This information is contained in the course handbook as well as unit information and practice learning documents to ensure that you understand and know what you need to evidence in order to meet these professional requirements. For the final Masters stage of the course you will be supervised to undertake a piece of original research of relevance to your practice area.
Careers
By completing the Master of Professional Social Work Practice you will be well placed to progress on to one of our Professional Doctorate (DProf) awards. This will enhance your own knowledge and career development as well as making a distinctive contribution to your profession.
