Best University for Social Work UK

Social work is a challenging yet rewarding field that involves supporting and empowering individuals, families, and communities. If you’re interested in pursuing a career in social work in the UK, choosing the right university is crucial. In this post, we have reviewed and compared the top online and attended the Master of Social Work (MSW) at various universities in London. As such, we intend to provide you with all the information so that you can find the best university for social work in the UK. Therefore, we analysed the requirements of each school so that you can first find out if you can get admission based on your own circumstances. As affordability is a decisive factor, we have also compared the schools in terms of the tuition fees. Please note that we tend not to select the best university for social work in the UK based on the fees rather than the accreditation of the programs and quality.

1. Social Work Masters (MSW) at the University of Greenwich

The University of Greenwich was founded in 1890. This public university is located in London and Kent with about 19000 students. The MSW at the University of Greenwich is a 185 credits program for two years. However, for part-time study, you can finish your degree in three years. After graduation, the students can register directly with Social Work England (SWE). Therefore, this university can be considered one of the top MSW Programs in London (UK). In the following table, you can find all the essential information about the MWS programme at the University of Greenwich in London.

Full-time MSW at the University of Greenwich

Duration	24 months
Tuition Fees per annum	Home students (UK): £5,000 International students: £14,000
Requirements	– 2:2 or above (good) honours degree – Grade C or above in GCSE English and mathematics – A minimum of one year’s full-time or part-time paid or voluntary experiences in Social care. – Pass interview at a selection day (Optional skype interview) – IELTS score of 7 with a minimum of 6.5 in each skill (for international students)

Part-time MSW at the University of Greenwich

Duration	36 months
Tuition Fees per annum	Home students (UK): £5,000 International students: £14,000
Requirements	– 2:2 or above (good) honours degree – Grade C or above in GCSE English and mathematics – A minimum of one year’s full-time or part-time paid or voluntary experiences in Social care. – Pass interview at a selection day (Optional skype interview) – IELTS score of 7 with a minimum of 6.5 in each skill (for international students)

2. Social Work Masters (MSW) at the University of East London

The University of East London (UEL) was founded in 1892 as West Ham Technical Institute. The UEL has three campuses in London Borough of Newham, Stratford and Docklands. The MWS programme at the University of East London is an attended full-time course. During these MWS Courses, the students will study with a wide range of educational styles. The learning and teaching is a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials and workshops. The student will do a placement after finishing the Fundamentals of Social Work Practice in year 1. The long practise learning placements are two parts, one in year 1 for 70 days and the second one is in year 2 for 100 days. You can read more about the contents of the module on the UEL website.

In this table, we have listed some useful information before applying.

Duration	24 months
Tuition Fees per annum	Home students (UK): £7,620 International students: £13,500
Requirements	– 2:1 or above (good) honours degree – Grade 4 / C or above in GCSE English and mathematics – Pass the personal test and then interview – Complete an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check for Regulated Activity – Complete a health and wellbeing self-declaration form at the interview relating to health conditions – Some paid or voluntary experiences in Social care. – Basic IT facilities – IELTS score of 7.5 with a minimum of 7.5 in each skill (for international)minimum of 7.5 in each skill (for international students)

3. Social Work Masters (MSW) at the Middlesex University

Middlesex University London is a public research university with about 20000 students. The MUL is located in northwest London, England. Among various honours, The Middlesex University London has been awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize three times. The Social Work (MA) course at MUL is a flexible combination of online and face-to-face learning, what is known as blended learning and teaching. The MSW course in MULcontains some teaching sessions, interactive workshop-style seminars and e-learning resources. In the following table, the duration, annual tuition fees and entry requirements are listed.

Duration	14 months
Tuition Fees per annum	Home students (UK): £10,800 (Full-time), Part-time students: £72 per taught credit, Part-time students: £36 per dissertation credit International students: £14,000 Part-time students: £108 per credit, Part-time students: £54 per dissertation credit
Requirements	– 2:1 or above (good) honours degree – A minimum of 3 months of full-time or part-time paid or voluntary experience in Social Care. – Grade 4 / C or higher in GCSE English and mathematics – Enhanced DBS check – Evidence of study within the last 5 years.s – Pass the written test and then interview – IELTS score of 6.5 with a minimum of 7.5 in each skill (for international students)

4. Social Work Masters (MSW) at the London Metropolitan University

London Metropolitan University (LMU) is in London, and it is one of the oldest universities in the city, established in 1848. The LMU has campuses in different parts of the city of London and the London Borough of Islington. The LMU currently has more than 9000 students of which more than 70% are international.

One of the advantages of studying for a Master of Social Work (MSW) at the London Metropolitan University is that after graduation you can be a registered social worker with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). And you become eligible for membership of the British Association of Social Workers.

Duration	24 months
Tuition Fees per annum	Varies
Requirements	– 2:2 or above (good) honours degree – Grade 4 / C or higher in GCSE Mathematics and English, Functional Skills English Level 2 and Maths Level 2 (or equivalent) – A minimum of 12 weeks paid or voluntary experiences in Social care or Health – An enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks – IELTS score of 6 with a minimum of 5.5 in each skill (for international students)

5. Social Work Masters (MSW) at the London South Bank University

The London South Bank University is a public university located in Elephant and Castle. This university has about 17000 students and 1700 staff. According to Complete University Guide 2021, the Master of Social Work (MSW) at the London South Bank University ranked first amongst London competitors for Overall Score in Social Work. In the following table, we listed all the important information for study in MSW at the London South Bank University.

Duration	24 months (36 months Part-Time)
Tuition Fees per annum	Home students (UK): £8,500 International students: £9,800
Requirements	– A Bachelor degree equivalent normally to a UK Second Class Honours Upper Division (2:1) or higher – Grade 4 / C or higher in GCSE English and mathematics – Minimum 21 years of age – Over 6 months of Full-time experiences in Social care or the equivalent part-time (At least some of this experience needs to be in the UK). – Selection is by written essay and multiple mini interviews (MMI) – An enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks – IELTS score of 7 with a minimum of 7 in each skill (for international students)

The Comparison of MSW Tuition Fees for Home students

As is shown in the following table, the University of Greenwich offers the cheapest tuition fees for MSW whereas the students at Middlesex University pay the highest tuition fees for MSW in London.

University	Annual Tuition fees for Home Students
University of Greenwich	£5,000
University of East London	£7,620
London South Bank University	£8,500
Middlesex University	£10,800

The Comparison of MSW Tuition Fees for International students

The table below compares the tuition fees of international students who will study MSW in different schools in London. As can be seen, the London South Bank University is the cheapest option in terms of fees while Middlesex University and the University of Greenwich are sharing the most expensive title!

University	Annual Tuition Fees for International Students
London South Bank University	£9,800
University of East London	£13,500
Middlesex University	£14,000
University of Greenwich	£14,000

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