Description

Contents

This course is full-time and consists of both academic and fieldwork components.

Academic modules include:

social policy/social work practice theories/ethics and skills/critical perspectives/equality studies/social research methods and processes/life span psychology/social work and the law/child and family work/criminology/mental health and addictions/health-related social work.

Students will be required to undertake at least two assessed fieldwork placements over the two years. In Years One and Two, placements run from February to May.
Garda (Police) clearance is now required by employers for social work students placed in their agencies. Students contemplating social work training should be aware that this is a placement requirement.

Requirements

The normal requirements for entry to this programme are: * Successful completion (minimum 2. 2 grade) of a Level 8 Social Science Degree. The core course prerequisites are: foundation courses in Politics and Economics and substantial courses in Sociology and Social Policy.*
* Prior to acceptance on the course, candidates will be required to demonstrate a minimum of nine months practice experience (full or part-time). Practice experience will be judged on the basis of the quality and relevance of either paid or voluntary work, and what the individual candidate has gained from it.
* * On rare occasions, candidates may be considered who have completed a 'non-standard' social science degree (such as one in sociology, psychology or anthropology) but whose education and/or work experience includes other highly relevant subjects. It is extremely important that candidates in this position seek advice from the Course Director as to whether they need to complete qualifying courses prior to applying for the Masters in Social Work. If proceeding with an application, it is the responsibility of the candidate to give full detailed transcripts of courses covered.
* In situations where there is a shortfall in the area of Social Policy, Economics or Politics, a compensatory learning package will be offered to potential candidates who have been successful at interview. The candidate will be assessed on this subject area and will be required to demonstrate a level of competence, which the examiner is satisfied, brings them to a level necessary to undertake Social Policy and Social Work courses at master's level, prior to registration on the course.

When assessing the quality of previous practice experience, the factors taken into consideration include:

* nature of the tasks undertaken
* quantity and quality of supervision and training available to and availed of by the candidate
* connections the candidate can make between practice experience and wider social issues

examples of relevant practice experience include employment as:

* residential child care or social care workers, social work assistants, family access or family support workers.
* Voluntary work covers a wide range of activities such as phone-line counselling, volunteer support and befriending work, and community activism.
* Informal experience of helping, even if extensive, would not by itself be considered to fulfil this criterion of relevant practice experience

examples of practice experience that cannot be included as relevant are:

* pastoral or parish work alone (i.e. outside of a formal context such as St. Vincent de Paul visitation); voluntary work conducted while at school;
* voluntary tuition;
* childminding;
* teaching.

English language requirements:

* IELTS: Grade 6.5
* TOEFL: 88 iBT, 230-computer based, 570 paper based
* Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English: Grade C
* Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English: Grade C

English Language Requirements