MA Social Work (Step Up to Social Work) at University of Kent

Programme overview

Step Up to Social Work is a Department for Education-funded route into social work run by the Kent and Medway Regional Partnership, combining academic study with practice in a Kent or Medway local authority. Students complete the Postgraduate Diploma and then the MA by adding research methods and a dissertation. The Postgraduate Diploma qualifies graduates to apply to register with Social Work England.

Department: School of Social Sciences | Duration: 14 months full-time | Intake: January | Study mode: full-time | Location: Canterbury, England, United Kingdom

What you will study

Stage 1 compulsory modules are Professional Knowledge and Skills, Law, Policy and Ethics, Social Work with Adults and Families and a 70-day Placement; Stage 2 includes Social Work with Children and Families and a 100-day Placement, with Research Methods for Social Work and a Dissertation completing the MA.

Career pathways

Graduates are eligible to apply to register with Social Work England and can practise as social workers.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Typical offer: 2.2 or above. A minimum 2:2 level 6 degree in any subject, or a graduate certificate, plus GCSE English (or English Language) and Mathematics at grade C/4 or above or an approved equivalent; original certificates must be shown. Applicants should have experience of working with vulnerable children, young people, families or vulnerable adults. Applicants must live in England and have the right to live and study in the UK with access to public funds. Applications are made through the central Department for Education portal, managed by the Kent and Medway regional partnership. A satisfactory enhanced DBS check and health declaration are required, and students must be able to drive or have access to a car for placements unless reasonable adjustments apply. English language (international applicants): high B2 on CEFR, for example IELTS 6.5 with at least 5.5 in each component, or PTE Academic 67 with at least 59 in each sub-test; a UK degree or a degree from a majority English-speaking country may also satisfy the requirement.

Intake: January 2026

Duration: 14 months full-time

Apply through the official page: https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/apply

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