Expand+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 ano...

Hide-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.

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. Please download and complete the template workexp_2015. 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 final year of their degree or higher diploma programme may apply for the MSocSc (Social Work) FT or MSocSc (Social Work) PT 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.

Students who successfully complete the MSocSc (Social Work) FT , the MSocSc (Social Work) PT or the Graduate Diploma in Social Work programme 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.
International Applicants
The MSocSc (Social Work) which includes extensive fieldwork placements 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 MSocSc (Social Work). The School is currently reviewing the status of degrees rated in standard international rankings as equivalent to ‘Level 7/8’ in the Bologna Framework (that is, intermediate between Level 7 and Level 8). Subject to completion of that review, the School is provisionally accepting a Second Class Honour Grade I in such degrees as meeting the standard for passing initial screening (subject also to the social policy requirement set out below).

Interviews
Interviews will be conducted in the second stage of selection for entry. These are normally held face-to-face and may take an individual or a group format. To facilitate international students who are selected for interview and who are unable to attend in person, the interview may be conducted by audio-visual link or Skype, subject to it being possible to make suitable arrangements. Arrangements in this regard will be made on a case-by-case basis.

English language requirement
If your primary language is non-English, you will be required to show evidence of English language ability. In view of the role of professional placement in the training programme for the MSocSc (Social Work) and the language demands which effective participation in placement requires, a high level of proficiency in spoken/conversational English is required in addition to English reading and writing. 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.

Expand+Who should apply?
Full Time option suitable for:
Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EEA) applicants currently residing outside of the EEA Region. Yes

Part Time option suitable for:
Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
Internati...

Hide-Who should apply?
Full Time option suitable for:
Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EEA) applicants currently residing outside of the EEA Region. Yes

Part Time option suitable for:
Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EEA) applicants currently residing outside of the EEA Region. No

Social Policy requirement
Applicants’ primary degree must include a large social policy component, equivalent to a major in social policy in an Irish degree. Applicants from countries or universities where social policy is not taught as a distinct discipline will have to demonstrate that their primary degree included coursework which amounts to the equivalent of a social policy major. Courses in such fields as public policy, social welfare, policy research, government, social justice, social work, human and social rights, social disadvantage, and poverty and inequality would be relevant here.

If you do not have the equivalent of a social policy major in your primary degree, you would need to undertake a suitable transition course, such as UCD’s Higher Diploma in Social Policy, in order to meet this element of the entry requirements for the MSocSc (Social Work).

Expand+MSocSc Social Work

Graduate Taught (level 9 nfq, credits 120)

MSocSc (Social Work) FT is a two-year full-time professional programme in social work. The programme contains academic and field work components. It is full-time and full attendance ...

Hide-MSocSc Social Work

Graduate Taught (level 9 nfq, credits 120)

MSocSc (Social Work) FT is a two-year full-time professional programme in social work. The programme contains academic and field work components. It is full-time and full attendance is required.

MSocSc (Social Work) PT offers the same professional programme as the MSocSc (Social Work) FT, over four years on a part-time basis. The academic components will typically require attendance for two days a week during the relevant semesters while the two placements will require full time attendance for fourteen weeks each from January to April. To apply for this programme please complete the application for the full time programme and indicate a preference for part-time.

- Includes extensive fieldwork placements 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.

The Masters in Social Science (Social Work) offers both full time and part time programmes accredited 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 programmes are taught by research active lecturers with broad teaching and practice experiences. Modules focus on social work counselling skills, working with families, as well as groups and communities. We have very strong practice partnership arrangements that enable us to deliver high quality placements for students.

Expand+Stage 1 - Core
Introduction to Professional Practice
SPOL40100
Family Law
SPOL40110
Counselling Social Work Skills (1)
SPOL40130
Research Methods 1
SPOL40170
Practice Placement 1
SPOL40180
Child Welfare and Protection
SPOL40480
S...

Hide-Stage 1 - Core
Introduction to Professional Practice
SPOL40100
Family Law
SPOL40110
Counselling Social Work Skills (1)
SPOL40130
Research Methods 1
SPOL40170
Practice Placement 1
SPOL40180
Child Welfare and Protection
SPOL40480
SW Theories and methods
SPOL40500
Human Behaviour
SPOL40800

Stage 2 - Core
Justice and Human Rights
SPOL40190
Social Work in Health Care and Addiction
SPOL40200
Group Work and Community Work
SPOL40220
Practice Placement 2
SPOL40230
Research Methods 2
SPOL40240
Advanced SW counselling skills
SPOL40570
Social Work Theories and Methods 2
SPOL40780