Code

005L50T

Start

January 2026

Fees

£65 per taught credit (UK)

Duration

7 months part-time

Location

Hendon campus

Why study MA Social Work (Top-up) at Middlesex University?

We are looking for people who are committed to social inclusion and who are familiar with issues surrounding disempowerment, deprivation and inclusivity. You will bring leadership skills, the ability to empathise and an ability to deal with complex situations working in partnership with others. You will have a strong commitment to developing the social work profession and to developing evidence based practice.

Tailored teaching: This course has been designed for Social Work England registered social workers who have a PGDip in Social Work and who wish to achieve a master's level award. You will experience an integration of practice and research.
Applied learning: You will benefit from live on-campus teaching sessions alongside our pre-qualifying MA/PGDip Social Work students in interactive workshop-style seminars. Students wishing to join virtually may also be considered.
Ongoing support: You will be supported every step of the way via 1:1 sessions with your allocated dissertation supervisor.
Expert teaching: You will be taught by staff from within our Department of Mental Health and Social Work where prominent and pioneering research projects in the disciplines are undertaken.
Resources and facilities: As a student of this course you'll receive a free electronic textbook for the module, free printing and copying, 24 hour library services and access to a range of other valued resources.

Successful completion of the module will allow you to upgrade your PGDip in Social Work to an MA in Social Work. As well as an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the subject, you will also gain and develop research skills, critical thinking and an ability to develop and apply evidence based practice.

Student stories and experiences

A judge listens in a mock student courtroom

Mock court cases give MDX students the first chance of being a lawyer and social worker

Student life

Find out what student life's like at Middlesex University.

Student and financial support

Watch our 60-second video on how Middlesex supports you.

About your course

You will undertake a dissertation relevant to Social Work practice. You will be supported by an academic supervisor who will help you to navigate your research and the writing of your dissertation.

To find out more about this course please download the Social Work Top up MA programme specifications (PDF).

Teaching

You'll be taught by an experienced teaching team with a wide range of expertise and professional experience.

We aim to model a wide range of teaching strategies and approaches on the course which you can adapt to your own setting.

How is the MA Social Work (Top-up) taught?

This programme involves undertaking a small scale research project. You will have the opportunity for individual supervision from an academic adviser and the module leader will run a series of dissertation workshops which comprise the module.

Please email Rahaman Mohammed for further information.

Learning structure: typical hourly breakdown
On-campus	Contact time per week, per level:	Total for the single module: 6 hours workshops 7 hours individual supervision
Independent study	Average hours per week, per level:	5 hours

This information is likely to change slightly for 2025/26 entry as our plans evolve. You'll receive full information on your teaching before you start your course.

Definitions of terms

On campus learning – This will focus on active and experiential sessions that are both:
- Led by your tutors including seminars, lab sessions and demonstrations We'll schedule all of this for you
- Student-led by you and other students, like small group work and presentations.
Independent study– This covers activities which will be set for you by your tutor, but which you will undertake in your own time. Examples of this include watching online materials, participating in an online discussion forum, completing a virtual laboratory or reading specific texts. You may be doing this by yourself of with your course mates depending on your course and assignments. Outside of these hours, you’ll also be expected to do further independent study where you’ll be expected to learn, prepare, revise and reflect in your own time.

You will be based at our north London campus in Hendon.

Assessments

You will be expected to produce a 10,000 word dissertation.

Academic support

You have a strong support network available to you to make sure you develop all the necessary academic skills you need to do well on your course.

Our support services will be delivered online and on campus and you have access to a range of different resources so you can get the help you need, whether you’re studying at home or have the opportunity to come to campus.

You have access to one to one and group sessions for personal learning and academic support from our library and IT teams, and our network of learning experts. Our teams will also be here to offer financial advice, and personal wellbeing, mental health and disability support.

Students sat working in study space at Sheppard Library.

Make the most of our free laptop loans, e-books, printing and photocopying Learn more

Student using computer help from library support

We have one of London's biggest and best university campuses with everything you need in one place. Our facilities

Careers

How can the MA Social Work (Top-up) support your career?

Our graduates have been successful in obtaining employment in advanced social worker roles across a wide range of social work settings. Having a masters-level qualification in social work is advantageous if you would like to:

Progress your social work career with an internationally recognised qualification
Work as a social worker overseas
Work in academia
Complete further study at PhD level.

Our employability service Careers and Futures will help you make the most of your experience and connections to achieve your career goals. You'll have unlimited access to one-to-one advice and support from specialists in your sector plus 24/7 online support. You can also make the most of events and networking opportunities, on and off campus.

As an alumni, we offer you lifetime career support so we can help you as your progress.

MDXcelerator student start-up support

We can help you bring your business idea to life with our MDXcelerator programme which includes masterclasses with high-profile entrepreneurs, workshops, mentoring opportunities and competitions to secure seed funding.

Students at Middlesex span 122 countries and you will be part of our thriving global network. After you graduate, you'll join our alumni network. You will get access to:

Lifetime careers support from the Careers and Futures employability service;
Raise your personal profile as one of our featured alumni;
Continued limited usage of the Sheppard Library;
Exclusive MDX alumni networks to connect with your peers.

Entry requirements

             
             Qualifications
We require applicants to have a PGDip Social Work and be registered with Social Work England
Applicants must have evidence of having studied a research methods module either at undergraduate or postgraduate level

Further requirements
Enhanced DBS check may also be required

Interviews

Entry onto this course does not require an interview.

Applications for postgraduate study should be made directly to the university. Please visit our Postgraduate application page for further information and to apply.

Register your interest

Chat with a real student about life at MDX

See all students you can chat to

Student testimonials

I appreciated the sessions and found them helpful. Each session was designed to support each aspect of the dissertation. It was a positive experience.

Top-up student

Jan 2021

Fees and funding

The fees below are for the 2025/26 academic year.

UK students¹

Part-time students: £65 per dissertation credit

The following study tools are included in your fees:

Free access to the resources, learning materials and software you need to succeed on your course;
Free laptop loans for up to 24 hours;
Free specialist software for your course;
Free printing for academic paperwork.

You may be eligible for one of our scholarships including:

The Alumni Postgraduate Award: a 20% fee reduction for UK/EU Middlesex alumni who studied eligible undergraduate courses;
The Chevening Scholarship: full course fees;
The European Academic Awards: £1,000 to £7,000 for students showing academic excellence;
Regional or International Merit Award: up to £2,000 towards course fees.

For international students, we also have a limited number of other awards specific to certain regions, and work in partnership with funding providers in your country to help support you financially with your study.

Find out more about our postgraduate scholarships.

Help from your employer

Your employer can contribute towards the cost of your postgraduate study as part of their staff development programme.

Work while you study

If you are not currently working, we can help you find work that fits around uni and your other commitments. We have hundreds of student jobs on campus that pay the London Living Wage and above.

Fees disclaimers

1. UK fees: The university reserves the right to increase postgraduate tuition fees in line with changes to legislation, regulation and any government guidance or decisions. The tuition fees for part-time UK study are subject to annual review and we reserve the right to increase the fees each academic year by no more than the level of inflation.

2. International fees: Tuition fees are subject to annual review and we reserve the right to increase the fees each academic year by no more than the level of inflation.

Any annual increase in tuition fees as provided for above will be notified to students at the earliest opportunity in advance of the academic year to which any applicable inflationary rise may apply.

Important information

We’ll carefully manage any future changes to courses, or the support and other services available to you, if these are necessary because of things like changes to government health and safety advice, or any changes to the law.

Any decisions will be taken in line with both external advice and the University’s Regulations which include information on this.

Our priority will always be to maintain academic standards and quality so that your learning outcomes are not affected by any adjustments that we may have to make.

At all times we’ll aim to keep you well informed of how we may need to respond to changing circumstances, and about support that we’ll provide to you.