Social Work

Social workers support people in difficult circumstances to improve their wellbeing. They provide protection to people who may be vulnerable, and challenge social injustice.

Social workers work within legal systems, and with communities and related services including:

• health

• education

• housing

• the police

Studying social work will enable you to think critically about the work that social workers do. You will develop:

• skills in assessment and communication

• a strong sense of professional ethics

• an understanding of the importance of social justice

Our programme will provide you with an internationally-recognised professional qualification, which will enable you to register as a professional social worker.

Who is this programme for?

Social work is a profession suited to people who:

• are creative

• are practical

• are resourceful

• enjoy working with other people

You will combine ingenuity and optimism with honesty and realism, in the face of the demanding situations which some service users experience.

You should have a stable, well-integrated personality, and you must be able to see beyond the immediate issues presented by service users, the general public, and policy-makers. You will also require well-developed social and communication skills and a high degree of empathy.

Good social work combines an interest in people with a rigorous intellectual attitude and the constant search for better methods of helping, supported by research and development.

All our students must register with the Scottish Social Services Council.

Why Edinburgh?

The University started providing training for social workers in 1918 and today we are well-recognised as a leading institution in social work training.

We are a diverse and international community of staff and students. We work with local and international partners on all of our teaching programmes to ensure that our teaching reflects our commitment to social work values, ethics and social justice.

Our research reflects the wide-ranging experience of our staff and postgraduate researchers and, with the help of our partners, our findings and knowledge exchange makes a difference across the world.

Our graduates work throughout the world to make a real difference in the communities where they live.

We seek to meet the demands of this changing profession and contribute to an understanding of, and improvements in, public policy and professional practice.

We have previously played a major role in advising on the future shape of social work services in Scotland. We contributed to reports that led to the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968, which remains a core legislative basis for Scottish social work today.