DURHAM UNIVERSITY

School of Applied Social Sciences

The School of Applied Social Sciences (SASS) is a postgraduate teaching and research centre, which includes the Centre for Public Mental Health, within the Department of Sociology and Social Policy.

Teaching

The School provides the only programme of education and training in the North East for graduates who wish to qualify as professional social workers. The programme is two years full time and leads to the qualification of MSW (Master of Social Work). It is run in partnership with local social services and voluntary organisations, which provide professional practice placements.

SASS also offers an MA in Social Work Studies for both international and United Kingdom students. It can be taken full time over one year or part-time over two to four years. This course offers grounding in research methods and a supervised dissertation project as well as a choice of up to date modules on social work. We encourage applications from overseas students; a qualification in social work is not required for this programme (MA in Social Work Studies for International Students). United Kingdom candidates with a DipSW, CQSW or CSS qualification may also register for the Advanced Award in Social Work, the highest level of professional qualification (MA in Social Work Studies with the Advanced Award/PQ Award in Social Work).

Research

Since 1997, CASS has been developing a national profile in undertaking research on health and social care services. Grants awarded from the Department of Health and regional and local agencies currently total around £2.8 million. We collaborate with leading research groups in the United Kingdom and are developing international projects. Our current strength is in the field of community care, especially mental health services, but we are also developing research on services for children with a major new project in 2000. We are keen to undertake smaller regional projects if they are innovative and show potential for larger developments, including applications to the Department of Health and other major funders. Projects use a range of quantitative and qualitative methods and emphasise the involvement of service users, together with a clear focus on outcomes for users, carers, professionals and service providers.

SASS has six full-time PhD students, who are sponsored by the ESRC, health authorities and social services. PhD studentships, including fees and a maintenance grant, are available from time to time.

Aims
This one-year programme will give you advanced knowledge about the theory and practice of Social Work in the United Kingdom and encourage you to relate this understanding to developments in your own country. It will also equip you to engage in research and to apply research findings effectively in your practice. The programme includes a two-week placement in a social work agency and the opportunity to carry out research on an aspect of social work in the United Kingdom, but does not include professionally supervised practice. If you want to qualify as a social worker in the United Kingdom, you must take the two-year MA in Applied Social Studies with the Diploma in Social Work.

The Department and the Progamme
Durham University is ranked at number seven for the provision of social work education in the United Kingdom (Times Higher Education Supplement). It was rated as 'excellent' by the national funding council. The MA progamme is run in the Department of Sociology and Social Policy. The Department has been assessed by the United Kingdom Economic and Social Research Council and is formally recognised a provider of research degrees in Social Work and Social Policy.

The progamme begins at the beginning of October each year and lasts for twelve months. It consists of five core modules, designed to give you an understanding of social work as practice in the United Kingdom, and a thorough grounding in research methods and their application. You also choose two specialist modules according to your particular professional interests. Finally you undertake a research project and write a dissertation. To achieve the Master's degree, you must accumulate a total of 180 credits, as listed below.

Your studies will be supervised personally by Professor John Carpenter, Convenor of the MA in Social Work Studies. You will study in a small group of international students and alongside United Kingdom students on postgraduate social work and research degree programmes. This will give you plenty of opportunities to share knowledge and experience in addition to your learning through lectures, presentations and seminars. Previous students on the programme have come from Oman, Tanzania, Germany, Greece, Korea, Cyprus, Japan, Saudi Arabia and Palestine.

Durham
Durham is an unbelievably beautiful place to live. The Norman cathedral is one of the most beautiful buildings in England (Bill Bryson called it 'the best Cathedral on planet earth'). It faces an ancient castle, which is also home to some of our students. The castle and cathedral are part of a World Heritage site, which puts us in the same league as the Great Wall of China and the Pyramids. Tourists come from all over the world to visit us every year.

There's plenty going on in Durham. There are major art shows at the DLI Centre, every sport from cricket to croquet, regular poetry readings at Colpitts, the annual rowing spectacle of Durham Regatta. There are world-class museums, a theatre, swimming pool, 150 year old debating society, extensive series of concerts and a new Gala Theatre for music and drama. Durham is a gorgeous place to live.

University attractions include:

• The Oriental Museum: from eighth-century grave figures to contemporary New Year street lions - discover ancient Egypt, Japan and China in the heart of Durham.

• Old Fulling Mill Museum: exhibits the archaeology of the local area and holds collections of national significance. It is one of the most photographed museums in the world because of its position underneath the cathedral.

• Botanic Garden: an 18-acre garden with trees, shrubs and flowers from all over the world, sculptures, and a reptile and exotic plant house.