ma in social work

Former Member

just wondered if anyone has done this course or is applying to do it?

i have a conditional offer to study it in september and am really excited (conidtional on getting a gcse 'c' in maths, grr). yesterday i attended a training course for my diploma in care and met someone who had studied the same course at the same uni as i am going to and although he was really nice he freaked me out.

he was saying that the dropout rate is very high, he was one of 5 out of 30 people who actually completed the ma. he also advised to keep my head down and just get on with the work rather than the politics of the disorganisation of the course. ahhh. also, he reckoned it would be incredibly difficult to have a job on the side (even a weekend job) and do the MA. but i need to support myself somehow. im moving in with my boyfriend, i have savings to fall back on but i still want to earn a little.. you know.

i think i am feeling quite antsy anyway, big changes are happening in my life so it could be a culmination of that. can anyone reassure me or just offer some less scary words? thanks

Former Member

clementine_the_tangerine wrote: »

he was saying that the dropout rate is very high, he was one of 5 out of 30 people who actually completed the ma. he also advised to keep my head down and just get on with the work rather than the politics of the disorganisation of the course. ahhh. also, he reckoned it would be incredibly difficult to have a job on the side (even a weekend job) and do the MA.

Everything said here was exactly the same things that are said about my course. Unis dont seem to be the most organised of places, but at the end of the day it is about how much you are willing to learn by urself through reading and research etc. We were told that it would be impossible to maintain a part time job. There are still quite a few people with pt jobs ,although admittedly they are struggling now we are teaching full time from next week. However again it depends on how good you are with time management, organisation etc. One lady on my course has a saturday job and 2 children under 3, and yet she is pulling better essay marks than me who has no children and no p/t job. I think if it was me i would work as much as i could while i could with the view that i may have to manage without a job financially for some of the course if it gets too difficult to manage. its your life and you know yourself how or if you could balance things, if it seems like it could be doable then go for it, if it doesnt then look into alternatives like agency work in hols etc. there are always agency jobs for carers.

Former Member

thanks for reply, are you doing a pgce?

think im gonna work my butt off fulltime over the summer in somewhere like tescos and then see about continueing it as weekend work. i dont think i can say for definite now if i can manage a weekend job + a masters, guess i will just have to see how it goes

Former Member

Is there an option to do the MA part time, over two years?

Former Member

Seems pretty much standard to hear horror stories about courses, I wouldn't worry too much!

My friend did an MA in social work and managed to work - was obv more difficult when on placement but she tried to work as much as poss when she wasn't on placement to make up for when she was.

It will be hard work, but definitely not impossible - it's just about being organised and making sure you prioritise things as best you can. Most people I know have managed to work when doing an MA and managed to do that and their course and have time for a social life! I think once you get started and settle in you'll have a better idea of when and how much you can work.

Former Member

It certainly sounds standards for MA courses.

Former Member

jamelia wrote: »

Is there an option to do the MA part time, over two years?

there is but it'd be 4 years.. doh. it's 2 years for fulltime.

thanks guys, shall see how it goes i guess. im not very organised but i know i will be getting extra help with that because im dyslexic so will get extra tuition on how to manage better.

Former Member

Depending on where you are studying the MA, you might be entitled to receive some funding through the NHS towards the course. Contact the NHS Business Services Authority to ask them about whether or not your course is eligible. You won't be able to work part time and study full time on the MA unless your part time work is pulling pints or waiting tables on a weekend, you won't have enough hours in the day.

In terms of how you'll find it, the University will generally organise the teaching fairly well but will struggle with placements. Social work departments generally are over-subscribed with students and many seem to think that students just get in the way (forgetting that they were once students), so there can be some horrible problems in placements. There's not a great deal that can be done if you do have problems in/with your placement and complaints will usually fall on deaf ears.

Former Member

Have already applied for funding from the NHS Bursary Authority Thanks Arctic. I know, my mum was hinting about me getting a job in care over the weekend but I know for a fact it's gonna be too stressful and they will be harassing me on the phone to do shifts but I guess I'm going into a rant now... I'm going to limit myself if I can to weekend work in a shop or something.

Yeah I met a social worker who s tudied the same course as me at the same uni and heard pretty much the same thing, mostly about organisation. Going to keep my head down, get through it and keep my eye on the prize .. or the ma..

Former Member

Don't keep up the care work, you'll be doing enough of that when you're on placement without having to do it at the weekend too. Plus there will be the issue about shifts- you know as well as I do that if you turn down shifts because you can't do them, suddenly the care home managers lose your number and never call when you CAN do them. Not that I think most care homes are owned and run by pond life, perish the thought.

With most postgraduate study you can work and study, especially if it's research rather than taught, but you honestly can't with the MA in Social Work. There's just too much work, especially when you get into the placements.

As for the politics, keep your head down and make the course administrator your bestest friend in the whole wide world. It helps massively.

Former Member

ha i agree with the pondlife bit... finding that out myself right now.

thanks for your honesty and i will bake my course administrator some cookies or something