Social work is about changing lives for the better. Designed as a route into professional practice for graduates, the Kent MA is taught by qualified social workers.If you want to jump into a rewarding, people-focused career in social work, our MA course is the perfect next step for you to professional practice and make a real difference.When you join our Social Work MA, you jump right in from day one. Through a combination of study and placement work you'll gain the knowledge, skills and confidence you need for your career.You'll have access to placements across a range of settings, allowing you to develop your practice and research skills and apply your knowledge to practice. We have close links with employers such as Kent County Council, Medway Council and Avante Care, who not only provide student practice learning opportunities but are also engaged in joint research projects with us. This close link means the practitioners who you learn from are leaders in the field, bringing you with them as they break new ground.Our learning community also includes service users and carers who work with us to ensure that this programme and our research work represents a wide range of perspectives, including those of people who receive services.Social work graduates from Kent become confident, competent practitioners, ready to go out into the world, improve lives, and effect change in the places they want to see it.Professional recognitionSuccessful graduates are eligible to apply forprofessional registration with Social Work England (SWE), theregulatory body for social work.Please note that driving - and having access to a car - arerequirementsfor undertakinga placement in a statutory setting with our local authority partners.The Partnership InitiativeThe Partnership Initiative (PI) works to embed service user and carer perspectives, experience and expertise into social work programmes at the University of Kent, including student selection, teaching and assessment and research activities. This means when you graduate from Kent, employers know you have been learning at a place that puts service user perspectives at the heart of all that they do - making you a natural choice for a role in social work.