Studying for your Master’s Degree in Social Work

An essential guide for all students studying for a Master's degree in social work, whether they have come directly from their undergraduate studies or after a period of employment. 

This book focuses specifically on the skills needed to study social work at Master's level, helping students get to grips with the academic rigour required at this higher level of study. This includes research skills, writing style, tone, the emphasis on self-reflection and the need to communicate in both academic and professional contexts. Pedagogical features and activities provide opportunities to explore, analyse and reflect on what has been learnt. The book will help cultivate a social practice approach to writing, raise awareness of the choices available, and aid understanding so that readers can produce the types of discourse required at Master’s level in social work. 

Chapter 1: Transitions

Chapter 2: Being research-minded

Chapter 3: Exploring writing as social practice and your ‘positionality’ as a writer

Chapter 4: Writing about – and in - practice: owning the ‘I’

Chapter 5: Critically applying theory to practice in social work

Chapter 6: Researching and writing your dissertation

Patricia Cartney is Head of Social Work at the University of Manchester, where she oversees all the pre-and post-qualifying social work programmes. She is the Programme Director for the MA in Social Work. Patricia has many years of experience as a social work practitioner and over 20 years as an educator of social work students. She is passionate about helping students become skilled, compassionate and effective social workers who make a difference. 

Jane Bottomley is a lecturer in English for Academic Purposes at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden and previously worked in the same capacity at the University of Manchester. Jane has considerable experience teaching academic writing and has worked with undergraduates, postgraduates and university staff to help them develop their understanding and practice in their discourse communities. 

You can visit her website at: https://janebottomley.co.uk/