PGDip in Higher Specialist Social Work: Practice Education (qualified Social Workers), Goldsmiths, University of London

PGDip in Higher Specialist Social Work: Practice Education (qualified Social Workers)

Applying:

Please download and complete an application form. You should send this to admissions@gold.ac.uk or mail it to Admissions Office, Goldsmiths, University of London, New Cross, London SE14 6NW.

Find out more about applying

Entrance requirements:

You should normally hold a degree level professional qualification in Social Work (eg Diploma in Social Work) or one of the caring professions and be registered, or be in the process of registering, with the GSCC as a Social Worker. If you are not qualified as a Social Worker, you should be registered or in the process of registering with the appropriate professional body, if applicable, and have developed and consolidated your practice in a specific area of welfare practice. You should have obtained initial competence in teaching and assessing the practice of professional students and mentoring and supporting students or colleagues, be able to demonstrate that you can meet the academic requirements of a postgraduate programme, and be working or intending to take up employment (usually in a paid, but exceptionally in a voluntary capacity) in a setting that will enable you to demonstrate competence in practice education at the required level.

In exceptional circumstances applicants who do not hold a recognised qualification, but who are very able and experienced practitioners, may be admitted to the programme. In these circumstances you will need to demonstrate that you can meet the academic demands of the programme.

Fees:
Please see Tuition fees.

Contact the department:
Contact Anna Fairtlough

About the department:
PACE

Download a booklet [PDF, 4,793KB]

This set of qualifications will enable you to extend and develop your initial competence in supporting the professional learning of others. Practice education is the teaching, mentoring, supporting and assessing of Social Work students, social care staff, qualified Social Workers and other allied professionals for the purposes of developing competence and raising the quality of service for users and carers.

Courses include enabling the learning of others, teaching and assessing the adult professional learner, developing and undertaking the evaluation of practice learning, and developing the learning organisation through work with individuals, groups, whole organisations and interagency practice.

Please note: You may take individual courses separately or exit with a Postgraduate Certificate or Diploma – please contact the Programme Convenor for details. Students who are working as associate lecturers for Goldsmiths may be able to undertake the University-run Certificate in the Management of Learning and Teaching as part of the programme.

Courses in all of these programmes may be taken on a modular basis if appropriate.

Supporting information

When you apply you will be asked to:

Give details of your professional and academic qualifications and experience.
Supply a 750-word personal statement in which you: describe the specialist area of practice that you are currently working in; evaluate the existing skills, knowledge and values that you bring to your specialist area of professional practice; discuss what knowledge, skills and expertise you hope to gain from attending the programme.
Supply a reference from a line manager or equivalent recommending you for the programme.
Give evidence to demonstrate competence in practice at the level that is required to complete the programme.
Supply an agency commitment form undertaking to pay the necessary fees (where applicable).
If you do not hold a recognised qualification in Social Work or in one of the other caring professions, you will need to provide an additional 1,500-word statement showing how your experience makes you eligible for the programme.

Careers

Our students have been successful in a range of areas, from postgraduate research to employment in local authority children’s services departments, adult services departments, independent sector and voluntary sector agencies such as NSPCC, Family Action, MIND.