About Social Work (step Up To Social Work) Pg Dip in Royal Holloway, University of London
The course
This 14 month programme, starting in January 2020, offered as part of the Surrey and South London Partnership, the Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work (Step up to Social Work) is a condensed programme of study that leads to a professional qualification in Social Work. It is similar in content to the MSc Social Work but does not include the dissertation requirement. The Step up to Social Work offers high calibre candidates the opportunity for fully funded course, wherein fees and a bursary are available for each place granted. Please refer to the Department for Education for more detail.
This course runs in close partnership with local authorities based in inner and outer London boroughs as well as neighbouring counties where you'll benefit from two fieldwork placements – experiencing the world of social work first hand, hearing from service users and carers' representatives. This practical experience informs and is backed up by College-based teaching.
The combination of a taught and practice curriculum breaks down barriers between practice, policy and research, meaning you will emerge from the course as a critically reflective practitioner who can work for the most vulnerable in society within an anti-oppressive framework.
On completion of the course you will have advanced knowledge of:
- sociology, psychology, social policy and law and their application to social work practice
- the contribution and application of social research to social work theories and practice
- the range of statutory, voluntary and private welfare organisations within social work agencies and in health, housing and educational environments
- the range of theories and methods needed for effective social work practice
- the social and individual origins of a typical range of problems presented to social care agencies
- values and ethics relevant to social work practice
- the significance of inequalities and difference in working with organisations and social service users
- the significance of cultural diversity and anti-discriminatory practice in working with organisations and social service users
Your future career
We'll prepare you for a career in statutory and voluntary social work. Once you're qualified as a social worker, you'll be able to apply for registration with the Health Care Professionals council. You'll also have the option of continuing your academic development through taught post-qualifying programmes, or research opportunities within the department.
Academic qualification equivalents
- Bachelor degree with 60% to 65% overall or a CGPA of 6.0 to 6.5 out of 10 overall depending on the institution.
English language requirements (one of the below):
- IELTS : 6.5 overall. No subscore lower than 5.5.
- PTE : 61 overall. Writing 54. No subscore lower than 51.
Royal Holloway, University of London Highlights
Type of university |
Public |
Establishment Year |
1849 |
Campus Setting |
Urban |
Location |
Egham, Surrey, England |
Total Number of Students Enrolled (December 2019) |
10,593 |
Total Number of Undergraduate Students Enrolled |
8,393 |
Total Number of Graduate Students Enrolled |
2200 |
Number of International Students |
2,086 |
Type of Programs |
Undergraduate, graduate, graduate-research |
Mode of Application |
Online |
Financial aid |
Scholarships/ Loans/ Work-Study |
The cost of attendance for international students for 2020-21 sessions is tabulated below:Royal Holloway, University of London The Average Tuition Fees And Other Expenses
Expenditure Item |
Amount (per year) |
Tuition |
15,900 - 22,600 GBP |
Living cost |
8,000 - 12,000 GBP |
Accommodation |
3,575- 8,680 GBP |
Food |
40-60 per week GBP |
Social life |
50 per week GBP |
Transport |
760 GBP |
Books |
300- 450 GBP |
The tuition fee for undergraduate and graduate students varies from program to program. Some programs and respective tuition fee are tabulated below:
Undergraduate programs
Name of Program |
Tuition Fee for international students |
Business and Management |
18,800 GBP |
Engineering |
21,400 GBP |
Law |
17,700 GBP |
Computer Science |
21,400 GBP |
Economics |
18,800 GBP |
Graduate programs
Name of Program |
Tuition Fee for international students |
Business and Management |
19,000 GBP |
Engineering |
19,000 GBP |
Law |
17,900 GBP |
Psychology |
19,000 GBP |
English |
17,900 GBP |
Drama, Theater and Dance |
21,000 GBP |
Information Security |
21,000 GBP |