New TUS Masters course to address social work shortage

The Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) Campus has launched a new Masters programme aimed at addressing the national shortage of social workers in Ireland.

The university’s new Master of Arts in Social Work (MSW) on its' Athlone Campus will equip students with the relevant specialised skills to successfully engage in social work practice in an ever-increasing complex world.

Applications are welcome from graduates that hold an Honours undergraduate degree (Level 8) in a relevant discipline, with the course due to get underway next September.

The online application portal is now open, and the closing date for applications is Friday week, April 25 next.

The scale of the shortage of social work graduates was laid bare in a recent report by the Irish Association of Social Workers which revealed that, while 250 social work students graduate each year, at least twice as many graduates are needed to bridge the skills gap in Ireland every year.

This latest addition to the TUS offering follows last year's launch of a Masters in Social Work at the Moylish Campus in Limerick, which was developed by TUS following consultation with Tusla – Child and Family Agency.

Dean of Faculty of Science and Health, Dr Don Faller, has welcomed the new Master of Arts in Social Work (MSW) at the Athlone Campus. As well as being aimed at addressing a skills shortage in the Midlands and across the country, he said it will also provide "an educational need to professionals throughout the region, so they may further develop their career" and added that this was a testament to TUS’s commitment to providing programmes that "make a positive impact and respond to real-time issues.”

The aim of the new MSW programme is to prepare students to successfully engage in social work practice in an ever-increasing complex world. The programme will arm students with the knowledge, values, and skills necessary to meaningfully assess and treat a variety of challenges facing individuals and families in contemporary society.

The MSW programme is highly practice-oriented, requiring students to actively participate in class activities, including role-plays. It is a two-year full-time, in-person, programme that has been developed to align with CORU requirements for registration as a social worker in Ireland.

For more information go to Social Work - MA - TUS