Jobs in Health and Social Care / Social Work: Why a Master’s Degree Matters

Working in health and social care, youth and social work, or early years care require a great deal of dedication. While many graduates can get a good job with an undergraduate degree, it can be hugely beneficial to strengthen your skills with postgraduate training.

If you’re a third-year student in social care, social work or early childhood studies, there are so many reasons to stay on at university to pursue a master’s. Here are some of the ways a master’s degree will elevate your career to the next level!

Get a chance to specialise

One of the best reasons to stay at university and pursue a master’s degree is to advance your knowledge and move into a specialism. This can be particularly important for those working in early years care.

This is because early childhood studies can be incredibly diverse, with so many different areas to go into. The same could be said for social workers, and a master's degree in social work can build a student’s expertise in their chosen field.

There are also a number of jobs in health and social care where a second degree is looked upon favourably, including senior coordinator roles, or jobs in education and research.

Prepare for a career in management

For those who wish to progress into management positions, postgraduate training is the ideal route. Bolton’s MBA Global Healthcare Management course combines industry-specific knowledge with skills development for leadership.

A Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a prestigious postgraduate qualification that provides an overview of key business practices and is highly sought after by employers. With an MBA degree, you can show recruiters that you have the necessary business acumen to create effective strategies on a global scale.

From learning about workforce design and quality improvement to the ins and outs of operations and financial management, an MBA will arm you with everything you need to lead a team and manage initiatives in the healthcare sector.

Develop your soft skills

In addition to improving your industry knowledge, a master’s degree is an opportunity to work on your soft skills. Often overlooked, these skills are critical to your success. Whether you go into social care, community work, youth or early years work, your job is people-facing. So being able to communicate effectively is key.

But communication isn’t just about verbal expression. Everything matters, from your body language to your listening skills. You will also learn to collaborate and work with others. This is important because those working in health and social care need to be able to thrive in multi-disciplinary teams, not just on their own.

If you’re interested in improving your own personal development, a postgraduate degree could be for you. And whether you study a master's degree in social work, a master’s in youth and community work, or a social care degree, it’s an opportunity to practice your networking skills!

Does a master’s degree sound like something you’d like to do? We’re No.1 in the UK for Student Satisfaction in Health Studies*, and also No.1 in the UK for Student Satisfaction in Childhood and Youth Studies**, so there’s nowhere better to pursue a degree in these subject areas.

We also have a dedicated Social Work Centre, bringing students and qualified professionals together for real-life training, as well as state-of-the-art health and social care facilities within our £31 million Bolton One building.

We are proud to deliver #UniAsItShouldBe, and our team is here to help you make a seamless transition from undergraduate to postgraduate study.

To find out more about applying in 2022/23, see our available courses online…

See our health and social care courses.

See our early years and childhood studies courses.

See our social work courses.

* Complete University Guide 2022