Social Work fees and funding

Fees

The two main costs you will face as a postgraduate student are tuition fees and living expenses.

Funding

There are a number of funding options available that may help you finance your MSc Social Work degree.

NHS bursary: home students

Each year, the NHS allocates a certain number of bursaries to students on our MSc in Social Work. Following interview, the University notifies successful students, who must be ordinarily resident in England, if they are being recommended for an NHS bursary. A bursary cannot be guaranteed, and it may be the case that we are allocated fewer bursaries than the number of eligible students.

If you are interested in being nominated for a bursary, early application to our programme is advised. For full details and eligibility criteria see the NHS Business Authority's information about the Social Work Bursary for postgraduate students.

International postgraduate scholarships

International postgraduate students who have overseas fee status can apply for the University-wide Think Big postgraduate scholarship. Applications for this scholarship close at 10am (UK time) on Friday 10 April 2026.

Alumni discount

University of Bristol alumni can get an automatic 25% reduction in their postgraduate tuition fees. You do not need to apply for this discount. If you are eligible, the 25% reduction will be applied automatically to your fees invoice. Read full eligibility criteria.

Further funding information

Find out more about other funding options, including the Postgraduate Master's Loan for UK students, the Chevening Scholarship and other international scholarships.