Advanced Social Work Studies (Mental Health Officer Award) PgCert

The programme includes four courses and two periods of assessed MHO practice placements taught full-time over a condensed academic year (nine months).

The programme starts with two days induction in mid-October followed by the first course, which begins in late November.

It provides an introduction to some key issues and current thinking in the field of mental health and encourages students to take a critical look at subjects and concepts including:

• mental illness
• psychiatric diagnoses
• recovery
• contemporary developments in mental health law

The next three courses follow the structure of the main statutes that frame the MHO role, namely:

• The Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003
• The Criminal Procedures (Scotland) Act 1995
• The Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000

Teaching and learning activities enable students to gain a detailed understanding of this framework and its connection to adult protection legislation.

The programme benefits from inputs from practising MHOs and allied professionals, including:

• psychiatrists
• psychologists
• advocacy workers

A central focus is the important role MHOs play in navigating the ethical and human rights challenges inherent in this work. Contributions from people with experience of mental distress and their carers support this focus.

During the practice placements, supported and supervised by experienced MHOs, students can apply their academic learning to real-life situations.

Find out more about compulsory and optional courses

We link to the latest information available. Please note that this may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

In line with the Scottish Social Services Council’s standards for MHO Awards and in order to successfully complete the programme, you are required to demonstrate relevant extensive critical knowledge and understanding across the four learning areas of:

• mental well-being and mental disorder
• powers and duties
• collaborative working in relation to roles and organisations
• assessment and management of need, care and risk

You are also required to demonstrate competence in:

• the appropriate skills to be consolidated and developed
• the integrated ethical and professional approach required of a registered social worker
• the specialist professional practice which must be competently demonstrated and assessed

The programme is unique in that you are employed by your sponsoring local authority, however the Advanced Social Work Studies (Mental Health Officer Award) confirms the ability to practice as an MHO and thus widens career opportunities with current employers and across the Scottish local authority sector.

If you are looking to get started on some provisional reading before your course begins, we recommend the following:

• Coleborne, C. (2020). Why Talk About Madness? Bringing History into the Conversation. Cham: Springer International Publishing.
• Cohen, B. M. Z. (2018). Routledge International Handbook of Critical Mental Health. 1st ed., Vol. 1. Milton: Routledge.
• Cummins, I. (2019). Mental Health Social Work Reimagined. Bristol: Policy press.
• Davidson, G., Campbell, J., and Mulholland, C. (2017). Models of Mental Health. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan [E-book].
• Spandler, H., Anderson, J., and Sapey, B. (2015). Madness, Distress and the Politics of Disablement. Bristol: Policy Press.

These entry requirements are for the 2025/26 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2026/27 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2025.

A UK 2:1 honours degree or its international equivalent, or a recognised qualification in social work and at least two years' relevant experience in social work practice.

If you are a qualified social worker but you do not hold a degree-level qualification, you may ask for special consideration when applying.

You must be employed, supported, and seconded by one of the 12 employing local authorities within the East of Scotland MHO Partnership catchment area.

Students from China

This degree is Band C.

• Postgraduate entry requirements for students from China

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

• Entry requirements by country

English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency which will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.0 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 185 with at least 169 in each component.
• Trinity ISE: ISE III with passes in all four components.
• PTE Academic: total 73 with at least 59 in each component. We do not accept PTE Academic Online.
• Oxford ELLT: 8 overall with at least 6 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

• UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

• Approved universities in non-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old at the beginning of your programme of study.

Find out more about our language requirements:

• English language requirements

Funding for postgraduate study is different to undergraduate study, and many students need to combine funding sources to pay for their studies.

Most students use a combination of the following funding to pay their tuition fees and living costs:

• borrowing money

  • taking out a loan

  • family support

• personal savings

• income from work

• employer sponsorship

• scholarships

Explore sources of funding for postgraduate study

Each successful applicant will be sponsored by their employing local authority who will pay all programme fees and relevant expenses.

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

• Search for funding