Course Overview

Social workers overwhelmingly work with the most marginalised and oppressed within society. The people we work with professionally face various difficulties and traumas. As social workers, our task is to understand such traumas and offer support, help and guidance to those in need during times of trouble. Very often, this means understanding the public causes of individual private pains. A solid commitment to social justice shapes the Social Work degree.

As a Social Work student, you will study aspects of sociology, social policy, psychology, law, social theory and social work methods, skills and practices. You will explore barriers such as poverty, disability, racism and sexism that service users often face. Such barriers impact people in a range of negative ways, and we must understand the nature of the community in which we live and how it can affect people in their lives. You will undertake 170 days in a social work setting in your second and third years.

The degree is taught by a teaching team who are all published in the field of social work and are experts in particular areas of the discipline. The School plays a vital role in the Social Work Action Network (SWAN). SWAN is a national organisation within social work comprising practitioners, students, academics and service users. During your second year, you can undertake a social work placement in either India or Gambia or a four-week mental health Summer School that includes an exchange trip to Michigan, USA. We are the only social work course in England offering these options.

General Eligibility

• A-Levels BBB

• UCAS Tariff Points Minimum of 120 UCAS Tariff points must come from at least two A Levels (or equivalent). Additional points can be made up from a range of alternative qualifications.

• BTEC DDM

• Access to HE Minimum of 120 Tariff Points

• IB 28

• Irish Leaving Certificate Minimum of 120 Tariff Points from Higher Level qualifications only

• Welsh Baccalaureate This qualification can only be accepted with other relevant qualifications.

• T-Levels 120 Tariff Points / Merit

• Subject Requirements: you also need a GCSE Grade of C or above in English (Grade 4 or above in the new grading system). Offers will be subject to a successful interview, a satisfactory Health Check Statement and an application to the Disclosure and Barring Service (unfortunately, due to requirements of the placement providers, we cannot consider any applicants with convictions within five years of the start of the course). This professional qualification can be significantly oversubscribed, so applicants are advised to apply early.

Part Time Work Details

20 hours of work permit weekly for international students.

Language Requirement

• IELTS 6.0 overall (with reading and writing at 6.0) and no individual score below 5.5.