Social Work BA (Hons)

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Change people's lives for the better. Protect vulnerable people in very challenging situations. Make the world a fairer place.

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Learning, teaching and assessment in 2021/22

Overview

BA (Hons) Social Work is the essential first step to becoming a qualified Social Worker. When you have graduated, you will be eligible to apply for registration as a social worker with Social Work England.

Social Workers improve the lives of a huge range of people. For example, you could work with people with learning difficulties, children and families, older people, people who have problems with drug and alcohol misuse, people who experience mental health problems, or disabled people.

Why us?

Approved by Social Work England
100% of our BA (Hons) Social Work graduates are in graduate-level employment, further study or training within six months of graduating, according to DLHE 2016/17 (based on full-time, first degree, home leavers)

Our Social Work courses were ranked 1st overall in the UK in the 2018 UK Engagement Survey
Our Social Work courses were ranked 2nd in the UK for Assessment and Feedback, and 2nd in the UK for Retention and Progression in the 2018 UK Engagement Survey

Course structure

This course is taught via workshops, small group work, lectures, computer-based learning, presentations and independent learning.

Your progress will be assessed with group projects/presentations, written assignments, portfolios of work, and exams at the end of some modules. Throughout the degree you'll have one-to-one support from academic staff.

You will learn about the role of a social worker and the legislation which is applicable to social work theory, research, ethics and values.

Two practice learning opportunities (70 and 100 days) in your second and third year will help you to put your learning into practice.

You will develop skills in problem-solving, communication, working with others and patience. You will also learn about law, partnership working, assessment, intervention, mental health and disability issues.

A part-time version of this course is also available.

Year 1 (national level 4):

Skills for Practice (20 credits)
Social Work Theory and Practice 1 (20 credits)
Psychology and Human Growth and Development (20 credits)
Law for Social Workers (20 credits)
Introduction to Social Policy (20 credits)
Introduction to Social Theory (20 credits)

Some modules have prerequisites. Read more about what this means in our Help and Advice article.

Year 2 (national level 5):

Working with Children, Young People and Families (20 credits)
Working with Adults (20 credits)
Mental Health Social Work (20 credits)
Social Work Theory and Practice (30 credits)
First Placement (30 credits)

Final year (national level 6):

Critical Social Work Theory and Practice (20 credits)
Contemporary Issues in Social Welfare (20 credits)
Social Work Research Methods (10 credits)
Social Work Dissertation (30 credits)
Final Placement (40 credits)

Facilities

You'll be based at The Reg Vardy Centre, situated on the award-winning St Peter's riverside campus. The location benefits from dedicated library services and has superb transport links with the city centre and City Campus.

Entry requirements

Our typical offer is:

Qualification	Minimum grade
High School Diploma along with one of the following at the required grade - SAT I and SAT II, ACT or Advanced Placement	GPA 3.0 or above and: Sat score of 1250/1600 from SATs AP (Grades 3+ in at least 3 subjects) ACT (score of 30+)

If you don't meet our standard entry requirements, you can take one of the foundation pathways at our partners ONCAMPUS Sunderland. Find out more information and whether your course is eligible on our ONCAMPUS page.

If your qualification is not listed above, please contact the Student Administration team at studentadmin@sunderland.ac.uk for further advice.

If English is not your first language, you will also need International English Language Testing System (IELTS) at a score of 7.0 in all components.

Social Care experience

To apply for this degree you must have experience (voluntary or paid) in a social care setting. You can include placements which you have undertaken as part of college, but we do expect more experience than this. Experience could include volunteering during weekends, evenings, or holidays. We may also consider any personal experience you might have.

You should clearly describe this experience in the personal statement section of your application and show how this relates to a career in social work.

Social Work involves working with some of the most vulnerable people in society, and social work education is regulated by Social Work England. We must therefore be satisfied that you are 'fit to practise' before we can accept you onto this degree course.

In addition to the academic qualification and work experience, you will need:

Two satisfactory references
A satisfactory health clearance
An Enhanced Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check
A completed declaration form about previous criminal convictions and any disciplinary hearings or investigations related to vulnerable adults or safeguarding young people

We also require you to complete a declaration form about any previous criminal convictions and any disciplinary hearings or investigations related to vulnerable adults or safeguarding young people. Social Work is listed in the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 [amended 2013] so this means that we must ask you for an enhanced DBS check.

Some spent convictions and cautions are now ‘protected’, which means that we can't take them into account when deciding on your suitability for this course. You must read the Disclosure and Barring Service Filtering Guide carefully to decide whether or not you need to tell us about your spent convictions or cautions.

Is your qualification not displaying here? For international qualifications, search our full list of international entry requirements for this course.

Fees and finance

Fees for this course are:

£9,250 if you are from the UK/Europe*
£13,000 if you are an international student

Part-time fees are £6,935 per 120 credits. Part-time study is not available to international students who require a Student visa to study in the UK.

*European Union (EU), EEA (European Economic Area) and Swiss nationals are classed as international, however 21/22 entrants will receive a European student fee scholarship and will pay the (undergraduate) home tuition fee rate of £9,250 for the duration of their studies. The discounted fee will be reflected in your offer letter. Learn more in our Help and Advice article.

A limited number of Social Work bursaries are available. For more information visit the NHS Business Services Authority Knowledge Base.

If you currently serve (or have recently served) within the Armed Forces, then the Ministry of Defence's ELCAS scheme may be able to help cover your funding for this course. For more information, see our Funding for Armed Forces personnel page.

Take a look at the Your Finances section to find out about the scholarships and bursaries that may be available to you.

This information was correct at the time of publication.

The Sir Tom Cowie Campus at St Peter's by night

Career ready

BA (Hons) Social Work is a highly practical qualification. After graduation you will be eligible to apply for registration as a social worker with Social Work England.

Social Work is a very broad discipline. You could work with older people, young offenders, people with mental health issues, foster carers, children at risk of abuse, or any other individuals at risk of harm to themselves or others.

Social Workers work in a variety of organisations including local authorities, NHS Trusts, residential care, schools, the voluntary and private sector.

Centre for Applied Social Sciences

The University of Sunderland’s Centre for Applied Social Studies (CASS) regularly hosts research seminars presented by faculty academics and also visiting speakers, and it can be an excellent way to learn about current and up to date research on contemporary social care issues. You may also find opportunities to collaborate with the academic team.

Practice learning opportunities

Placements are an essential part of your degree, accounting for 70 credits in total. Placements allow you to apply your learning in a real-life context, and get a sense of what type of social work you might want to specialise in. When you’re ready to start searching for a job in social work, you will already have a wide network of professional contacts who can help you find the right opportunities.

Meet the students

The tutors were able to give me time and guidance when it was needed.

Iain Yassin
Lecturers are qualified social workers, bringing real-life experiences to teaching

Michelle Dias

Related courses

Contact

Contact the Student Helpline for further information about studying at the University of Sunderland:

0191 515 3000

student.helpline@sunderland.ac.uk

View Programme Specifications for the Faculty of Education and Society.

Page last updated: 22 September 2021

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