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Full Time - If you are applying for this course from within the UK, click apply now.
Course starts: 20 September 2021Apply now
Full Time - If you are applying for this course from outside the UK, click apply now.
Course starts: 20 September 2021Apply now
Part Time - If you are applying for this course from within the UK/EU, click apply now
Course starts: 20 September 2021Apply now
Change people's lives for the better. Protect vulnerable people in very challenging situations. Make the world a fairer place.
Register your interestBA (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.
We look forward to you joining us on the Social Work course and we understand you may have questions about how the Covid-19 pandemic might be having an impact on the delivery of the course. We want to reassure you that plans are underway for the teaching timetable.
The majority of teaching will take place online. Lecturers will use a combination of online and live online, utilising a range of technologies. Creative, interactive sessions will provide opportunities for you to interact with tutors and other students and start to understand and form your professional social work identity, a journey that will continue as you move through the course. We are planning for some face-to-face teaching each week, but we will need to take into account the current situation and any relevant Government guidance at the time.
Whilst most of our teaching will take place online, social work is a people profession and relationships form an essential part of that. In our live online sessions, we are keen to foster a culture of engagement where you feel involved and included in these sessions and enabled to learn and develop.
Placements for students will be arranged during the second semester during the second and third years of study. These will be arranged on an individual basis through our Practice Learning Coordinator and designed with flexibility in mind such as whether students are able to do these from an agency setting or away from the office.
We will make all reasonable efforts to provide the courses and student experience outlined. It may be necessary to make changes in response to COVID-19 whilst we continue to follow government guidance. View our FAQs for more information or contact us.
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.
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 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:
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.
Fees for this course are:
Learn more about settled status, pre-settled status, special discounts, visa requirements and Common Travel Area (CTA) agreements for the Republic of Ireland applicants in our Help and Advice article. Please note, part-time study is not available to international students.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The tutors were able to give me time and guidance when it was needed.
Lecturers are qualified social workers, bringing real-life experiences to teaching
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