BA (Hons) Social Work

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

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Three social work students sitting on the sofas in the communication skills room

Start date/study mode:

UCAS codeL500

Duration3 years

Fee (UK)£9,535

Fee (Int)£17,500

LocationOn campus

Course summary

Social workers make a profound impact on the lives of a diverse range of people, including those with learning difficulties, children and families, older adults, individuals struggling with substance abuse, people with disabilities, young offenders, and those with mental health challenges.

Studying for the BA (Hons) Social Work degree is the crucial first step towards becoming a qualified social worker and playing a pivotal role in supporting some of the most vulnerable individuals in our society.

Placements are an essential part of the course, providing you with the opportunity to apply your academic learning in real-world settings. These placements offer valuable experience in social work environments, allowing you to explore potential specialisms for your future career. By the time you begin your job search, you’ll have built a strong network of professional contacts who can guide you towards the right opportunities.

Upon successful completion of the course, you’ll be eligible to apply for registration as a social worker with Social Work England. Our graduates have gone on to work across a variety of organisations, including local authorities, NHS Trusts, residential care facilities, schools, and both the voluntary and private sectors.

Accreditations and approvals

The BA (Hons) Social Work feels very student-centred. The placement enriched my learning experience and was instrumental to my development as I’ve since been offered a position with the charity.
Leigh-Anne Coffey
Read Leigh-Anne Coffey's story

What you'll study

Many of our courses include a range of modules you can choose from. Some of these options may only be available if you’ve already studied specific required modules. If you’re not sure what you need before picking a module, your course leader can help.

Undergraduate module credits should total 120 credits per academic year. If optional modules are available alongside core modules on your course, you should choose an amount that totals 120 credits.

How you'll learn

The BA (Hons) Social Work 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 this social work degree, you'll have one-to-one support from academic staff.

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

Entry requirements

Our typical offer is 104-120 UCAS Tariff points, from a combination of acceptable Level 3 qualifications which may include: A Levels, T Levels, BTEC Diplomas/Extended Diplomas, Scottish and Irish Highers, Access to HE Diplomas, or the International Baccalaureate.

If English isn't your first language, you'll also need International English Language Testing System (IELTS) at a score of 7.0 in all components.

The application process

As social work is a regulated profession and successful completion of the course gives you basis to apply for registration with the English regulator, Social Work England, there are several stages to our selection process.

The first stage involves your application where you showcase your knowledge and experience and make it clear why you want to study social work. If your application is shortlisted, you'll be invited to complete a written exercise online that looks at your written ability and assesses your attitude and values towards a social work-related scenario.

If successful, you'll then be invited to an interview, where you'll meet staff who teach the course, as well as some current students. You'll complete an assessed group discussion with other applicants and an individual interview. During the interview, it’s important that you show some understanding of social work and demonstrate your motivation and commitment to becoming a social worker. This is your opportunity to tell us more about yourself and why you'd be a great candidate for the course. Both your group discussion and individual interview will be scored by staff and co-educators and offers will be made based on these scores.

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've 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're 'fit to practise' before we can accept you onto this degree.

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

Two satisfactory references
A satisfactory health clearance (reasonable adjustments can be made for those with any specific health requirements)
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), which 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(opens in new tab) carefully to decide whether or not you need to tell us about your spent convictions or cautions.

Driving

While it isn't mandatory that you hold a driving licence and have access to a vehicle to undertake this course, please be aware that the availability of placements may be limited by not driving. Many Local Authorities in the north-east also require driving or access to mobility support as an essential requirement for employment.

You also need three passes at GCSE grade C or above, which must include mathematics and English language, or a minimum of Level 2 Key Skills in Communication and Application of Number. If you've studied for a GCSE which has a numerical grade, you'll need to achieve a grade 4 or above.

Find out how many points your qualifications are worth using the UCAS Tariff calculator(opens in new tab).

Our admissions policy uses a range of flexible options to support you to study with us. This may include a reduced offer of up to 16 UCAS Tariff points, (or equivalent). Find out if you're eligible for a tariff point reduction.

Fees and finance support

UK£9,535

International£17,500

Undergraduate fees are set according to rules from Government in line with forecast inflation. The fee for your first year of study for 2026/27 will be £9,535. You'll pay tuition fees for every year of study. Fees may increase every year based on the Retail Price Index.

Check your fee status(opens in new tab).

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

See all course tuition fees.

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Start date/study mode:

UK students

Full-time September 2026
Apply now

International students

Full-time September 2026
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Disclaimer

We want to make sure you have clear and accurate information about our courses. Our website always shows the latest updates. If you’ve applied and been offered a place, we’ll contact you in writing if anything important changes.

View our programme specifications(opens in new tab) for further information about what the course covers, learning outcomes and the skills you'll gain when you graduate.