Gain knowledge and skills in social work, leading to eligibility to register with Social Work England. You'll mix academic learning and practice placements.

This course will prepare you for a challenging and rewarding career in social work. You’ll receive comprehensive training to enable you to apply to register as a social worker and practice in a range of settings.

You’ll be based in the Department of Social and Policy Sciences. Our teaching staff work closely with colleagues across the disciplines of sociology, social policy, criminology and international development. Because of this, you’ll benefit from their diverse knowledge and our 50 years of experience in training social work practitioners at the University.

Local practitioners, service users and carers also contribute to the course, ensuring your learning is up-to-date and relevant. This helps to prepare you for the reality of social work practice.

In Year 1, you’ll study social work alongside psychology, sociology and social policy. You will develop your awareness of social inequality and social justice, which will give you the foundation to enhance your social work skills in readiness for your practice placements.

In Year 2, you’ll do your first practice placement and advance your study of social work. You will explore core social work units, such as social work with children and families, social work with adults and mental health.

In your final year, you’ll continue your social work studies. In your last semester, you will undertake a final practice placement. During this, you’ll build on the knowledge and skills you have developed in previous years and apply this to your practice with service users and carers.

Informed teaching to advance your learning

You’ll learn from teaching staff with diverse backgrounds and international expertise. Their passion, knowledge and research impact their teaching and contribute to your learning experience.

Develop your professional skills

Throughout the course, you will develop skills and knowledge that you can apply to your placements or future career. You will have the opportunity to apply them in practice and will learn from professionals working within those settings.

We will provide you with the tools and support to prepare you for employment such as:

• research methods
• critical reflection
• critical analysis
• ethics and values

Professional standards

This course is approved by Social Work England (SWE) and prepares you to meet the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) for newly qualified social workers and SWE Professional Standards. You will be able to apply to register as a professional social worker.

English language requirements Category B If you do not meet our English GCSE requirements, you will need a suitable English language qualification. Examples include: IELTS: 7.0 overall with no less than 6.5 in all components IELTS Indicator: 7.0 with 6.5 in each component TOEFL IBT: 100 overall with a minimum 24 in all 4 components TOEFL iBT and iBT Special Home Edition: 100 overall with 24 in each component The Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic): 69 with no less than 62 in any element The Pearson Test of English Academic Online (PTE Academic Online): we do not accept this qualification Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE): 185 with no less than 176 in all elements Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE): 185 with no less than 176 in all elements Duolingo (taken up to 1 July 2024): 130 overall with sub scores of Literacy 130, Comprehension 140, Conversation 125, Production 110 Duolingo (taken after 1 July 2024): 130 overall with sub scores of Literacy 130, Comprehension 130, Conversation 130, Production 130 LanguageCert SELT: C1 Expert Pass in both the Speaking test and the Listening, Reading, and Writing test See the full list of accepted English qualifications. English language requirements Category B If you do not meet our English GCSE requirements, you will need a suitable English language qualification. Examples include: IELTS: 7.0 overall with no less than 6.5 in all components IELTS Indicator: 7.0 with 6.5 in each component TOEFL IBT: 100 overall with a minimum 24 in all 4 components TOEFL iBT and iBT Special Home Edition: 100 overall with 24 in each component The Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic): 69 with no less than 62 in any element The Pearson Test of English Academic Online (PTE Academic Online): we do not accept this qualification Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE): 185 with no less than 176 in all elements Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE): 185 with no less than 176 in all elements Duolingo (taken up to 1 July 2024): 130 overall with sub scores of Literacy 130, Comprehension 140, Conversation 125, Production 110 Duolingo (taken after 1 July 2024): 130 overall with sub scores of Literacy 130, Comprehension 130, Conversation 130, Production 130 LanguageCert SELT: C1 Expert Pass in both the Speaking test and the Listening, Reading, and Writing test See the full list of accepted English qualifications. English language requirements Category B If you do not meet our English GCSE requirements, you will need a suitable English language qualification. Examples include: IELTS: 7.0 overall with no less than 6.5 in all components IELTS Indicator: 7.0 with 6.5 in each component TOEFL IBT: 100 overall with a minimum 24 in all 4 components TOEFL iBT and iBT Special Home Edition: 100 overall with 24 in each component The Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic): 69 with no less than 62 in any element The Pearson Test of English Academic Online (PTE Academic Online): we do not accept this qualification Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE): 185 with no less than 176 in all elements Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE): 185 with no less than 176 in all elements Duolingo (taken up to 1 July 2024): 130 overall with sub scores of Literacy 130, Comprehension 140, Conversation 125, Production 110 Duolingo (taken after 1 July 2024): 130 overall with sub scores of Literacy 130, Comprehension 130, Conversation 130, Production 130 LanguageCert SELT: C1 Expert Pass in both the Speaking test and the Listening, Reading, and Writing test See the full list of accepted English qualifications.

Prepare for your future career

As a professionally qualified social worker, you might work in a range of health and social care settings. The course will also provide you with knowledge, skills and experiences that are transferable to many careers outside of social work.

Examples of where our recent social work graduates have gone on to work include:

• Bath & North East Somerset Council
• Camden Council
• Doncaster Children's Service Trust
• The NHS
• Virgin Care