Social Work and Applied Social Studies

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.