Why study this course?
Are you interested in working with people and local communities? Do you see yourself as a future leader? Are you looking for a fulfilling career? If so, this could be the course for you.
Our Leadership in Communities BSc (Hons) degree focuses on social concerns affecting communities and individuals. This course is also validated by the Chartered Institute of Housing.
More about this course
Community is a powerful medicine. The growth of food banks, the response to the Grenfell tragedy, the Black Lives Matter movement and the challenges of COVID have all demonstrated the power of community. By working together we can challenge inequality and social injustice.
If you’re looking for a fulfilling career in social justice, this could be the perfect degree for you. Whether you’re a school leaver or if you’ve been working with communities already and want to return to education, we welcome your application. We’ll develop your employability and leadership skills, and engage you in cutting-edge academic and research skills.
Our Leadership in Communities BSc provides a comprehensive view into issues that affect communities and look at how we can address them. It’s linked to degrees in social work and youth studies to offer a wide range of learning experiences and job opportunities.
This course is perfect preparation if you’re interested in working with diverse communities, including Black, Asian and ethnic minority groups, LGBT+, transnational communities, as well as vulnerable groups, such as homeless people, people with disabilities, refugees and asylum seekers. We work closely with local people so you’ll learn about the issues directly affecting urban communities and have opportunities to resolve them.
You’ll investigate the principles of community work and develop the necessary skills and competencies to practise in the community. As well as this, you’ll look at how differences in culture and identity affect the opportunities of individuals, addressing the causes of inequality and investigating the challenges and opportunities of living in a diverse society.
If you choose the counselling options in years two and three, you’ll also gain an
additional counselling qualification while completing your degree.
Teaching is currently timetabled for approximately two days per week so that you have time to carry out independent academic work and gain work experience through placement opportunities.
We place focus on developing transferable employability skills, which is why you’ll have the opportunity to complete a mini placement in your second year and a longer placement in your final year.
Employers from the sector will also provide guest lectures, giving you an opportunity to learn about the practical aspects of working in this field and find out what skills and experience employers are looking for.
There are also opportunities to progress to postgraduate studies. There are many postgraduate courses available to further your aspirations, including the Social Work MSc and the Youth and Community Work (with JNC Recognition) MSc, both of which are professionally recognised.
Professional accreditation
Our degree is endorsed by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH). Free student membership of the CIH is available to students choosing the two housing options in year three.
The combination of professional validation, work-related content and employability skills allows our graduates to gain employment and move into management positions.
Accreditation of Prior Learning
Any university-level qualifications or relevant experience you gain prior to starting university could count towards your course.
Modular structure
Example Year 1 modules include:
- Cultures, Identity and Difference (core, 30 credits)
- Self-Leadership (core, 30 credits)
- Introduction to social problems (core, 30 credits)
- Introduction to Communities (core, 30 credits)
Example Year 2 modules include:
- Human Rights, Social Justice and Diversity (core, 30 credits)
- Leadership and Communities (core, 15 credits)
- Researching Youth and Community Issues (core, 15 credits)
- Communities in Transition (option, 15 credits)
- Disability and Inclusion (option, 15 credits)
- Counselling in Youth and Community Settings (option, 15 credits)
- Diverse London (option, 15 credits)
- Transnational Communities (option, 15 credits)
- Sustainability and Environmental Justice (option, 15 credits)
Year 3 modules include:
- Community and Youth Dissertation (core, 30 credits)
- Development and Social Enterprise (core, 30 credits)
- Work Placement for Professional Development (core, 30 credits)
- Homelessness and Housing Policy (option, 15 credits)
- Housing Issues and Housing Solutions (option, 15 credits)
- Management and Supervision in Youth and Community Work Settings (option, 30 credits)
- Counselling in Groups (option, 15 credits)
- Community Acitivism and Digital Campaigning (option, 15 credits)
Where this course can take you
By the end of the course you’ll have the necessary experience and knowledge to become a leader in your chosen field.
Our graduates work in a wide range of different organisations. There are many opportunities for paid work with communities. The jobs are often not called ‘community worker’ but give you the chance to put your learning into action. Our students work in local councils, universities, the NHS, the private sector and many other fields. We love to keep in touch with students who have left, and they often return to tell our current students what they are doing.
We focus on building your transferable skills in order to increase your chances of gaining employment on graduation. Our team will support you in finding and securing the right placement. We have extensive links with employers who offer work experience opportunities in community trusts, youth clubs, housing associations, charitable organisations and other non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
After you graduate, you could go on to study a postgraduate degree with us on courses such as our Social Work MSc or the Woman and Child Abuse MA.
