Why study this course?
Our Social Work (including foundation year) BSc (Hons) is an alternative route into social work studies if you don’t meet the necessary requirements to enter the standard undergraduate degree.
On successful completion of the foundation year, you’ll be able to progress onto the Social Work BSc (Hons) three-year course. Or you may decide to progress onto another one of our social and healthcare courses.
More about this course
Our social work bachelor’s degree with a foundation year will provide you with knowledge, skills and experience to enter or progress your career within the health and social care sector.
The foundation year will equip you with valuable transferable skills that will help you succeed in any workplace – you’ll learn how to manage your workload, critically analyse information and improve your academic writing skills. You’ll also complete a taster module in social work, so that you can prepare for more in-depth study of the subject in the subsequent three years of your course.
Your foundation year will be shared with students from other specialisms studying a foundation year in the School of Social Professions. This will be the perfect opportunity to learn about other disciplines and exchange different perspectives on the topics you study.
The module in social work will help you develop the necessary knowledge and skills that will give you an introduction to studying social work at undergraduate level. This module will also prepare you for the application process for the Social Work BSc (Hons) course. Upon successful completion of assessed group and written tests, you will be put forward to the individual interview stage. If you pass this stage, you’ll join students on our Social Work BSc (Hons) course and study the same content and modules as them. If you are unsuccessful but pass all your modules, you can choose another course at the University, subject to meeting entry requirements.
Professional accreditation
The bachelor’s part of this course is accredited by Social Work England.
Modular structure
The modules listed below are for the academic year 2022/23 and represent the course modules at this time. Modules and module details (including, but not limited to, location and time) are subject to change over time.
Year 0 modules include:
Critical Thinking (core, 15 credits)
Interventions for Change (core, 15 credits)
Media, Crime and ‘Race’ (core, 15 credits)
Reflecting on Self and Society (core, 15 credits)
Researching Discrimination (core, 15 credits)
Researching Inequality (core, 15 credits)
Social Issues in Context: Text to Essay (core, 15 credits)
Understanding Social Work (core, 15 credits)
Year 1 modules include:
Assessing, Planning and Professional Ethics (core, 30 credits)
Lifespan Development (core, 30 credits)
Readiness for Direct Practice (core, 30 credits)
Social Context for Social Work (core, 30 credits)
Year 2 modules include:
Law for Social Work Practice (core, 30 credits)
Practice learning 1 – first placement (core, 60 credits)
Theoretical Perspectives in Social Work (core, 15 credits)
Creative, critical reflective approaches to practice (option, 15 credits)
Disability and Inclusion (option, 15 credits)
Resistance, Creativity and Joy in the Capital (option, 15 credits)
Year 3 modules include:
Becoming Research Minded for Practice (core, 30 credits)
Practice learning 2 – second placement (core, 75 credits)
Community activism and digital campaigning (option, 15 credits)
Counselling in groups (option, 15 credits)
Diverse London (option, 15 credits)
Homelessness and Housing Policy (option, 15 credits)
International relationship-based practice for social change (option, 15 credits)
Where this course can take you
On graduation you’ll be eligible to register as a qualified social worker with Social Work England.
As the course content covers all aspects of social care, you will be able to seek work opportunities in all fields of social care work – from working with children and families to looking after people with mental health or addiction problems.
What is a degree with a foundation year?
This is a four-year degree course with a built-in foundation year (Year 0). It’s the perfect route into university if you don’t meet the necessary entry requirements for the standard undergraduate degree. You’ll graduate with a full undergraduate degree with the same title and award as those who studied the three-year course.
