Course Summary
Are you interested in how people develop and what influences their behaviour? Do you want to help people at risk of harm? Are you interested in legislation and social policy?
This hugely popular course, one of UEL’s flagship degrees, will give you a rewarding insight into contemporary social work and train you to become a reflective, capable and effective practitioner. You’ll learn how to support, protect and speak up for people in significant personal difficulty.
We’ll give you the theory and information you need through lectures and seminars, but this course is all about hands-on experience – or ‘learning by doing’, as we call it.
You’ll undertake supervised placements in your second and third years, applying your learning by working on real-life projects. By doing this, you’ll be able to narrow down your areas of interest for your post-university career.
Thanks to an accreditation agreement between the University of East London and the Health and Care Professions Council, your degree will allow you to practise as a qualified social worker immediately after you graduate.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
On your journey from student to practitioner, you’ll be taught everything you need to know for a career in social work – current legislation and government policy, information sharing and confidentiality requirements, ways of communicating, social policy theories and research methods.
But knowledge is just one side of the coin. Hands-on skills and experience are an equally important part of a social worker’s toolkit. That’s why ‘learning by doing’ is at the heart of our course.
For example, you’ll learn about safeguarding and when to take action, how to observe, when to observe, how and when to listen, how to promote social justice and how to practise in a non-discriminatory manner.
You’ll learn reflective practice – essentially, thinking more carefully about situations. You’ll receive plenty of support to help you develop emotional resilience and an ability to work with others to solve problems.
Other key skills you’ll gain are the analysis and interpretation of evidence, as well as the art of critical thinking to draw on the appropriate knowledge and improve your performance as a social worker.
HOW YOU'LL LEARN
You’ll be taught by staff with relevant experience and practice to ensure you learn from real life experience and research. We offer dual delivery which combines traditional on-campus face-to-face teaching and online teaching simultaneously, allowing you to interact as if you were there in person. You can move smoothly between online and on campus teaching subject to your individual timetable (and health requirements). Students can interact and collaborate in person and online in any of these live-streamed sessions. Live-streamed sessions will also be recorded, so you can login when you want, playback and watch from the comfort of your home and whilst on the go.
When not attending timetabled lectures you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. This will typically involve reading journal articles and books, working on individual and group projects, undertaking preparing coursework assignments and presentations, and preparing for exams. Your independent learning is supported by a range of excellent facilities including online resources, Microsoft Teams and Moodle.
We are investing in key areas beyond your studies including our career services, library and well-being, to be available both face-to-face on campus and online with many of these available 24/7.
Students are supported with any academic or subject related queries by an Academic Advisor, module leaders, former and current UEL students. If you need support with certain skills such as academic writing, our Skillzone and English for Academic Purposes offer workshops, drop-in sessions and one-to-one appointments will help you to achieve your potential.
You can receive advice and guidance on all aspects of the IT systems provided by the university from our IT Service Desks located on all three campuses.Our Student Support hubs in Docklands and Stratford feature centralised helpdesks to cater for your every need.
We have new, modern library facilities on both campuses offering inspirational environments for study and research. Libraries contain resources in print and digital formats, a range of study spaces and dedicated librarian who can assist with your learning.
UEL provides also support and advice for disabled students and those with specific learning difficulties (SPDs).Your overall workload consists of class and online tutor led sessions, individual learning, practical activities.
Our aim is to prepare our students for a broad range of careers, so that they can make amazing contributions to their communities. When you arrive, we'll introduce you to your personal tutor. This is the member of staff who will provide academic guidance, be a support throughout your time at UEL and who will show you how to make the best use of all the help and resources that we offer.
Class sizes:
Lectures are made of larger groups in the first year, bringing together students doing degrees in similar subjects, students are then divided into smaller seminar groups to better encourage student interest, teamwork ability, and retention of knowledge and skills.
Who will teach on this course
Ann Angharad Davies
Geraldine Crewes
The teaching team includes qualified academics, practitioners and industry experts as guest speakers. Full details of the academics will be provided in the student handbook and module guides.
YOUR FUTURE CAREER
We have more than 1,000 applicants for places on this course every year and only 65 places. Just to be accepted onto our programme is a massive achievement, and you’ll when on your way to a rewarding career in social work.
Because we’re the principal social work training provider in east London, you can rest assured that you’ll be in very safe hands when it comes to finding a job after graduating.
We have strong links with local social work agencies and employers, who have known and trusted us and our graduates for many years. Our students are in constant demand for newly qualified social worker posts, so choosing this course will give you a head start when it comes to finding a job in social work in east London.
We’re fully accredited by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) to award professional qualifications in social work alongside academic degrees. When you complete this degree, you’ll be eligible to register with the HCPC and practice as a social worker, though you’ll still be required to continue your professional development as part of your professional registration.
You’ll do this through what’s known as your ‘Assessed and Supported Year in Employment’, and you’ll also have the option of gaining further qualifications, including a master’s degree.
Through these courses, you can continue to develop academically and professionally in line with the framework agreed by The College of Social Work – social work’s professional body.
Explore the different career options you can pursue with this degree and see the median salaries of the sector on our Career Coach portal
How you'll be assessed
The approximate percentages for this course are:
Year 1: 90% coursework, 10% Practical
Year 2: 75% coursework, 25% Practical
Year 3: 75% coursework, 25% Practical
We assess all modules through different forms of coursework. Assessment methods include group works, exams and individual work including essays
In addition to writing traditional essays, you’ll be required to write reports, policy reviews and give presentations. This is to ensure you gain skills that are relevant to and can be transferred to the workplace. In your final year, you’ll write a research dissertation.
All grades count towards your module mark.
More details will be included in the student handbook and module guides.
Feedback is provided within 15 working days in line with UEL’s assessment and feedback policy.
WITH THE PLACMENT YEAR
This course offers the opportunity of year-long placement between years two and three. If you choose to take this option, you’ll spend your third year on a placement with a relevant company or organisation, adding valuable practical experience to your growing academic knowledge.
The extra placement year means it will take four years to complete your studies, instead of three.
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