Social Work
Entry requirements
Access to HE Diploma
Access to HE Diploma from a QAA recognised Access to HE course in health studies, health science, social sciences or nursing. Normally we require 15 credits at level 2 and 45 at level 3 of which at least 15 level 3 credits should be graded at distinction level.
GCSE/National 4/National 5
GCSEs in English Language or Literature at grade C or 4 or equivalents GCSE English equivalents Level 2 Literacy Level 2 Key Skills
UCAS Tariff
from A levels or equivalent BTEC National qualifications. We do not accept AS levels. We accept A level General Studies. For example: BBB at A Level DDM in BTEC Extended Diploma Merit overall from a T level qualification A combination of qualifications, which may include general studies
You may also need to…
Attend an interview
About this course
**Please check the Sheffield Hallam University website for the latest information.**
**Home fee-paying students can access a non-repayable maintenance grant of at least £5,000 per year. You may also be eligible for additional financial support based on your circumstances. Learn more at www.shu.ac.uk/study-here/health-and-social-care/fees-and-funding**
**Course summary**
- Study the theories, methods and values that inform social work.
- Develop your skills to prepare you for a rewarding career.
- Apply your learning and experience in practice placements.
- Benefit from supervised practical work in a range of social work settings.
On this course you will learn how to work with children, families and vulnerable adults who experience problems in their lives, or whose actions cause problems for others. You will be learning at university, on practice placements and through skills days. We will make sure your learning is up to date and informed by current research evidence.
**How you learn**
All our courses are designed around a set of key principles based on engaging you with the world, collaborating with others, challenging you to think in new ways, and providing you with a supportive environment in which you can thrive.
Our staff are qualified and experienced social workers. We also invite practitioners, service users and other professionals to discuss issues that are relevant to the profession. You will have a personal tutor to assist with your learning and academic progress – and you will learn with, from and about students studying on other courses.
This intellectually rewarding course allows you to engage with the world beyond the university. You will apply research-based knowledge to make a positive impact on the real world of social care – including service users, future employers and other health and social care practitioners.
You learn through
- work placements
- role play
- real-life case studies
- simulated practice scenarios
- written assignments
- individual and group presentations
- exams
There are also currently opportunities to study and work abroad – with the possibility of funding.
**Applied learning**
**Work placements**
You will apply the theory you study to practice-based learning experiences. Here you will develop critical and ethical approaches to your practice – preparing you to become a life-long, competent professional. The experiences you are provided with are compulsory to achieve the course’s practice-based learning outcomes.
These experiences will help you build your skills, confidence, creativity, resilience, integrity, and curiosity. They will take place in different practice-based learning environments – reflecting the range of ways services are currently delivered. This might include simulated learning and virtual placements, alongside real-world experience of services delivered face to face to service users.
We ensure the practice-based learning element of your course complies with the requirements of the Professional and Statutory Regulatory Body (PSRB) which governs the social work profession. So by the end of your course, you have the opportunity to show that you meet the requirements to register as a qualified social worker.
**Future careers**
This course prepares you for a child and adult social work career in
- local authorities
- independent and third sector organisations
- national and local voluntary organisations
**Equipment and facilities**
We’ve invested over £100m in new facilities to help you study how and when you want. This means 24-hour libraries and study spaces designed by our students.
Modules
Module and assessment information for future years is displayed as currently validated and may be liable to change. When selecting electives, your choices will be subject to the core requirements of the course. As a result, selections may be limited to a choice between one of two or more specified electives in some instances.
**Important notice:** The structure for this course is currently being reviewed and enhanced to provide the best possible learning experience for our students. Module structure, content, delivery and assessment are all likely to change, but we expect the focus of the course and the learning outcomes to remain as described above. Once the changes have been confirmed, updated module information will be published on this page.
**Year 1**
**Compulsory modules**
Applied Theories For Social Work Practice
Collaboration For Individual And Community Wellbeing
Personal And Professional Development
Preparing For Social Work Practice
Skills Days Attendance (Ba Sw)
Social Work Law Policy And Practice
**Year 2**
**Compulsory modules**
Assessing And Addressing Complexity
Evidence And Enquiry For Practice
Placement And Skills Days Attendance (Ba Sw)
Placement One For Social Work Practice
Working With Adults
Working With Children And Families
**Final year**
**Compulsory modules**
Placement And Skills Days Attendance (Ba Sw)
Placement Two For Social Work Practice
Professional Leadership
The Advancing Professional
Working With Complexity In Practice
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
Extra funding
Scholarships, discounts and bursaries may be available to students who study this course.
The Uni
Sheffield Hallam University
College of Health Wellbeing and Life Sciences
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Social work
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Social work
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
We're short of social workers - so if you want a degree that is in demand, then this could be the one for you! There's a shortage of social workers all over the UK, and graduates can specialise in specific fields such as mental health or children's social work. If you decide social work is not for you, then social work graduates also often go into management, education, youth and community work and even nursing. Starting salaries for this degree can reflect the high proportion of graduates who choose a social work career - social work graduates get paid, on average, more than graduates overall, but not all options pay as well as social work. This is also an unusual subject in that London isn't one of the more common places to find jobs - so if you want to get a job near to your home or your university this might be worth thinking about.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Social work
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£23k
£28k
£29k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):
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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).
This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.
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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.
You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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