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Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Social Work
University of the West of Scotland
Entry requirements
Here's what you will need to get a place on the Social Work course at University of the West of Scotland.
Select a qualification to see required grades
A level
B,B,C
plus GCSE English and Maths at Grade C
Most popular A-levels studied
See who's studying at University of the West of Scotland. These students are taking Social Work or another course from the same subject area.
| Subject | Grade |
|---|---|
Course summary
What this course is about
UCAS code: L500
Here's what University of the West of Scotland says about its Social Work course.
HELP IMPROVE THE LIVES OF OTHERS AND KICK-START YOUR JOURNEY TOWARDS QUALIFYING AS A PRACTISING SOCIAL WORKER WITH UWS’S BA (HONS) SOCIAL WORK PROGRAMME. This programme provides a transformational student-centred learning experience, to meet the demands of contemporary social work practice. The programme is rich in practice authenticity and seeks to develop essential applied knowledge and skills to thrive in a challenging yet hugely rewarding social work career. Successful completion of the programme permits graduates to practice professionally as social workers across Britain and many other countries.
PROGRAMME HIGHLIGHTS
• This programme has been designed in collaboration with key social work stakeholders to provide you with the knowledge and practical experience to qualifyas a practising social worker. • Teaching covers a wide range of topics including professional assessment, critical thinking, anti-oppressive practice, legislation and theories and approaches to inform and intervene in practice. • Hybrid teaching across the programme is research informed, practice focused and designed to enhance the necessary skills and qualities required for you to thrive in practice. • Practical learning experiences are a key feature of the course, allowing you to apply critical knowledge and skills to practice. • The programme is rich in practice authenticity. UWS social work students should expect a transformative learning experience. You will be supported to develop your applied professional knowledge base, critical awareness skills, practice confidence and professional identity. • This programme has been approved by the Scottish Social Services Council.
PROGRAMME DETAILS
Practical learning is integral to the programme. You’ll apply the knowledge you learn in the classroom via 160 days of practice-based learning in traditional and innovative settings.Placements are varied and have taken place in organisations, including: • Children’s and Families services • Justice settings • Residential care settings • Community care settings • Drug and alcohol support services • Gendered violence organisations
CAREERS
Graduates from the UWS BA (Hons) Social Work programme have an established record in securingrelated employment promptly upon graduation. The applied knowledge and specialist skills developed throughout the programme are key attributes sought by external social work employers
Source: University of the West of Scotland
Course details
There are a few options in how you might study Social Work at University of the West of Scotland.
Check the
2 course options available.
Qualification
Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Department
Education and Social Sciences
Location
Paisley Campus | Paisley
Duration
4 Years
Study mode
Full-time
Subjects
• Applied social science
Start date
7 September 2026
Application deadline
14 January 2026
Tuition fees
| Location | Fees |
|---|---|
| England | £9,250 per year (provisional) |
| Scotland | £1,820 per year (provisional) |
| Wales | £9,250 per year (provisional) |
| Northern Ireland | £9,250 per year (provisional) |
| Channel Islands | £9,250 per year (provisional) |
| Republic of Ireland | £9,250 per year (provisional) |
| EU | £15,250 per year (provisional) |
| International | £15,250 per year (provisional) |
The modules you will study
Year one Programme content and learning is focused on developing essential foundational knowledge relevant to the social work profession. Year two Programme content and learning is designed to enhance applied knowledge and specialist skills relevant to practising social work. Year three Programme content and learning develops abilities to apply learning to professional practice. Year four Programme content and learning is designed to increase confidence and competence with critical practice.
How you will be assessed
The programme prides itself on developing a learning community amongst social work students. Teaching uses a variety of methods to stimulate, engage and develop knowledge and skills. Students are expected to consolidate learning with regular reading and discussion. Programme assessment is practice relevant and varied. Assessment feedback commentary is identified as a strength on programme and will always seek to consolidate student strengths and identify areas for future development.
University of the West of Scotland student reviews
Showing 29 reviews
1st year student
3 years ago
I haven't been to the union yet but from what I've seen it seems good but we still need more events and activities for Ayr campus.
1st year student
3 years ago
There are some good opportunities, but it would be nice if we had more activities to do available to us.
1st year student
3 years ago
The financial support is helpful enough for students considering the fees are all paid for and there is a possibility for extra money which depends on your household income.
1st year student
3 years ago
The support is good enough we usually get things resolved quite quickly.
1st year student
3 years ago
Most of the computers work well. The library is easy to access. The classes have enough space. The equipment we need is available to us most of the time.
1st year student
3 years ago
We have enough time to complete Assessment and tasks. A lot of group work which makes it easier to get things done rather than working alone. The lecturers are nice and approachable. The course is interesting and we learn a lot.
National Student Survey (NSS) scores at University of the West of Scotland
The NSS is an annual survey where final-year students are asked to rate different aspects of their course and university experience.
Here you can see ratings from University of the West of Scotland students who took the Social Work course - or another course in the same subject area.
Select an option to see a detailed breakdown
Teaching on my course
95%
high
Teaching on my course
95%
high
How often does your course challenge you to achieve your best work?
98%
high
How good are teaching staff at explaining things?
98%
high
How often do teaching staff make the subject engaging?
95%
high
How often is the course intellectually stimulating?
90%
med
Learning opportunities
91%
high
Learning opportunities
91%
high
To what extent have you had the chance to bring together information and ideas from different topics?
90%
med
How well does your course introduce subjects and skills in a way that builds on what you have already learned?
92%
med
How well has your course developed your knowledge and skills that you think you will need for your future?
97%
high
To what extent have you had the chance to explore ideas and concepts in depth?
88%
med
To what extent does your course have the right balance of directed and independent study?
87%
med
Assessment and feedback
89%
high
Assessment and feedback
89%
high
How well have assessments allowed you to demonstrate what you have learned?
95%
high
How fair has the marking and assessment been on your course?
82%
med
How often does feedback help you to improve your work?
88%
med
How often have you received assessment feedback on time?
92%
high
How clear were the marking criteria used to assess your work?
88%
high
Academic support
99%
high
Academic support
99%
high
How easy was it to contact teaching staff when you needed to?
98%
high
How well have teaching staff supported your learning?
100%
high
Organisation and management
91%
high
Organisation and management
91%
high
How well were any changes to teaching on your course communicated?
90%
high
How well organised is your course?
92%
high
Learning resources
88%
med
Learning resources
88%
med
How well have the IT resources and facilities supported your learning?
89%
med
How well have the library resources (e.g., books, online services and learning spaces) supported your learning?
85%
low
How easy is it to access subject specific resources (e.g., equipment, facilities, software) when you need them?
89%
med
Student voice
85%
high
Student voice
85%
high
How clear is it that students' feedback on the course is acted on?
79%
high
To what extent do you get the right opportunities to give feedback on your course?
88%
med
To what extent are students' opinions about the course valued by staff?
88%
med
How well does the students' union (association or guild) represent students' academic interests?
73%
low
Other NSS questions
Other NSS questions
Overall, I am satisfied with the quality of the course.
92%
high
How well communicated was information about your university/college's mental wellbeing support services?
80%
med
Student information
See who's studying at University of the West of Scotland. These students are taking Social Work or another course from the same subject area.
Graduate prospects
What graduates do next
We have no information about graduates who took Social Work at University of the West of Scotland.
Earnings after graduation
Earnings from University of the West of Scotland graduates who took Social Work - or another course in the same subject area.
Earnings
£20.8k
First year after graduation
£25k
Third year after graduation
£28.3k
Fifth year after graduation
Shown here are the median earnings of graduates at one, three and five years after they completed a course related to Social Work.
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
Discussions
Discussions
Students are talking about University of the West of Scotland on The Student Room.
University of the West of Scotland open days
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