Option for Placement Year
Option for Study Abroad
Placement
Gain the skills and knowledge you need to embark on a demanding but incredibly rewarding career with our BSc (Hons) Social Work degree at Northumbria.
During your course, you will gain confidence and knowledge of social work, ensuring you are ready to support and improve the lives of everyday people, from all walks of life.
Covering modules in Social Work Assessment and Intervention, Policy and Law, Ethics, Research, Safeguarding, and Leadership, you will gain knowledge which you can apply to your practice placements and, subsequently, your future employment.
At Northumbria, you will be taught by leading academics who have extensive practical experience in a wide range of social work contexts. Furthermore, successful completion of the course, will enable you to apply for registration with Social Work England - a legal requirement for all practising social workers in England.
A social worker is someone who seeks to improve people’s lives by helping with social and interpersonal difficulties, promoting human rights, and wellbeing. They can support many kinds of people including the elderly, those with disabilities, people who have a learning disability, young offenders, children at risk of abuse, children living in foster care, autistic people, refugees, asylum seekers, people experiencing mental health difficulties, and those vulnerable to drug or alcohol abuse.
Social Work is motivated by human rights and the wellbeing of the public, ensuring that everyone, no matter their circumstances, is treated fairly and is safe from harm. They may do this by assessing the needs of an individual, planning the best solution to their problems, making referrals, organising support, or even providing direct support.
The course is delivered through a range of learning and assessment methods, designed to ensure you can gain lots of transferable skills, such as independence, team working, research skills, leaderships, and time management. These skills are vital for any career, including Social Work.
As well as this, you will take part in 170 days of assessed placements in the final two years of study. This will be a fantastic way to get hands-on, help real people, and get a real feel for the kind of clinical settings which you may work in after your studies.
Research Powerhouse: Social Policy is ranked 3rd in the UK for research power in the UK out of 76 submissions (REF, 2021).
Excellent Connections: Our Social Work placements aim to provide you with the opportunity to gain skills in at least two practice settings. Our excellent connections with local healthcare organisations provides opportunities in residential settings, fieldwork teams, hospitals, day service/centre provision, and schools.
See other similar courses you may be interested in: Health and Social Care BSc or explore all our available Social Work Courses we have and find the one that suits your interests.
BSc (Hons) Social Work is accredited by Social Work England (SWE) with conditions. Students who successfully complete the course can apply to be registered with SWE and therefore will be able to practice as a Social Worker in England.
UCAS Code
L503
Level of Study
Undergraduate
Mode of Study
3 years Full Time
School
Communities and Education
Location
Coach Lane Campus, Northumbria University
City
Newcastle
Start
September 2026 or September 2027
Fees
Fee Information
Supporting communities, changing futures.
Just a few miles from the city centre lies Coach Lane Campus; a modern, multi-million pound complex. Here you’ll find lecture theatres, teaching rooms and study spaces to support students in every aspect of learning.
At the heart of each Northumbria campus, our libraries provide a range of study space and technology to suit every learning style.
You can boost your CV and develop your experience whilst studying at Northumbria.
From first year through to final year and beyond graduation, we are here to help.
Visit an Open Day to get an insight into what it's like to study Social Work BSc (Hons). Speak to staff and students from the course and get a tour of the facilities.
96 to 112 Tariff Points
From a combination of acceptable Level 3 qualifications which may include: A-level, T Level, BTEC Diplomas/Extended Diplomas, Scottish and Irish Highers, Access to HE Diplomas, or the International Baccalaureate.
Find out how many points your qualifications are worth by using the UCAS Tariff calculator: www.ucas.com/ucas/tariff-calculator
Northumbria University is committed to supporting all individuals to achieve their ambitions and we understand that every applicant’s circumstances can be different, which is why we take a flexible approach when making offers for this course. We have a range of schemes and alternative offers to make sure as many individuals as possible are given an opportunity to study at our university regardless of personal circumstances or background. Typically, offers range from 96 to 112 UCAS tariff points, but we’ll assess your individual circumstances and potential when reviewing your application
To find out more, review our Northumbria Entry Requirement Essential Information page for further details www.northumbria.ac.uk/entryrequirementsinfo
Subject Requirements:
There are no specific subject requirements for this course
GCSE Requirements:
Applicants will need Maths and English Language at minimum grade 4 or C, or the equivalent.
Additional requirements:
You will be required to attend an interview. Admission is subject to a suitable DBS Enhanced Certificate and a satisfactory health check. You must meet Social Work England's suitability for registration requirements.
International Qualifications:
We welcome applicants with a range of qualifications from the UK and worldwide which may not exactly match those shown above. If you have taken qualifications outside the UK you can find out how your qualifications compare by visiting our country page www.northumbria.ac.uk/yourcountry
English Language Requirements:
International applicants are required to have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 7.0 with 6.5 in each component (or approved equivalent*).
*The university accepts a large number of UK and International Qualifications in place of IELTS. You can find details of acceptable tests and the required grades in our English Language section: www.northumbria.ac.uk/englishqualifications
For further admissions guidance and requirements, please visit www.northumbria.ac.uk/admissionsguidance Please review this information before submitting your application.
UK Fee in Year 1: £9,790
* In relation to fees for UK students: £9,790 is the tuition fee. The remaining fees relate to the International Soccer Academy, and accommodation fees. Tuition fees in the academic year 2027/28* will be £10,050 (subject to Parliamentary approval, along with 2026/27 fees) Fees are set in line with the UK Government's tuition fee cap. The University may increase fees in subsequent years in line with any changes to the tuition fee cap. Increases will be linked to inflation. For example, increases may be linked to RPIX (Retail Price Index excluding mortgage interest payments) Students will be notified of any increase ahead of it taking effect. Student fee loans rise in line with the tuition fees cap. *if your course is longer than one year
* Fees subject to annual increases over the course of the period of study. Students will be liable for payment of any/all tuition fees which are not sponsored by their employer or other third party.
International Fee in Year 1:
This is the tuition fee for your first year of study. You should expect to pay tuition fees for every year of study. The University may increase fees in the second and subsequent years of your course at our discretion in line with any inflationary or other uplift. Students will be notified of any increase ahead of it taking effect.
Tuition fees in the academic year 2027/28* will be £10,050 (subject to Parliamentary approval, along with 2026/27 fees) Fees are set in line with the UK Government's tuition fee cap. The University may increase fees in subsequent years in line with any changes to the tuition fee cap. Increases will be linked to inflation. For example, increases may be linked to RPIX (Retail Price Index excluding mortgage interest payments) Students will be notified of any increase ahead of it taking effect. Student fee loans rise in line with the tuition fees cap.
ADDITIONAL COSTS
You will need to pay for your own travel costs, which may be approximately £800 - £865 per year at Level 5 and 6 depending on your placement location. You may be eligible to claim reimbursement of travel costs from the NHS Business Authority. Up to date information relating to this can be found at: https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/student-services. If using a car to attend placement, you may also need to pay parking charges of approximately £200 per year. For some placements, there are parking charges and this comes out of your bursary where eligible. For Level 5, if a student does not use their full bursary allowance for travel, we suggest you may wish to keep that to one side to top up Level 6 travel cost if required.
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