GBP 17,950
Health and Social Care BA (Hons)
Nottingham Trent UniversityNottingham, United Kingdom
2027-09-01
On campus
36 months
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Program Details
- Degree
- Bachelors
- Major
- Health Administration | Public Health | Social Work and Counselling
- Area of study
- Social Sciences | Health
- Timing
- Full time
- Course Language
- English
Intakes
Program start date
2027-09-01
Program Overview
Health and Social Care BA (Hons)
The Health and Social Care BA (Hons) course is designed for those who want to create meaningful change, supporting individuals and communities facing challenges such as mental health issues, homelessness, domestic abuse, and social inequality.
Course Details
- UCAS code: L510
- Level of study: Undergraduate
- Typical offer: 96 UCAS tariff points
- Start date: September 2026
- Duration: Three years full-time / part-time option available
- Attendance: Full-time, Part-time
- Course delivery: On-campus (City Campus)
- Work placement opportunities are available.
About this Course
This course is designed for those who are passionate about making a real difference to people's lives. Our teaching is led by experts alongside a curriculum shaped by the latest developments in the field. You will be equipped with the knowledge, skills, and hands-on experience to navigate the evolving health and social care landscape.
What you'll Study
We use creative teaching methods to bring issues to life and to help students make the links between theory and practice. Our teaching uses the latest research and utilizes our close links with a range of national and local organizations; guests from the sector regularly come to campus to share their experiences with our students.
Module Information
The course includes a range of core and optional modules, including:
- Health & Society
- Current Issues in Health and Social Care
- Social Policy, Inequalities and Social Justice
- Effective Communication Skills
- Preparing for Practice
- Human Growth and Development
- Developing Real-World Research Skills
- Managing Health and Social Care
- Becoming a Health and Social Care Professional
- Person Centred Interventions
- Optional modules include Engaging with Vulnerable Groups, Mental Health and Wellbeing, Health, Social Care and Crime, and more.
Student Experience
Our students have praised the support from the university, which has enabled them to build a network and working relationship with lecturers, gaining opportunities such as mentoring and representing their cohort in student representative meetings.
How you're Taught
To provide you with a first-class learning experience, you'll receive contact time through a diverse range of delivery methods, including:
- Structured teaching through traditional lectures, seminars, and workshops
- Smaller group seminars and workshops to develop problem-solving, group working, analysis, debating, and presentation skills
- Real-life observational exercises and self-assessment quizzes
- Tutorials with staff to discuss your work, ask questions, and raise any difficulties you are experiencing
- Independent study, with scheduled contact hours decreasing as you develop the skills required to undertake an independent study or dissertation in your final year
- Student mentors from Years Two and Three to provide first-year students with an informal, friendly ear
Entry Requirements
- UK students: Standard offer of 96 UCAS Tariff points from up to four A-levels or equivalent qualifications
- International students: 96 UCAS Tariff points from up to four A-levels, with equivalent qualifications from around the world accepted
- Additional requirements include an enhanced-level Disclosure and Barring Service check
Fees and Funding
- UK students: £9,790 per year, with additional costs for textbooks, printing, and field trips
- International students: £17,950 per year, with scholarships available
Careers and Employability
Our staff will work with you to explore the career pathway that is the best fit for you. Examples of career pathways include social work, probation, housing, teaching, youth work, career development, nursing, public health, and occupational therapy.
Campus and Facilities
You'll mainly be studying in the Chaucer and Newton buildings, at the center of our vibrant City Campus. Our campus has everything you'll need to stay busy between lectures, including the Boots Library, a two-storey gym, and a range of cafes, bars, and restaurants.
Applying
You can apply for this course through UCAS or directly to us on our NTU applicant portal. If you have any questions about applying, get in touch through our online form or call us on +44 (0).
Program Outline
What you’ll study
Health and social care is centrally concerned with wellbeing, or the state of being or doing well in life; with being happy and healthy; and with the moral and physical welfare of a person, a family, a neighbourhood, or a community.
Excellent work experience opportunities
During the course, you'll have an opportunity to incorporate work experience into your academic studies through the Professional Practice module. This experience will allow you to put theory into practice, enhance your understanding of relevant organisations, and develop networks.
Volunteering in a health and social care setting is also encouraged, both as a means of enhancing your academic studies and of building relevant experience.
Year One
Year Two
Final year
Core modules
Foundations in Health and Social Care
You’ll gain a broad perspective on health and social care; the contexts and organisation of health and social care work; work with service users within diverse communities; and some of the issues that impact on and influence professionals working in these areas. It also provides an important opportunity for you to begin to take responsibility for aspects of your own learning and gain valuable experience of studying independently. You’ll do this through carrying out a primary investigation into an aspect of health and social care delivery that is of particular interest to you.
Current Issues in Health and Social Care
This module will help you to develop a range of key competencies in digital information and research skills, which will enable you to be a more effective learner and practitioner. The emphasis is on information skills for accessing, manipulating and presenting information. It will equip you with essential ICT skills, including the use of NTU facilities such as our Library and Learning Resources (LLR) and the Virtual Learning Environment called NOW. These skills will support your undergraduate studies and own research. You’ll also explore research that has been conducted in health and social care, and develop a basic understanding of research methodologies used by the social sciences.
Social Policy for Health and Social Care
You’ll be introduced to the language and basic concepts used in the study of social policy; competing perspectives on social policy matters; the key areas of British social policy; contemporary welfare issues; the links between social policy and health and social care; and how the lives of the users of these services may be influenced by social policy.
Working with People
You’ll explore the complexities of working with people in health and social care environments. It is an essential quality of a practitioner to be able to effectively communicate, empathise, and to assess and evaluate the input and output of their own interactions and effectiveness. This module will consider the knowledge and skills base essential for health and social care roles and practitioners, as well as integrating concepts of equality, human rights and diversity.
Preparing for Practice
During this modules you'll gain an understanding of the roles and key responsibilities of health and social care professionals. You'll also acquire the basic knowledge to be able to start working in the industry.
Human Growth and Development
Understanding how human beings grow and change over their lives is fundamental to working effectively with health and social care users. This module aims to provide you with a multidisciplinary understanding of human development in contemporary society.
Core modules
Research in Health and Social Care
The module aims to develop your understanding of different research approaches, and to enhance your ability to identify the role of research within health and social care, along with the development of appropriate research skills. You’ll develop an understanding of quantitative and qualitative research methodology.
Managing Health and Social Care
This module enables you to gain an understanding of the major changes to the management of health and social care organisations. It will consider some of the major political and social factors shaping policy change in this area. We will consider the implications for managing resources, information and people. The module will also enable you to develop an appreciation of the relevance and impact of these reforms for health and social care service managers, professional groups, and service users.
Professional Practice
In Term One this module focuses on preparation for your work placement or equivalent experience. It includes aspects of multidisciplinary teamwork, health and safety at work, safeguarding and reflective practice, and an understanding of organisational structures. In Term Two you will undertake the placement and complete a reflective portfolio.
Person Centred Interventions
This module will allow you to develop the skills required for planning and delivering personalised care and practise interpersonal communications skills for appropriate interventions.
Optional modules
You will also be able to select one option from a selection that currently includes
:
Making Sense of Health Improvement
Gain an understanding of the link between place, health and wellbeing as well as exploring the extent to which neighbourhood effects and shapes the patterns of health and wellbeing within a community.
Engaging with Vulnerable Groups
This module explores several key issues and topics associated with vulnerable groups. Over the module you'll deepen your knowledge of the social construction and exclusion and how individual members of these groups experience health, social care and society.
Mental Health and Wellbeing
Gain a broad introduction to theories and approaches to mental health and wellbeing.
Health, Social Care and Crime
The aim of this module is to provide you with an introduction to the UK criminal justice system, in particular its origins, factors affecting and / or sustaining its development, and its role in contemporary society.
Core modules
Individual Research Project
The final year research project provides you with the opportunity for an in-depth independent study into a specific aspect of Health and Social Care. You’ll be able to choose between a practice-based or empirical research route. In each case, you’ll be developing a theoretical foundation from which you’ll go on to conduct primary research or develop a practice-based evaluation. The dissertation provides you with an opportunity to consolidate your learning and to further develop your understanding of your chosen pathway subject.
Leadership in Health and Social Care
Leadership and teamwork are key skills demanded of graduates by employers – but what makes a team effective? Do we understand our own preferences for roles within teams, and how do leaders typically motivate and monitor the performance of the teams they lead? This module provides the opportunity to explore various theories about how organisations work, what makes for an effective leader, and what motivates individuals and teams to give their best. Additionally, key issues relating to employment within the health and social care sector will be explored. Activities across the module will support you to develop your self-awareness, employability skills and understanding of contemporary work-related issues. The final portfolio is produced using web-based tools, such as PebblePad, giving you the opportunity to develop your IT skills and reflect upon your own approach to leadership, forming effective teams and ongoing career development.
Optional modules
You'll also be able to select three optional modules. Some of these are only available if you have taken the appropriate options in Year Two. The selection currently includes:
Children’s and Young People’s Mental Health
This module explores a range of perspectives on contemporary mental health practice for children and young people, including conceptual models (medical, social, and user), and assessment, policy and practice frameworks. It aims to enable you to develop a critical awareness of current provision, policy and practice, and to provide you with an opportunity to examine the contemporary issues in mental health. The module aims to develop your knowledge of the nature, role and purpose of current mental health care for children and young people, with a view to becoming a reflective and responsive practitioner.
Healthy Places, Healthy People
This module explores how and why places matter for our health and wellbeing.
Young People and Social Care
During this module you'll analyse the impact, behaviours and consequences for society and communities of young people who face increasingly economic and social challenges.
Health Promotion in Practice
You’ll integrate theory, policy and practice relating to health promotion and explore in a critical way the broad skills necessary for effective professional activity in the field of multidisciplinary public health. You’ll gain a critical understanding of the broad strategic context of health within emerging policy agendas, and you'll develop skills for professional practice in public health, including Health Impact Assessment. You will also gain an understanding of the requirement for evidence-based practice, and appreciate how to effectively address health inequalities within multi-disciplinary partnerships. You’ll also understand how to operate as a reflective practitioner.
Global Health and Development
Within the module, you will be introduced to some major social theory perspectives that help us to critically consider issues relating to global health and development. You will explore the contested nature of the term "development", and reflect on how this has led to a culture of aid and dependency that has served to widen and deepen global health inequalities. We will examine emerging debates from the global south itself, and other voices that talk of valuing dynamics of development that are participatory and community-based in nature. The module will challenge you to understand the complex forces that shape health worldwide, from the household to the global level.
Ageing in the 21st Century
In this module you'll develop a critical awareness of ageing in contemporary society. You'll build your understanding and awareness of what it takes to work 'successfully' with older people across different policy and practice settings.
How you’re taught
To provide you with a first-class learning experience and to guarantee you have an opportunity to make the most of your time at university, you'll receive contact time through a diverse range of delivery methods.
Structured teaching will be delivered through a combination of traditional lectures, seminars and workshops. The smaller group seminars and workshops provide opportunities to develop problem-solving, group working, analysis, debating and presentation skills, and to discuss a wide range of views.
You'll also learn from real-life observational exercises and self-assessment quizzes.
Tutorials with staff
As the relationship between students and tutors is an important one, you can expect to have lots of direct contact and support through seminars and one-to-one tutorials. At these sessions you'll have the opportunity to:
Independent study
Independent study is an important part of this course. Throughout your three years of study, the scheduled contact hours you receive will gradually decrease as you develop the skills required to undertake an independent study or dissertation in your final year. You will still have regular contact with your tutors, and if necessary ad hoc tutorials can be arranged.
Student mentors
Student mentors from Years Two and Three provide first year students with an informal, friendly ear. They're there to answer your questions and point you to appropriate sources of support.
Transition between levels
In Term 2 of year one and two students will engage with a number of talks about the option modules available. There will be personal tutorials arranged providing the opportunity for you to reflect on your learning, explore what will be expected of you at the next stage, and make links between option choices and career planning. Transition workbooks, provided at the end of your first and second year, will also support your move to the next level of study.
Virtual learning environment
You'll also use our virtual learning environment NOW, which is a flexible web-based system that allows you to have 24-hour access to module learning materials and reading lists. It allows you to discuss work with tutors and other students, and submit coursework electronically from anywhere in the world.
Learning from experts
You'll be taught by enthusiastic, engaged and expert staff. The course draws upon their expertise, research interests and experience, and many have also published textbooks in their specialist area of interest.
In addition to the traditional lectures, tutorials and independent study, you'll also hear and learn from renowned experts and professionals in related fields, who are regularly invited to come and talk to our students and provide you with an insight into their specialist knowledge and experiences. In the past, health and social care students have heard from:
Learn a new language
Alongside your study, you also have the opportunity to learn a new language. The University Language Programme (ULP) is available to all students, and gives you the option of learning a totally new language or improving the skills you already have.
Learning a new language can:
Find out more about the University Language Programme.
How will I be assessed?
The majority of your work will be assessed through:
There will also be practical assessments, which will include:
In response to student feedback the University has introduced a policy ensuring marked work is returned to you electronically within three weeks of submission.
Contact hours
Full Time
Part Time
Careers and employability
Health and Social Care services
In professional terms, the organisations of Health and Social Care services are undergoing significant change, with new partnerships, new ways of working, and the development of new practitioner roles offering challenges and opportunities for service providers and workers. This modern course is designed to equip you with the knowledge, skills and values to meet these future professional challenges.
We're building successful graduates
The job titles below give an indication of the careers our recent Health and Social Care graduates are following:*
Excellent work experience opportunities
There will be an opportunity to incorporate work experience into your academic studies through the Professional Practice and Working in Professional Practice modules. This experience will allow you to put theory into practice, enhance your understanding of relevant organisations, and develop networks. You could spend time working in:
Volunteering in a health and social care setting is also encouraged, both as a means of enhancing your academic studies and of building relevant experience.
Throughout this course you will be developing skills for employability. You'll develop interpersonal, communication and counselling skills through practice interviews and role plays. You will also undertake independent research into local organisations offering counselling to key staff.
Your career development
You'll graduate with the confidence, experience and ability to make a difference to people's lives. You may be interested in pursuing a career in:
Some past students have also gone on to lead projects aimed at reducing disadvantage within communities.
Certain occupations in health and social care require a professional qualification as well as a degree, and many of our students go on to study for further qualifications or higher degrees.
Our Employability team
We have a dedicated Employability team located on the City Campus. The team are well placed to give you specialist guidance and practical help that will really make a difference to your prospects once you do graduate.
About University
Nottingham Trent University
Overview:
Nottingham Trent University (NTU) is a public university located in Nottingham, England. It is known for its strong focus on employability, student experience, and research. NTU has been recognized as "University of the Year" five times and is ranked first in the UK for employability by Uni Compare.
Services Offered:
NTU offers a wide range of services to its students, including:
Employability and Careers:
NTU has a strong focus on employability, with a Graduate Promise program and worldwide work placements.Accommodation:
NTU provides a variety of accommodation options for students, including on-campus and off-campus housing.Library:
NTU has a modern and well-equipped library with extensive resources for students.StudentHub:
A platform for students to access information and services, including academic support, wellbeing resources, and student events.NOW:
A platform for students to access online learning resources and support.Student Life and Campus Experience:
NTU offers a vibrant and diverse campus experience with a range of opportunities for students to get involved in extracurricular activities, including:
Sports:
NTU has a strong sports program and is ranked in the top ten universities for sport in the UK.Arts and Culture:
NTU has a thriving arts and culture scene, with a dedicated arts center and numerous events throughout the year.Student Societies:
NTU has a wide range of student societies and clubs, catering to various interests.Campus Events:
NTU hosts a variety of events throughout the year, including open days, lectures, and performances.Key Reasons to Study There:
Excellent Employability:
NTU is ranked first in the UK for employability, with a strong focus on preparing students for the workforce.Outstanding Student Experience:
NTU provides a vibrant and supportive campus environment with a wide range of opportunities for students to get involved.High-Quality Research:
NTU is a research-intensive university with a strong focus on innovation and impact.Award-Winning University:
NTU has been recognized with numerous awards, including "University of the Year" five times.Academic Programs:
NTU offers a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate programs across various disciplines, including:
Business and Management:
NTU is known for its strong business school, offering programs in areas such as accounting, finance, and marketing.Art and Design:
NTU has a renowned art and design school, offering programs in areas such as fashion, graphic design, and photography.Science and Technology:
NTU offers programs in areas such as computer science, engineering, and life sciences.Law:
NTU has a strong law school, offering programs in areas such as criminal law, commercial law, and human rights law.Other:
NTU is committed to sustainability and has been recognized as the second most sustainable university in the world by the UI GreenMetric World University Rankings. NTU also has a strong focus on inclusivity and diversity, with a commitment to creating a welcoming and supportive environment for all students.
Top 538Average ranking globally
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