Program Overview

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BA (Hons) Social Work

Overview

The BA (Hons) Social Work programme at Goldsmiths, University of London, is a three-year undergraduate degree that combines academic study with practice placements to equip students with the knowledge, values, and skills necessary for a career in social work.

Why Study BA Social Work at Goldsmiths?

• Both an academic and professional qualification, ideal for those interested in pursuing a professional career in social work.
• Equips students with the knowledge, values, and skills necessary to practice as a reflective and ethical social worker.
• Highly regarded by potential employers within London and further afield, with graduates having an excellent record of securing employment.
• Includes practice placements in two settings and with different service user groups, providing invaluable real-world experience.
• Covers topics including social work practice methods, anti-oppressive practice, social theories, developmental perspectives, research methodologies, and social policy.
• Encourages students to think deeply about human rights and social justice, and to embed these values in their practice.
• Social work education at Goldsmiths has a long and distinguished record, with students taught by established social work academics and associate lecturers with considerable research and/or practice experience.

Contact the Department

For specific questions about the degree, contact Mark Taylor.

UCAS Code

L500

Entry Requirements

• A-level: CCC
• BTEC: DMM
• IB: 27 points overall with three HL subjects at 555
• Access: Pass with 45 Level 3 credits including 27 Distinctions and a number of merits/passes in subject-specific modules
• Scottish qualifications: CCCCC (Higher) or CCD (Advanced Higher)
• European Baccalaureate: 75%
• Irish Leaving Certificate: H3 H3 H3 H3

Additional Requirements

• Grade C/Grade 4 or above in GCSE English or certificated equivalent
• A minimum of three months full-time (or part-time equivalent) relevant work experience
• The ability to communicate clearly and accurately in spoken and written English
• Meet the fitness to train requirements

Alternative Qualifications

See the full list of undergraduate entry qualifications.

International Qualifications

We also accept a wide range of international qualifications. Find out more about the qualifications we accept from around the world.

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Enhanced Disclosure

It is a requirement of entry onto the course that students possess an enhanced check by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). Therefore, any offer of a place will be conditional on a satisfactory DBS enhanced disclosure, which students are required to pay for (DBS costs).

Length

3 years full-time

Fees

• Home - full-time: £9535
• International - full-time: £20650

Department

Social, Therapeutic and Community Studies

Students Who Successfully Complete the Degree

Will have met the standards set out by Social Work England (SWE) and will be eligible to apply to SWE for registration as a social worker.

Employability

Eight out of 10 Goldsmiths students go into highly skilled work or further study after they graduate (Graduate outcomes survey 2022).

Research Focused

Our research has been rated 4* – the highest level possible (Research Excellence Framework 2021).

Work-Based Learning

We offer a range of opportunities in industry to enhance your learning across London and the South East.

Structured Learning

The degree aims to provide you with the value, knowledge, and skill base for social work practice, and is organised around study units, workshops, lectures/seminar courses, projects, and private study.

Learning Through Practice

Practice is central to the degree, and there will be practice placements in two settings and with different service user groups.

Practice Placements

You are required to spend 170 days in practice settings. These placements are arranged through the allocation system devised by the College.

Teaching Style

The learning on the programme builds over the three years and prepares you to apply your knowledge to practice situations. The teaching includes lectures and workshops with the entire student group and small study groups, skills labs, and seminars of between 10 and 14 students.

How You'll Be Assessed

You’ll be assessed through a combination of presentations, role play, written reflection, portfolio, practice placements, practice placement portfolios, examinations, and extended essays.

Excellence in Practice, Research, and Teaching

Goldsmiths has a long tradition of social work education, and our programmes are internationally regarded as excellent in both practice learning and critical studies.

Partner Organisations

We have partnership agreements with the following organisations for placements in social work:

• Royal Borough of Greenwich (Children and Families, and Adults)
• London Borough of Southwark (Children and Families, and Adults)
• London Borough of Lewisham (Children and Families, and Adults)
• London Borough of Brent (Children and Families, and Adults)
• London Borough of Croydon (Adults)
• Tri-Borough: Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, City of Westminster, and London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham (Adults)
• London Borough of Lambeth (Children and Families)
• London Borough of Tower Hamlets (Children and Families, and Adults)
• City of London NSPCC (London Region)

We also work with about 20-30 voluntary/private social care agencies each year.

South East London Teaching Partnership

The Department of Social, Therapeutic and Community Studies at Goldsmiths has entered into a formal Teaching Partnership with the Royal Borough of Greenwich, the London Borough of Southwark, and the London Borough of Lewisham for the delivery of social work education at Goldsmiths.

Entry Requirements

We accept the following qualifications:

• A-level: CCC
• BTEC: DMM
• International Baccalaureate: 27 points overall with three HL subjects at 555
• Access: Pass with 45 Level 3 credits including 27 Distinctions and a number of merits/passes in subject-specific modules
• Scottish qualifications: CCCCC (Higher) or CCD (Advanced Higher)
• European Baccalaureate: 75%
• Irish Leaving Certificate: H3 H3 H3 H3

Additional Requirements

• Grade C/Grade 4 or above in GCSE English or certificated equivalent
• A minimum of three months full-time (or part-time equivalent) relevant work experience
• The ability to communicate clearly and accurately in spoken and written English
• Meet the fitness to train requirements

Funding Opportunities

All students are eligible for a fixed contribution towards practice learning opportunity related expenses.

NHS Bursaries for Second and Third Year Students

There are a limited number of NHS social work bursaries available for students in their second and third year of the course. These are available to 'home' students.

Funding Through Stakeholder Agencies

In addition, some of our stakeholder agencies advertise bursaries for students who are going into the third year of a BA and intend to work with children and their families upon qualifying.

Careers

Our students have been successful in a range of areas, from postgraduate research to employment in local authority children’s services departments, adult services departments, independent sector, and voluntary sector agencies.

Skills

The programmes here at Goldsmiths are both practice-focused and critical and aim to equip you for the challenges of contemporary social work practice.

Key skills you will acquire during your studies include:

• Communicating with a range of service users, carers, and professionals
• Assessing need, risk, and strengths
• Producing high-quality reports
• Planning, co-ordinating, and evaluating services
• Partnership and multi-disciplinary working

Professional Standards

Social work is a regulated profession. From December 2019, Social Work England (SWE) took on the regulation of social workers and the regulation of the performance of social work programmes. The SWE Professional standards set out what a social worker in England must know, understand, and be able to do. These are the standards social work students are expected to demonstrate at the end of their last placement/qualifying level.