Program Overview

Health and Social Care Policy - BSc (Hons)

Overview

The BSc in Health and Social Care Policy is designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills to work in graduate level roles within the Health and Social Care sector. Based in the discipline of social policy, this specialist degree has a strong emphasis on developing your intellectual, professional and personal skills. The degree focuses on the policy and theoretical context for the management and delivery of Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland and further afield. A key feature of the course is a six-week work placement at the end of Level 5.

Award

Bachelor of Science with Honours

Faculty

Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

School

School of Applied Social and Policy Sciences

Campus

Belfast campus

Start date

September 2026

Career Opportunities

With this degree you could become:

• Care Co-ordinator
• Civil Servant
• Community Health Advisor
• Disability Support Worker
• HSC Graduate Intern
• Policy and Advocacy Worker
• Research Officer

Graduate Employers

Graduates from this course are now working for:

• AgeNI
• Barnardos
• Cedar Foundation
• Disability Action
• Health and Social Care Trusts
• NI Civil Service
• Youth Action

Modules

Year one

• Introduction to Social Policy and Social Justice
• Making and Delivering Policy
• Policies for Families and Children
• Introduction to Health and Social Care Policy

Year two

• Contemporary Social Policy Issues
• Education: Policy and Practice
• Social Survey Methods
• Qualitative Research Methods

Year three

• Social Policy: Concepts and Theories
• Placement
• Policy Analysis: Skills, Tools and Techniques (optional)
• Poverty and Social Security (optional)
• Adult Social Care Policy (optional)
• Civil Society, NGOs and Social Movements (optional)

Year four

• Contemporary Issues in Health Policy
• Gender and Social Policy (optional)

Year five

• Dissertation
• Migration, 'Race' and Ethnicity (optional)
• International Social Policy (optional)
• Ageing and Society (optional)
• Mental health and disability (optional)
• The Environment, Social Justice and Sustainable Social Policy (optional)

Standard entry conditions

We recognise a range of qualifications for admission to our courses. In addition to the specific entry conditions for this course you must also meet the University’s General Entrance Requirements.

• A level: Provide evidence of competence in written and spoken English (GCSE English Language grades A-C/ 4-9 or equivalent); and Provide evidence of passes in five subjects, two of which must be at A level (grades A-E) and three at GCSE level* (grades A-C/4-9); or provide evidence of passes in four subjects, three of which must be at A level (grades A-E) and one at GCSE level* (grades A-C/4-9); or Provide evidence of an approved qualification at an equivalent level such as a BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma or Access to Higher Education qualification or equivalent**; or Provide evidence, for a process of formal accreditation by the University, of learning you have gained through work or other experience.
• GCSE: GCSE Profile to include [Enter specific subjects and grades].
• English Language Requirements: The minimum requirement for this course is Academic IELTS 6.0 with no band score less than 5.5. Trinity ISE: Pass at level III also meets this requirement for Tier 4 visa purposes.

Fees and funding

• 2026/27 Fees: Undergraduate fees are subject to annual review, 2026/27 fees will be announced in due course.
• Scholarships, awards and prizes: George Mitchell prize for the best dissertation, Best placement prize.
• Additional mandatory costs: Please note that this course is a "regulated and/or care provision" within the meaning of the Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults (NI) Order 2003 and the Safeguarding of Vulnerable Groups (NI) Order 2007. They may involve access to children and/or vulnerable adults and students are required to be subject to the criminal records check and may not complete the course without it. The fee for this is £33.00.

Terms and Conditions

1. We prepare our prospectus and online information about our courses with care and every effort is made to ensure that the information is accurate. The printed version of the prospectus is, however, published at least a year before the courses begin. Information included in the prospectus may, therefore, change. This includes, but is not limited to changes to the terms, content, delivery, location, method of assessments or lengths of the courses described. Not all circumstances are foreseeable, but changes will normally be made for one of the following reasons:
   • to meet external, professional, or accredited body requirements;
   • to provide for exceptional circumstances due to reasons beyond our reasonable control;
   • to improve or enhance your experience, or to adopt changes recommended in student feedback, with the aim of improving the student experience and/or student outcomes; and/or
   • to ensure appropriate academic standards are met, for example in response to external examiners’ feedback.
2. If there are insufficient enrolments to make a course viable, it may be necessary for the University to withdraw a course. If you have received an offer for a course that we subsequently have to close, we will contact you as soon as possible to discuss alternative courses. If you do not wish to study any alternative courses at the University, you may withdraw your application by informing us by email to .
3. Please note that the University’s website is the most up-to-date source of information regarding courses, campuses and facilities and we strongly recommend that you always visit the website before making any commitments.
4. We will include a durable PDF when we send you an offer letter which will highlight any changes made to our prospectus or online information about our courses. You should read this carefully and ensure you fully understand what you are agreeing to before accepting a place on one of our courses.
5. The University will always try to deliver the course as described in the durable PDF you receive with your offer letter.
6. At any point after an offer has been made, students will be notified of any course changes in writing (usually by email) as soon as reasonably practicable and we will take all reasonable steps to minimise their impact where possible. The University will, where possible and reasonably practicable, seek the express consent of the student in regard to any changes concerning material or pre-contract information.
7. The University website will be updated to reflect the changed course information as soon as reasonably practicable.
8. If, after due consideration, you decide that you no longer want to study your course or to study at the University because of the changes, you may withdraw your application or terminate your contract with the University. In order to do so, you should notify us in writing by emailing (and update UCAS if applicable). We will, on request, recommend alternative courses that you could study with us, or suggest a suitable course at an alternative higher education provider.
9. If you do not agree that the changes are fair, you can seek redress under the Student Complaints Procedures (opens in new window).
10. Providing the University has complied with the requirements of all applicable consumer protection laws, the University does not accept responsibility for the consequences of any modification, relocation or cancellation of any course, or part of a course, offered by the University. The University will give due and proper consideration to the effects thereof on individual students and take the steps necessary to minimise the impact of such effects on those affected.
11. The University is not liable for disruption to its provision of educational or other services caused by circumstances beyond its reasonable control providing it takes all reasonable steps to minimise the resultant disruption to such services.
12. Further information can be found in our terms and conditions (opens in new window).

Testimonials

Rebecca Hunt, Final Year Health and Social Care Policy

I attended Limavady Grammar School, completing my A-levels to then venture on to higher education. I have always had an interest in politics and the inequalities faced within society and so I knew that Health and Social Care Policy was a perfect choice. During my placement at the end of second year I worked in the NI Assembly’s Research and Information Service. This enabled me to gain confidence in carrying out research. I appreciate the support that I have received over the past few years whilst studying at Ulster. I received the Academic Excellence Award at the end of first year which recognised my academic achievement and this also gave me the confidence to realise my future career potential. I have a young daughter and I am grateful to my lecturers for their understanding and support. I recommend Ulster University as the lecturers are very supportive, wanting everyone to succeed. It is a friendly and welcoming University with so much to offer and the course is empowering and informative!