About this course
Social work is serious, life-changing business. It calls for good hearts and strong minds.
What do social workers do? Where there’s a need, we’re there; wherever society is squeezed or stretched, we fill the gaps. From child protection to vulnerable adults, to the cost of living and the UK’s mental health crisis, it’s our job to find answers — for individuals, families, and whole communities. Social workers battle against discrimination, poverty, injustice, and inequality, and we earn victories every day. What’s more, we leave a lasting mark on the lives of those who need us.
It’s not always an easy job, but it is a deeply rewarding one. More than a career, it’s a calling. On this social work degree, we’ll deal in the real — the reality of practice, and of people. Prepare for an eye-opening, stereotype-busting journey of personal growth, as you explore the key issues, questions and processes, and emerge with the skills, knowledge and experience to be a professional social worker — someone who’s ready to make your own special difference to the world.
We also offer the BA (Hons) Social Work course at our Mansfield site.
Why study this course?
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Learn everything that employers expect to see — this course is accredited by Social Work England. -
Experience the real world of social work, with 170 days of practice placements included as standard. -
Join a wider family — our industry connections and opportunities stretch right across the Midlands. -
100% of our Social Work students are satisfied with their course (National Student Survey, 2024).
What you’ll study
We’ve built this course with care. What makes it so special is the range of voices feeding into what you’re taught — from students and lecturers, to statutory bodies, to social work partners and employers. You’ll graduate with your finger on the pulse of modern practice.
Together, we’ll explore the big issues and trends that other social work degrees don’t — things like the ‘digitisation’ of the profession, from online assessments to maintaining contact with service users via text and WhatsApp. We’ll talk, share, and reflect — and in the process of doing that, your own opinions and ideas will start to shift. You’ll learn how to make sense of human behaviours, and explore people’s responses to trauma, loss, and tragedy; you’ll unpack your views around family and society, as your eyes open to brand-new ideas and perspectives; and you'll complete professional placements, getting to grips with key issues like ‘need’ and ‘risk’, and examining the different ways they’re managed.
More than just showing you how to become a social worker, this course is about harnessing the strength, emotional intelligence, and desire for chance that’s already inside you. Here’s a full breakdown of the modules you’ll be studying.
Core modules
Preparing for Professional Social Work Practice
This module aims to equip you with the skills and capabilities in preparation for the assessed placement in Year Two. The module includes 30 practice skill days, which are assessed; culminating in a readiness-to-practise interview and a portfolio of evidence to reflect the skills acquired. Reflective practice, social work values, and interpersonal and communication skills feature highly in this module.
Theories, Models, and Approaches in Social Work Practice
This module provides you with a comprehensive understanding and knowledge of the specific theories relevant to social work and your application to practice. Social work models and approaches are also explored in the module. Module content supports you to develop skills in practice hypothesis formulation and support understanding of how social workers can effectively assess service user needs and deliver effective interventions. The module will support your professional development and help you to prepare you for learning in practice from Year 2.
Life Course Development in Social Context
This module will introduce you to the nature and principal features of human development in contemporary social, material, and political contexts. There will be a strong emphasis on the bio-psycho-social features of child development and early family life as the foundation for later trajectories. A life-span development framework will be used throughout, representing human growth and development as the interplay of biological, psychological, social and historical factors, to explain unfolding events in the individual life course.
Core modules
Practice Placement (One)
You'll complete an 80-day placement, and will carry responsibility for a range of work in order to demonstrate meeting the required learning outcomes according to the Professional Capabilities Framework and Knowledge and Skills Statements. A Practice Educator will provide supervision and support, and will assess you during your placement. You will also receive support from your personal tutor.
Values, Ethics, and Contemporary Issues
This module builds upon the knowledge and skills you will have acquired in Year One and on first placement. The module focuses on contemporary issues in social work practice. You will build on your skills and understanding of using evidence-based practice to inform interventions in range of contemporary social work contexts. It will guide you in integrating social work values and ethics into practice, and introduce you to academic research.
Legal and Statutory Responsibilities
You will be equipped with the knowledge to know when statutory powers and duties should be used to prevent, or protect people from, harm; and how legislation can help ensure entitlements are met and rights promoted. Students will be taught to be confident and skilful in order to make complex decisions informed by the social work principles of equality, human rights and social justice.
Social Policy
You will explore contemporary social issues, welfare provision and socio-economic factors contributing to the social problems encountered by service users and their families. Studying social policy from the perspective of social work practice will enhance your understanding of the impact of social policies on marginalised and excluded groups.
Core modules
Practice Placement (Two)
In Year Three the placement increases to 90 days and must include a focus on statutory tasks. A Practice Educator will provide regular supervision and support to enable professional development and assess your practice according to the Knowledge and Skills Statements and Professional Capabilities Framework. Your personal tutor will also provide you with support.
Safeguarding: Working with Risk and Complexity
A module in which the specialist skills and knowledge required for safeguarding vulnerable children and adults are enhanced and consolidated. Students will explore a range of topics and practice-based scenarios / issues including the assessment and management of risk and working with complexity. The module will support students' professional confidence and equip them with core skills and knowledge to undertake their safeguarding responsibilities as qualified practitioners.
Research Project
This module consolidates practice and academic learning from your first two years and provides the opportunity for in-depth independent study into an area of social work practice which is of particular interest to you. The module is linked with placement learning, and you will deliver a piece of work that requires research, analysis and critical reflection on an area of challenging practice encountered during placement learning.
We regularly review and update our course content based on student and employer feedback, ensuring that all of our courses remain current and relevant. This may result in changes to module content or module availability in future years.
Don’t just take our word for it, hear from our students themselves
Hear our student stories
How you're taught
How will I learn?
Our teaching team has over 170 years’ professional experience in social work. Across the country, from the NSPCC to the Football Association, they’ve worked in fields as varied as mental health, neurodiversity, domestic violence, child protection, learning disabilities, addiction, and the probationary services. You’ll be learning from the best of the best: add in the insights of guest speakers (including our own graduates, who are ready to share their professional success stories), plus your coursemates’ own experiences of ‘the system’, and your journey towards Social Work England registration will be a dynamic, thought-provoking one.
You’ll learn through a mix of:
- lectures, introducing the biggest issues in social work, and exploring the realities of professional practice
- small-group seminars and workshops, designed to improve your teamworking and problem-solving skills
- simulation, building up your interpersonal skills by roleplaying with people who’ve got lived experience of the social work system
- real-world case studies, helping you to understand the people and processes that have resolved high-profile, high-risk situations
- placements in Years Two and Three, where you’ll get to experience different social work environments — from local authorities to the voluntary sector. Most of our placements opportunities within the course are within Nottingham City Council, Nottinghamshire County Council, Derby City Council, and Derbyshire County Council, plus some in Leicester City Council. It would be advantageous if you have a full driving licence and access to a car.
- field trips, and opportunities to collaborate with students from our international partner universities across Europe
- one-on-one meetings with your friendly personal tutor
- independent study, as you build up your research skills.
How you're assessed
People learn in different ways, and we want everybody to have the best possible chance of success. That’s why we’ve introduced a wide range of assessment methods onto NTU’s Social Work degree course — everything from essays, reports, and presentations to quizzes and interviews. Student’s practical performance in placement learning is also assessed.
- Year 1 coursework, written and practical
- Year 2 coursework, written and practical
- Year 3 coursework, written and practical
Contact hours
Here’s the year-by-year breakdown of how you'll be taught throughout our Social Work degree course:
- Year One — typically students will need to spend two, or three days on campus engaging with taught sessions, such as lectures, workshops and tutorials. Approximately 60% of students time will be spent on independent study. Practical skills days are also included in Year One of the course.
- Year Two — students will complete a 80-day assessed practice placement which is full-time. Students will return to campus in Term 2 to engage in taught sessions. Typically students will need to spend two, or three days on campus engaging with taught sessions, after placement is complete. Approximately 60% of students time will be spent on independent study. Practical skills days are also included in Year Two of the course.
- Year Three — students will complete a 90-day assessed practice placement which is full-time. Students will return to campus in Term 2 to engage in taught sessions. Typically students will need to spend two, or three days on campus engaging with taught sessions, after placement is complete. Approximately 70% of students time will be spent on independent study. Practical skills days are also included in Year Three of the course.
Careers and employability
We don’t keep any secrets about the profession. Becoming a social worker is a challenge, but it’s also a privilege. By understanding from day one the realities of professional practice — the fact that supporting vulnerable and marginalised people can be tough, busy work — you’ll be fully prepared for your next steps. Many courses shy away from those realities, but we feel that our job isn’t just to help you find a great graduate role: it’s to help you stay in it, and then progress. That means keeping the profession’s surprises to a minimum.
Because we’ve developed this course in partnership with major social work employers and statutory bodies, the quality of our graduates is already well-known throughout the UK — and even further afield. In that sense, we’re a great university to be associated with.
Experience the real world of social work, as you study
The embedded placements are a vital part of this course. In addition to 30 skills days which are spread over the three-year course, you’ll complete 170 days of assessed placements across Years Two and Three. It’s not just about bringing your theoretical skills out of the classroom and into the real world; it’s about you finding your best professional fit for life after graduation. That could be anything from a local authority, to a school, to a housing association like Framework. What’s more, the placement process will give you the experience of applying for roles and marketing yourself — a big competitive advantage when it comes to job-hunting.
Most of our placements are within Nottingham City Council, Nottinghamshire County Council, Derby City Council, and Derbyshire County Council, plus some in Leicester City Council. It would be advantageous if you have a full driving licence and access to a car.
Social work jobs and careers
Once you’ve graduated and joined the Social Work England register of professional practitioners, the world’s your oyster! On a planet full of people in need, social work is a genuinely global profession. With the knowledge and transferable skills you’ll cultivate on this course, you could be a prime candidate for roles in everything from hospitals and hospices, to NGOs and Third-Sector organisations, to teaching and training — anywhere from Australia to Canada!
Only recently, our graduates have secured roles as:
- Social Workers, specialising in children and families
- Adult Care Workers
- Community Care Officers
- Mental Health Support Workers, and advocates for Adult Learning Difficulties
- Befrienders
- Refugee Support Workers.
Campus and facilities
You’ll mainly be studying in the Chaucer and Newton buildings, at the centre of our vibrant City Campus. As well as a range of classrooms and lecture theatres, our facilities include a mock courtroom — where you can practise your report-writing and presentation skills with a panel of experts — and an on-site residential simulation, where you’ll get the full experience of knocking on a door, gaining entry to a property, and managing a potentially volatile situation.
NTU’s City Campus has everything you’ll need to stay busy between lectures. As well as the Boots Library and its beautiful roof garden, there’s our stylish Students’ Union building and two-storey, 100-station gym; a whole host of cafés, bars, restaurants and food outlets for every taste; our much-loved Global Lounge; performance and rehearsal spaces for musicians; and much, much more!
Take a few steps off campus and you’ll find yourself in the heart of Nottingham — one of Britain’s top 10 student cities, and one of Europe’s top 25. It’s stuffed with history, culture, and well-kept secrets to discover at your leisure. Enjoy lush green spaces, galleries, hidden cinemas and vintage shopping by day, and an acclaimed food, drink and social scene by night.
Take our virtual tour to get a real feel for the campus.
Entry requirements
UK students
Standard offer: 120 UCAS Tariff points from up to three qualifications
Contextual offer: 112 UCAS Tariff points from up to three qualifications
Other requirements: Attend an interview, GCSE English Language and Maths grade C / 4.
To find out what qualifications have tariff points, please use our tariff calculator.
Additional requirements for UK students
Personal statement
In addition to the entry requirements listed above, you will need to submit a personal statement demonstrating:
- an understanding of the role of a social worker and current social work issues
- an insight into the statutory and regulatory aspects of social work and social work training
- your social care work experience (paid or unpaid), and how this relates to social work
- demonstrate an understanding of the role of a social worker and current social work issues
- demonstrate your ability to communicate effectively, through spoken and written English
- demonstrate in your application your motivation to study and train as a social work practitioner
- provide details of the length of time spent gaining relevant social care experience and the type of social care experience you have –(either paid or voluntary) which specifically demonstrates your suitability to study and train as a social work practitioner.
Other requirements
You will also need to:
- take part in a 2-stage interview process that is inclusive of an online written test, and a panel interview.
- complete an enhanced-level Disclosure and Barring Service check
- provide a satisfactory health declaration
- declare any personal involvement with Children's and / or Adult Services by completing a Character Conduct form
- confirm the ability to use a range of IT facilities including email, internet, and word processing.
There may also be other recommendations, such as a vaccination programme, before any placements can be undertaken.
Interview dates
We welcome early applications from candidates as we are keen to meet you and introduce you to our Social Work degree. We are open to receiving your application from the September before your course starts. Interview days are then due to start from October onwards.
Contextual offers
If you don’t quite meet our entry requirements, we might be able to make you a lower offer based on a range of factors, including your background (such as where you live and the school or college you attended), your experiences and your individual circumstances (you may have been in care, for example). This is called a contextual offer, and we get data from UCAS to help make these decisions. We do this because we believe everyone with the potential to succeed at NTU should have the opportunity to do so, no matter what barriers you may face.
Meeting our entry requirements
Hundreds of qualifications in the UK have UCAS Tariff points attached to specific grades, including A-levels, BTECs, T Levels and many more. You can use your grades and points from up to three different qualifications to meet our criteria. Enter your predicted or achieved grades into our Tariff calculator to find out how many points your qualifications are worth.
Other qualifications and experience
NTU welcomes applications from students with non-standard qualifications and learning backgrounds, either for year one entry or for advanced standing beyond the start of a course into year 2 or beyond.
We consider study and/or credit achieved from a similar course at another institution (otherwise known as credit transfer), vocational and professional qualifications, and broader work or life experience.
Our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy outlines the process and options available for this route. If you wish to apply via Recognition of Prior Learning, please contact the central Admissions and Enquiries Team who will be able to support you through the process.
Getting in touch
If you need more help or information, get in touch through our enquiry form.
International students
Academic entry requirements: 120 UCAS Tariff points from up to three A levels. We accept equivalent qualifications from all over the world. Please check your international entry requirements by country.
Other requirements : Attend an interview, GCSE English Language or Literature grade C / 4 or equivalents. Equivalents include Level 2 Literacy/Level 2 Key Skills.
English language requirements: See our English language requirements page for requirements for your subject and information on alternative tests and Pre-sessional English.
Additional requirements for international students
Personal Statement
In addition to the entry requirements listed above, you will also need:
- an understanding of the role of a social worker and current social work issues
- an insight into the statutory and regulatory aspects of social work and social work training
- your social care work experience (paid or unpaid), and how this relates to social work
- demonstrate an understanding of the role of a social worker and current social work issues
- demonstrate your ability to communicate effectively, through spoken and written English
- demonstrate in your application your motivation to study and train as a social work practitioner
- provide details of the length of time spent gaining relevant social care experience and the type of social care experience you have –(either paid or voluntary) which specifically demonstrates your suitability to study and train as a social work practitioner.
Other requirements
You will also need to:
- take part in a 2-stage interview process that is inclusive of an online written test, and a panel interview.
- complete an enhanced-level Disclosure and Barring Service check (formally known as a Criminal Records Bureau disclosure)
- provide a satisfactory health declaration
- declare whether you have had any personal involvement with Children's and / or Adult Services by completing a Character Conduct form
- confirm the ability to use a range of IT facilities including email, internet and word processing.
There may also be other recommendations, such as a vaccination programme, before any placements can be undertaken.
English language requirements
View our English language requirements for all courses, including alternative English language tests and country qualifications accepted by the University.
If you need help achieving the language requirements, we offer a Pre-Sessional English for Academic Purposes course on our City campus which is an intensive preparation course for academic study at NTU.
Other qualifications and experience
If you have the right level of qualifications, you may be able to start your Bachelors degree at NTU in year 2 or year 3. This is called ‘advanced standing’ entry and is decided on a case-by case basis after our assessment of your qualifications and experience.
You can view our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy which outlines the process and options available, such as recognising experiential learning and credit transfer.
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Getting in touch
If you need advice about studying at NTU as an international student or how to apply, our international webpages are a great place to start. If you have any questions about your study options, your international qualifications, experience, grades or other results, please get in touch through our enquiry form. Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world.
Policies
We strive to make our admissions procedures as fair and clear as possible. To find out more about how we make offers, visit our admissions policies page.
