Health and Social Care

Health and social care are fast-growing areas of employment and academic investigation. Our BSc Health and Social Care has been designed to bring together the very best of this interdisciplinary area, as well as giving you the chance to shape this highly flexible course to your interests and career aspirations.

Why choose this course?

• It is ideal if you are interested in the social context of the health and social care sectors, how policy develops and how it is implemented.

• You can decide to study this course as a BSc or a BA. You can also follow a Professional Practice route and/or specialise further in environmental studies.

• You will benefit from being taught by academics who are actively researching key issues in health and social care and bring their insight and experience to your learning.

• It offers you skills and knowledge relevant to a wide range of careers in the public, voluntary and private sectors.

What you will learn

This course will equip you with a grounding in:

• the national and international context of health and social care

• the inequalities that shape changing needs

• the policies that respond to them.

In your second year you can specialise, either by continuing to study for a BSc, learning more about the social context and policy of the health and social care sectors, or by studying for a BA to discover more about how arts and humanities help us respond to changing needs within health and social care.

You will also be able to undertake a work placement and a work-based digital project, or specialise further in environmental studies.

This means that you can graduate with either a BSc or BA Health and Social Care, or:

• BSc/BA Health and Social Care with Professional Practice

• BSc/BA Health and Social Care with Environmental Studies

• BSc/BA Health and Social Care with Professional Practice and Environmental Studies

How you will learn

Classes take place in the daytime or evening for most compulsory modules on this course. Some option modules may only be offered in the evening. Professional Practice modules may only be offered in the daytime.

The course is mainly taught in small-group workshops, seminars and tutorials, supported by online materials.

Foundation Year
If you opt for the Foundation Year route, this will fully prepare you for undergraduate study. It is ideal if you are returning to study after a gap, or if you have not previously studied the relevant subjects, or if you didn't achieve the grades you need for a place on your chosen undergraduate degree.

Highlights

• This interdisciplinary degree is taught by academic experts actively involved in health and social care research in the UK and around the globe.

• Teaching on this course integrates key skills for employability in caring environments, for instance in the NHS, social care sector, voluntary organisations and many private sector organisations.

Careers and employability

On graduating from this course, you will have gained transferable skills, including in:

• critically analysing complex problems and identifying solutions

• evaluating research and evidence to support decision making

• knowing how to use complex data in a practical setting

• clearly communicating complex ideas

• working in groups

• managing deadlines and projects.

A degree in health and social care prepares you for careers in:

• public health

• mental health

• criminal justice

• management and administration

• child protection

• health promotion

• housing.

You will find graduates in the following roles:

• family practitioner

• healthcare support worker

• research assistant in the health or care sector

• health programme officer

• public health practitioner

• children and young people’s development officer

• information, advice and guidance officer for vulnerable service users

• learning and education facilitator

• manager in social care or NHS.

Course modules

For information about course structure and the modules you will be studying, please visit Birkbeck’s online prospectus.