Skip navigation
You are viewing our beta course page.

Social Work

  • BA (Hons)
  • 3 Years
  • Full-time
  • 22/09/2025
  • Undergraduate
Main Site
More about University of Birmingham

Course options

2025-20262026-2027
Apply

Course summary

The Social Work BA degree will provide you with a practice-focused learning experience. You will be taught by academics who are experts in their fields, and will gain first-hand experience from service users, carers, and practitioners. Once you graduate, you will be prepared to start an incredibly rewarding career.

In these recent challenging times, social workers have had a vital role to play. They engage with vulnerable individuals, families, and communities on a daily basis to promote human rights, help improve people’s life outcomes, and make a meaningful difference.

Our course will prepare you for the profession through research-informed teaching, value-based learning, and practice placements. The modules of the course incorporate the key skills, expertise, and values for contemporary social work practice, complimented by two placements providing the opportunity to put your knowledge into practice.

Graduating with a social work degree offers a variety of opportunities for practising social work and other humanitarian work in the UK and overseas. Our degrees are recognised globally in countries such as Australia, Canada, and Hong Kong amongst others, where social workers are also in demand.

Why study BA Social Work at Birmingham?
-The Department of Social Work and Social Care produces original and relevant research of social issues in both children’s and adults social work. Alongside generating knowledge and educating future and current practitioners, the department has direct engagement with providers, commissioners, and policy makers regarding their work to design and deliver new models of support.
-The University of Birmingham is embedded within a diverse, multicultural, and thriving city and region with strong civic connections, providing a range of opportunities for our students to gain hands-on experience.
-Our course places lived experience at the forefront of our teaching, research, and impact, and we collaborate with a wide range of service users, carers, and practitioners to provide students with a broad range of experiences.
-We are a multi-disciplinary university with a clear focus on collaborations, which includes learning with students from other health and care related areas.

Find out more at: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/social-policy/social-work/index.aspx

Modules

For a full list of modules and their descriptions, please visit our course page https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/social-policy/social-work.aspx

Ways to study this course

Campuses

  • Main Site

Study options

  • BA (Hons) • Full-time • 3 Years

Start dates

  • 22/09/2025

Apply by
29 January

This is the equal consideration deadline. You can still apply after this date, but your application may not receive guaranteed consideration.

Application codes

Course code:
L501
Institution code:
B32
Campus name:
Main Site
Campus Code:
-
Points of Entry:
Year 1

University of Birmingham has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.

See why these ratings were awarded
What does this TEF outcome mean?

How to apply

Apply by
29 January

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Application codes

Course code:
L501
Institution code:
B32
Campus name:
Main Site
Campus Code:
-

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1

Entry requirements

Qualification requirements

UCAS Tariff - Not accepted

A level - ABB

Required subjects and grades: Critical Thinking is accepted. General Studies: Not accepted

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016) - DDD

BTEC Extended Diploma, Diploma and Subsidiary Diploma are accepted but a related BTEC subject area is required. Grades: BTEC Extended Diploma DDM; typical offers when offered in combination with A Levels: A in A Level + DM in BTEC Diploma or B in A Level + DD in BTEC Diploma; or AB in A Level + M in BTEC Subsidiary Diploma or BB in A Level + D in BTEC Subsidiary Diploma

Access to HE Diploma

An Access Diploma in a related area (social science-based) with a minimum of 60 credits, with 45 at Level 3 of which at least 30 are to be achieved with Distinction and 15 to be achieved with Merit

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme - 32 points

6,5,5 at Higher Level with a minimum of 32 points overall

Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (last awarded Summer 2024)

Accepted in place of a non-required A level with the equivalent grade.

GCSE/National 4/National 5

GCSE Mathematics and English at grade C or above (or certificated equivalent)

Other new UK qualifications will also be considered – eg, Cambridge Pre-U, Advanced Diplomas, AQA Baccalaureate, Open University 60-credit module.

Find out more about qualification requirements for this course.

Additional entry requirements

Criminal records declaration (DBS/Disclosure Scotland)
Interview
Written test and interview
Other
It is essential that you have at least 30 days experience. This can be paid or unpaid, and should be in a caring, befriending or mentoring capacity. Examples include: social care, teaching, nursing, working with children or vulnerable adults.

Contextual admissions

Universities and colleges consider more than grades when assessing applications and may make offers based on a range of criteria. Learn more about contextual offers.

The most common grades on entry for this course are above our standard offer. This does not mean that you need to achieve higher grades than our offer to be admitted.
We make alternative offers through our contextual admissions schemes which are typically 1 or 2 grades lower. You can find information on these schemes using the link below.
You can check your eligibility to receive an offer for this course using our Offer Calculator using the same link.

Learn more on the University of Birmingham website

Historical entry grades data BETA

This section shows the range of grades students (with UK A-Levels or Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diplomas) who received offers were previously accepted with (learn more). It is designed to support your research but does not guarantee whether you will or won't get a place. Admissions teams consider various factors, including interviews, subject requirements, and entrance tests. Check all course entry requirements for eligibility.

Not enough data available

We are unable to show previous accepted grades for this course. This could be because the course is new, it's a postgraduate course, there isn't enough historical data, or the provider has opted out of sharing their entry grades data for this course - learn more.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

LocationFeeYear
England£9535Year 1
Northern Ireland£9535Year 1
Scotland£9535Year 1
Wales£9535Year 1
Channel Islands£9535Year 1
Republic of Ireland£9535Year 1

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.

Additional fee information

For details of the annual tuition fee for International Students please see the course web page listed in the 'course details' section above.
If you are made an offer to study by the University, the yearly tuition fee will be stated in your offer letter.

Related courses

At University of Birmingham

Like this page