Psychology and social sciences
Social work
BA or BSc approved by Social Work England
Overview
Social work trains you to support people who need help with care, protection or independence, and to use the law that governs that work. Placements are a large part of an approved degree. A sociology or psychology degree does not register you as a social worker. The work involves difficult judgements about risk and family life. Students who consider it need to be ready for that responsibility, not only for studying society.
You want to qualify as a social worker.
Sociology, psychology and nursing are different qualifications.
People who can hold difficult conversations and follow a legal framework.
What you will study
Universities do not teach the same modules. The lists below are a general shape, not a syllabus.
Across the degree
- Law and social policy
- Human development
- Practice placements
Skills
Useful before you start
- Communication
- Writing
- Reliability
Developed during the degree
- Assessment
- Safeguarding practice
- Applying law to a case
Teaching and assessment
Teaching often includes Lectures, Seminars, Placements.
Assessment often includes Essays, Placement assessment, Exams on some courses.
Typical weekly commitment
Estimate.
Entry requirements
Indicative patterns from published UK admissions information. Not an offer. Actual requirements vary by course, university and year. Pearson Edexcel International A Level and Cambridge International A Level are not treated as the same qualification as GCE A level.
Indicative requirements by qualification
The A-level band is the catalogue reference. IB and American lines come from the named university guides under the table. They are not a conversion every university uses, and they are not an offer.
| Qualification | Indicative requirements |
|---|---|
| A Levels | BBC–BBB. No specific A-level subject is universal. |
| IB Diploma | No UCL figure is stored for BBC or BBB. The stored UCL table runs from ABB to A*A*A. A required A-level subject must be Higher Level in UCL's rule. Each Higher Level subject in that table is at least 5. UCL equates A* to 7, A to 6 and B to 5. This is one university's table. |
| American curriculum | No Manchester social-sciences AP example is stored for BBC or BBB. Bristol publishes a GPA of 3.2, or 3.4 for competitive courses, and does not use one AP pattern for every degree. |
- University College London: Undergraduate entry requirements. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
- University of Manchester, School of Social Sciences: Americas country guide. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
- University of Manchester, Civil Engineering: USA country entry requirements. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
- University of Bristol: USA international qualifications. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
A-level subjects
No specific A-level subject is universal.
Often recommended: Sociology, Psychology.
Useful preparation: Sociology.
GCSE and IGCSE
English at GCSE or IGCSE is commonly expected. Other subject grades vary. No single national threshold is stored.
Indicative only. Approval by the regulator matters more than the grade band.
Other ways in
- A postgraduate route exists for graduates of other subjects.
Admissions tests and extra requirements
No admissions test is stored as usual for this course. A university can still set one for a particular year.
Course costs
For many standard full-time courses in England, the home-fee maximum in 2026 to 2027 is Up to £9,790. This is the maximum standard full-time fee published for approved English providers with a TEF award and an access and participation plan. It is not the fee a named university charges, and it does not decide whether you pay home or international fees.
Clinical, laboratory and studio courses are not given a different home-fee figure here, because the regulated maximum is not the same thing as an international or clinical fee.
International tuition is set by each university and is not stored here. Clinical courses are often much higher than classroom-based courses. A school in Qatar does not decide home-fee status.
Source: Changes to tuition fees: 2026 to 2027 academic year. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Living costs, field trips and professional fees are not included.
Where you could study
UK degrees in this subject are numerous. This page does not list every university, because a list without a checked entry requirement would look more certain than it is.
No individual UK course page is stored yet for this subject. Use the university site.
No overseas course has been checked for this subject yet.
Where could this degree take you?
Social worker
Direct qualifying route
The degree must be an approved social work qualification.
Explore your pathway
A course sits between school subjects and a career. It does not guarantee either admission or a job.