Description
This qualification is only available until 31 December 2017.
You must obtain the 360 credits required for the BA (Honours) Social Work (England) within 8 years of the date that you are registered onto this degree (this date is shown on your StudentHome record). This 8-year time limit does not apply to any credit from either OU modules or transferred credit that you may have completed prior to being accepted onto the degree.
If you have any questions about your eligibility for this qualification, please contact the Centre for Qualifications and Ceremonies on +44 (0)1908 653003 or by email.
Social workers support and protect some of society’s most deprived and vulnerable people. It’s immensely challenging and rewarding work, requiring a high level of motivation and commitment. You also need a qualifying degree.
The Open University’s BA (Hons) Social Work (England) is approved by the regulatory body and successful completion of the programme provides eligibility to apply for registration as a social worker. To take this degree course, you need to be working in a social care agency and be sponsored by your employer regardless of whether they or you pay the tuition fees. Your employer will work in partnership with us to support your learning. You’ll continue with your employment while you study, earning while you learn.
Studying through work-based and distance learning, you’ll develop the knowledge and practical skills that underpin effective practice, and the ability to deal with difficult and sensitive issues while working within a complex professional system. Towards the end of your studies, specialist options will enable you to focus on particular client groups and practice areas.
The requirements for the degree in Scotland and Wales are different and exact arrangements can be found in the descriptions for the BA (Hons) Social Work (Scotland) (B41) and the BA (Hons) Social Work (Wales) (B42). Please note that a BA (Honours) Social Work in Northern Ireland is not available.
You’ll also achieve a Certificate of Higher Education after completing Level 1 study and a Diploma of Higher Education after the additional completion of Level 2 study. More information about progress rules can be found in the regulations.
Planning your studies
Although some modules in the degree are available to all students, the full degree course is at present restricted to students who are being sponsored and supported in their practice by their employing agency. Entry to the degree has to be made through the employing agency; you cannot apply direct to the OU. Agencies and individuals who are interested in taking part in the degree course are invited initially to contact us. If you are offered a place on our programme you can pay your own fees or be funded by your employer.
All candidates for the degree must:
- have a minimum qualification at the level of Key Skills 2 (Key Stage 4) in English and Maths (this is normally equivalent to grade C at GCSE)
- show that they can communicate clearly in spoken and written English
- demonstrate that they have the appropriate personal and intellectual qualities to be social workers
- obtain an Enhanced Disclosure from the Criminal Records Bureau
- take part in an interview.
Whether or not you are new to study or the OU, you must start at Level 1 (unless you apply for and are awarded credit transfer towards one or both of the Level 1 modules). For this degree that would mean starting with An introduction to health and social care (K101).
The practice learning modules must be completed in consecutive order. It is strongly recommended that students complete the whole of Levels 1 and 2 before moving on to Level 3. More information about progression rules can be found in the regulations.
There is a time limit for studying this degree. You must obtain the required 360 credits within eight years of starting the first module and by 31 December 2017.
You should note that the University’s unique study rule applies to this qualification. This means that you must include at least 120 credits from OU modules that have not been counted in any other OU qualification that has previously been awarded to you (with the exception of an undergraduate-level qualification of less than 120 credits). If you have graduated with an OU BA degree without honours and are continuing your studies on to honours, this minimum requirement is reduced to 60 credits. Before being awarded any intermediate qualifications on the way to your OU honours degree, we advise you to check that you’ll have sufficient new credits to qualify for your degree.
Career relevance and employability
An honours degree in social work is now the professional qualification required for all social workers in the UK. Once you’ve successfully completed the degree course, you’ll be entitled to apply to register with the regulatory body in England, the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a social worker.
The degree will prepare you for practice as you begin your career as a qualified social worker. You’ll have gained the skills needed to work with individuals, families, carers, groups, communities and other professionals, and be able to demonstrate to employers your professional competence in social work practice. Employers sponsoring staff on this degree have commented that:
- OU graduates are enthusiastic social workers who are well equipped to provide high quality interventions with service users
- a very high percentage of their OU qualified staff remain within their organisation and progress to more senior roles.
Careers and Employability Services have more information on how OU study can improve your employability.
Modules
For this 360-credit honours degree you require:
120 credits from the following compulsory modules:
Level 1 compulsory modules |
Credits |
Next start |
- An introduction to health and social care (K101)
|
60 |
|
- Foundations for social work practice (K113)
|
60 |
|
- or
-
|
- Foundations for social work practice (KYJ113)
|
60 |
|
Or, subject to the rules about excluded combinations, the discontinued modules K100/KZX100
And 120 credits from the following compulsory modules:
Level 2 compulsory modules |
Credits |
Next start |
- Applied social work practice (K216)
|
60 |
|
- The law and social work in England and Wales (K270)*see below
|
60 |
|
And 60 credits from the following optional modules:
Level 3 optional modules |
Credits |
Next start |
- Adulthood, ageing and the life course (K319)
|
60 |
|
- Leadership and management in health and social care (K313)
|
60 |
|
- Working together for children (KE312)
|
60 |
|
Or subject to the rules about excluded combinations, you may be allowed to count the discontinued modules K302, K303, K309, KE308 in place of one of the above options.
And 60 credits from the following compulsory module:
Level 3 compulsory module |
Credits |
Next start |
- Critical practice in social work (K315)
|
60 |
|
* If you complete the degree before the end of 2015 (and within the eight-year time limit from when you started)
You will be allowed to use the following Level 2 modules in place of K270 (subject to module availability). Due to the discontinuation of some of these modules (K269, K222, K224), this route is only recommended for students who have already started Level 2 study from the list of modules below. If you have not already started Level 2 study for this degree, it is strongly recommended that you pursue the structure stated above:
30 credits from the following compulsory module:
Level 2 compulsory module |
Credits |
Next start |
- The discontinued 30-credit module K269
-
|
And 30 credits from the following optional modules:
Level 2 optional modules |
Credits |
Next start |
- Death and dying (K260)
|
30 |
|
Or, subject to the rules about excluded combinations, you may be allowed to count the discontinued modules K202, K204, K222, K224, K225, K268 or K257, K272 in place of one of the above options.
Learning outcomes
The learning outcomes of this qualification are described in four areas:
- Knowledge and understanding
- Cognitive skills
- Practical and professional skills
- Key skills
Read more detailed information about the learning outcomes, and how they are acquired through teaching, learning and assessment methods.
Classification of your degree
On successful completion of the necessary modules, you will be awarded a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Social Work (England) degree. You will be entitled to use the letters BA (Hons) after your name, and to apply to the regulatory body in England for formal registration as a social worker.
Your honours degree will be classified either as first-class, upper second-class, lower second-class or third-class. The class of degree is determined by the grades you achieve in 240 credits from graded OU modules above Level 1, of which at least 120 credits must be from modules at Level 3.
You will have the opportunity to attend a degree ceremony.
Regulations
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the qualification-specific regulations below and the academic regulations that are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website.
How to register
If you want to study for this qualification, read the description and check you meet any specific requirements (for example, some of
our qualifications, require you to be working in a particular environment, or be sponsored by your employer). Then select the
module you wish to study first and ensure it is suitable for you before following the registration procedure for that module.
During the registration procedure you will be asked to declare which qualification you are studying towards.
See a full list of modules available for this qualification