Social Work BA (Hons)

Lancaster University

Key Course Facts

Student Satisfaction	80%
Salary after 15 months	£28500
Unemployment Rate	0% unemployed Proportion of students of this particular course unemployed and not studying 15 months after their course ended. Source: Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) by UK Department for Education Dec 20, 2022
Student Dropout Rate	5% Proportion of students of Social Work BA (Hons) who are not continuing into their following year of study or have not been awarded a qualification in either of the two comparison years. Source: Unistats by Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Oct 10, 2023
Duration	3 years - Full-time
Campus	On campus - Main Site
Degree	Bachelor of Arts (Honours), BA (Hons)
Subject	Social Work

Admission advice for international students

Student Reviews

Below you can see course specific reviews of 25 graduates of Social Work BA (Hons) and other courses in Social Work at Lancaster University for each of the survey questions in comparison to the average for all UK degree courses in Social Work.

Overall student satisfaction

80 /100

25 total respondents

Primarily based on data from undergraduate degree students.

	Social Work BA (Hons) and other Social Work courses of Lancaster University	Average review score among all Social Work courses in the UK
Explanations	100	89
Interesting courses	88	81
Intellectually stimulating	96	84
Challenged to do my best	92	86
Depth of concepts	96	83
Builds on previous learnings	96	86
Joined ideas from different topics	96	85
Balance directed/independent study	79	76
Applicability of course content	96	89
Clear criteria in markings	75	77
Fair assessment	92	79
Tests reflected your learning	92	82
Timely feedback	96	89
Helpful feedback	83	78
Approachability of teachers	88	73
Support from teachers	92	78
Organisation of courses	92	64
Communication of changes	92	72
IT facilities	96	83
Library	100	90
Course specific resources	95	83
Student feedback opportunities	88	77
Student feedback valued	83	68
Student's feedback acted upon	67	57
Work of student union	73	72
Mental wellbeing services	67	66
Overall satisfaction	80	73

Source: National Student Survey NSS 2023. The Overall student satisfaction data point is from 2022 (latest available year). The Office for Students made the unfortunate decision to discontinue collecting overall student satisfaction data points per course.
All Social Work courses of Lancaster University

The NSS is commissioned by the Office for Students

Salary

Salary of Graduates in Social Work

Important: Salary data below is not course specific, but contains data of all students of Social Work at the university. Due to data collection methodology, salary data is mainly based on data related to undergraduate students.

	15 months after graduation	3 years after graduation	5 years after graduation
Median salary	£28500	£26500	£29500
25-75 percentile range	£25000 - £30000	£23500 - £28500	£23500 - £32500

Source: HESA - Graduate Outcomes Survey Oct 10, 2023
All Social Work courses of Lancaster University

Salary of all UK Graduates of Social Work

	15 months after graduation	3 years after graduation	5 years after graduation
Median salary	£30014	£24882	£27670
25-75 percentile range	£26322 - £32477	£17078 - £30541	£18866 - £34301

Source: Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) by UK Department for Education Dec 20, 2022
All Social Work courses in the UK

Course Description

Why Lancaster?

Study a course accredited by Social Work England (SWE) to kick-start a rewarding career
Benefit from our partnerships with public, private, voluntary and independent agencies
Learn from a team of experts committed to improving the lives of the most vulnerable in society through their research and practice
Receive tailored individual support to get the most out of your time on campus and placement

Everything you need to start a career in social work is here – inspiring lecturers, support tailored to your needs and insight into the issues impacting social work today in the UK. As part of our welcoming community, you’ll always have someone to turn to for support and advice throughout your coursework and placements.

Small close-knit cohort

Our course is accredited by Social Work England (SWE), and you’ll develop the skills and experience employers in this area need. An important part of your study will be your two practice placements. You’ll get hands-on experience within different organisations such as local authorities, Barnardo's or Age Concern.

Providing individualised support is important to us. That’s why we keep our social work cohort small. It means we can get to know you. It also means we’ll try to match your placement to your area of interest, whether that’s in youth offending, children and family intervention, or another area of social work.

Shape the future of social work

Our teaching team aren’t just teachers. They’re experienced social workers, advocates and change-makers. Some of the team carry out research, while others are practising social workers working in statutory sector services and charities.

Our team of experts contribute to national policy and practice discussions around vital areas like online child sexual abuse risk, family justice and youth resilience. We aim to inspire you to follow in our footsteps and become a part of a new generation of social workers who value human rights and social justice.

Approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) for the purpose of providing eligibility to apply for registration with the HCPC as a social worker in England.

Jobs & Career Perspectives

15 months after graduation, graduates of this course were asked about what they do and, if they are working, about their current job and their perspectives.

What graduates are doing after 15 months

	Graduates of this course	All UK graduates of undergraduate studies in Social Work
Total respondents	10	940
Unemployed	0%	2%
Studying	0%	1%
Working	90%	85%
Both studying and working	10%	6%
No information	0%	7%

Source: HESA - Graduate Outcomes Survey Oct 10, 2023
This particular course

Current jobs

Job in line with future plans

Utilise skills from studies

Work is meaningful

	Agree or strongly agree	Disagree
Job in line with future plans	95%	5%
Utilise skills from studies	90%	10%
Work is meaningful	90%	10%

Source: HESA - Graduate Outcomes Survey Oct 10, 2023
This particular course

Required skill level of job after 15 months

% Skilled jobs

	% Skilled jobs
Highly-skilled jobs	75%
Non highly-skilled jobs	20%
Skill level unknown or unclassified	10%

Source: HESA - Graduate Outcomes Survey Oct 10, 2023
This particular course

Jobs of graduates of this course (15 months after graduation)

Example below based on all graduates of Social Work BA (Hons) at Lancaster University

45%	Managers, directors and senior officials
25%	Process, plant and machine operatives
20%	Administrative occupations

Source: Unistats by Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Oct 10, 2023

Grading & Study Time

Assessment Methods

Study Time Distribution

Assessment Methods
	Coursework	Percentage of assessment by practical exams	Written exams

Study Time Distribution
	Scheduled learning and teaching	Guided independent study	Placements
year 1	19%	81%	0%
year 2	14%	86%	0%
year 3	8%	92%	0%

Grading Distribution

Students of the course received the following grades

	Students of the course received the following grades
Not classified	0
Pass	0
Merit	0
Distinction	0
Ordinary degree	0
Other honours degree	5
Lower second class	5
Upper second class	60
First class	30

Source: Unistats by Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) 2016

Entry Requirements / Admissions

Source: UCAS Dec 4, 2023

UCAS Tariff of Accepted Students for this course

Average UCAS Tariff Score 145

Tariff score	% Students accepted for this course
<48	5
48-63	0
64-79	0
80-95	0
96-111	5
112-127	25
128-143	15
144-159	30
160-175	20
176-191	5
192-207	0
208-223	0
224-239	0
>240	0

Source: Unistats by Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Oct 10, 2023
This particular course

Qualification requirements

Access to HE Diploma

31-30 overall or 665-655 in 3 HL subjects.

We also require: GCSE English Language grade C. We will accept other qualifications in English including O level grade C, CSE grade1, Functional Skills Level 2 Pass.

Source: UCAS Dec 4, 2023

Requirements for international students / English requirements

IELTS academic test score (similar tests may be accepted as well)

- 7.0
- Graduate Degrees
- 6.5
- Undergraduate Degrees

Get advice on which foundation courses are best for you to still study Social Work, BA (Hons), if you do not meet the minimum requirements in terms of UCAS score, A levels, or English language requirements.

Costs

Average student cost of living in the UK

Rent	£518
Water, gas electricity, internet (at home)	£50
Supermarket shopping	£81
Clothing	£35
Eating out	£33
Alcohol	£27
Takeaways / food deliveries	£30
Going out / entertainment (excl.alcohol, food)	£24
Holidays and weekend trips	£78
Transport within city	£17
Self-care / sports	£20
Stationary / books	£13
Mobile phone / internet	£13
Cable TV / streaming	£7
Insurance	£51
Other	£95

Average student cost of living	£1092

London costs approx 34% more than average, mainly due to rent being 67% higher than average of other cities. For students staying in student halls, costs of water, gas, electricity, wifi are generally included in the rental. Students in smaller cities where accommodation is in walking/biking distance transport costs tend to be significantly smaller.

Source: Own research based on surveys and university data

How to apply

Application deadline:

January 1, 2025

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.

Possible Entry Points:

year 1 (Default entry point)

University Rankings

Positions of Lancaster University in top UK and global rankings.

Rankings of Lancaster University in related subject specific rankings.

Social Studies & Humanities

- #25
- #175
Social Sciences

NTU Rankings by Subject
[Published 11 July, 2023]
- #1
- #1
Social Work

CUG The Complete University Guide - By Subject
[Published 08 June, 2023]
- #1
- #1
Social Work

The Guardian University League Tables by Subject
[Published 09 September, 2023]

See all 34 university rankings of Lancaster University

About Lancaster University

Lancaster University was established in 1964 and is located in the rural setting of Lancaster. The campus provides a series of amenities, including banks and a post office. Academically, all of this university’s courses and programmes are accredited and approved by MARP, ensuring that the curriculums delivered here are set at a high standard. In terms of facilities, students have access to a variety of study and recreational spaces intended to improve their wellbeing, such as Meditation and Tai Chi classes, and Woodland walks.

List of 452 Bachelor and Master Courses from Lancaster University - Course Catalogue

Student composition of Lancaster University

Total number of students enrolled at Lancaster University by level Academic year 2021/22 - Full-time equivalent student enrollments published by Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) on February 2022
undergraduates:: 12595
postgraduates:: 4065
Total:: 16660

Source: Academic year 2021/22 - Full-time equivalent student enrollments published by Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) on February 2022

Similar courses

Program	University	Student satisfaction	Unemployed	Dropout	Tuition (UK)	Tuition (International)	UCAS Tariff	City
Social Work BA (Hons)	University of East London	57%	7%	3%	£9250	£14160	137	London	On campus Full-time
Social Work BA (Hons)	University of the West of Scotland	-	-	-	£9250	£15250	-	Paisley	On campus Full-time
Applied Social Work BA (Hons)	University of Derby	92%	5%	5%	£9250	£14900	123	Derby	On campus Full-time
Social Work BA (Hons)	Liverpool Hope University	70%	0%	0%	£9250	£12500	138	Liverpool	On campus Full-time
Advocacy BA (Hons)	University of Wales	-	-	-	£9000	£13500	-	Cardiff	On campus Full-time
Social Work BA (Hons)	University of Hull	79%	5%	4%	£9250 £9250	£15400 £16500	152	Hull	On campus Full-time
Social Work BA (Hons)	Bournemouth University	88%	5%	10%	£9250	£18800	144	Poole	On campus Full-time
Social Work BA (Hons)	Middlesex University	60%	0%	5%	£9250	£15100	133	London	On campus Full-time
Social Work BA (Hons)	University of Strathclyde	71%	0%	2%	£9250	£19600	180	Glasgow	On campus Full-time
Social Work BSW (Hons)	Queen's University of Belfast	93%	5%	3%	£9250	£20800	151	Belfast	On campus Full-time