Health and Social Care Policy - BSc (Hons)

About this course

About

This course provides a strong grounding in the development and implementation of health and social care policy regionally, nationally and internationally. You will study key issues around the funding and delivery of health and social care in a dynamic and fast-changing environment. You will also explore concepts relevant to health and social care policy such as human need, welfare, the sharing of risk and citizenship in contemporary globalised societies. The course will provide you with practical and transferable skills in research and policy analysis. There is a strong emphasis in developing your theoretical, intellectual and personal skills to equip you for graduate employment in a range of fields. Teaching is research-led and grounded in the course team’s close contact with research and practice. A key feature of the course is a six-week work placement at the end of Level 5.

As a passionate team of internationally recognised researchers and educators, we are dedicated to the pursuit of evidence-based policy-making and committed to facilitating students’ personal, intellectual, and professional development.

All staff are members of the Social Policy Association and many are members of the Advanced Higher Education Authority.

Associate awards

Diploma in Professional Practice DPP

Diploma in International Academic Studies DIAS

Attendance

Three years full-time, four years for those completing the optional module in Diploma in Professional Practice. Teaching takes place over two 12 week semesters. Contact hours during the teaching weeks are 9 hours a week, supplemented by at least 25 hours of independent study. In final year, students have additional dissertation supervision sessions and throughout the course students have access to their studies advisor and year tutor when the need arises. All course team staff are available for individual consultation at set times and by arrangement.

Start dates

• September 2023

Teaching, Learning and Assessment

A variety of teaching and learning methods are used on the degree including lectures, seminars, supervised group-work sessions, directed reading, blended learning using Blackboard Learn, case study work, directed electronic information retrieval, independent learning, and a work-based-learning opportunity to impart knowledge and understanding of the subject. In addition, a broad range of assessment methods are utilised to measure knowledge and understanding of the subject, including academic essays; report writing; policy analysis/policy brief-writing; directed seminar discussions, small-group project work; writing and delivering seminar papers; presentations; online tests; the dissertation, e-portfolios, blogs and unseen examinations.

The content for each course is summarised on the relevant course page, along with an overview of the modules that make up the course.

Each course is approved by the University and meets the expectations of:

• the relevant generic national Qualification Descriptor
• the applicable Subject Benchmark Statement
• the requirements of any professional, regulatory, statutory and accrediting bodies.

Attendance and Independent Study

As part of your course induction, you will be provided with details of the organisation and management of the course, including attendance and assessment requirements - usually in the form of a timetable. For full-time courses, the precise timetable for each semester is not confirmed until near the start date and may be subject to change in the early weeks as all courses settle into their planned patterns. For part-time courses which require attendance on particular days and times, an expectation of the days of attendance will often be included in the letter of offer. A course handbook is also made available.

Courses comprise modules for which the notional effort involved is indicated by its credit rating. Each credit point represents 10 hours of student effort. Undergraduate courses typically contain 10- or 20-credit modules and postgraduate course typically 15- or 30-credit modules.

The normal study load expectation for an undergraduate full-time course of study in the standard academic year is 120 credit points. This amounts to around 36-42 hours of expected teaching and learning per week, inclusive of attendance requirements for lectures, seminars, tutorials, practical work, fieldwork or other scheduled classes, private study, and assessment. Part-time study load is the same as full-time pro-rata, with each credit point representing 10 hours of student effort.

Postgraduate Masters courses typically comprise 180 credits, taken in three semesters when studied full-time. A Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) comprises 60 credits and can usually be completed on a part-time basis in one year. A 120-credit Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) can usually be completed on a part-time basis in two years.

Class contact times vary by course and type of module. Typically, for a module predominantly delivered through lectures you can expect at least 3 contact hours per week (lectures/seminars/tutorials). Laboratory classes often require a greater intensity of attendance in blocks. Some modules may combine lecture and laboratory. The precise model will depend on the course you apply for and may be subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. Prospective students will be consulted about any significant changes.

Assessment

Assessment methods vary and are defined explicitly in each module. Assessment can be via one method or a combination e.g. examination and coursework . Assessment is designed to assess your achievement of the module’s stated learning outcomes. You can expect to receive timely feedback on all coursework assessment. The precise assessment will depend on the module and may be subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. You will be consulted about any significant changes.

Coursework can take many forms, for example: essay, report, seminar paper, test, presentation, dissertation, design, artefacts, portfolio, journal, group work. The precise form and combination of assessment will depend on the course you apply for and the module. Details will be made available in advance through induction, the course handbook, the module specification and the assessment timetable. The details are subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. You will be consulted about any significant changes.

Normally, a module will have four learning outcomes, and no more than two items of assessment. An item of assessment can comprise more than one task. The notional workload and the equivalence across types of assessment is standardised.

Calculation of the Final Award

The class of Honours awarded in Bachelor’s degrees is usually determined by calculation of an aggregate mark based on performance across the modules at Levels 5 and 6 (which correspond to the second and third year of full-time attendance).

Level 6 modules contribute 70% of the aggregate mark and Level 5 contributes 30% to the calculation of the class of the award. Classification of integrated Masters degrees with Honours include a Level 7 component. The calculation in this case is: 50% Level 7, 30% Level 6, 20% Level 5. At least half the Level 5 modules must be studied at the University for Level 5 to be included in the calculation of the class.

All other qualifications have an overall grade determined by results in modules from the final level of study. In Masters degrees of more than 200 credit points the final 120 points usually determine the overall grading.

Figures correct for academic year 2019-2020.

Academic profile

The University employs over 1,000 suitably qualified and experienced academic staff - 59% have PhDs in their subject field and many have professional body recognition.

Courses are taught by staff who are Professors (25%), Readers, Senior Lecturers (20%) or Lecturers (55%).

We require most academic staff to be qualified to teach in higher education: 82% hold either Postgraduate Certificates in Higher Education Practice or higher. Most academic staff (81%) are accredited fellows of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) by Advanced HE - the university sector professional body for teaching and learning. Many academic and technical staff hold other professional body designations related to their subject or scholarly practice.

The profiles of many academic staff can be found on the University’s departmental websites and give a detailed insight into the range of staffing and expertise.  The precise staffing for a course will depend on the department(s) involved and the availability and management of staff.  This is subject to change annually and is confirmed in the timetable issued at the start of the course.

Occasionally, teaching may be supplemented by suitably qualified part-time staff (usually qualified researchers) and specialist guest lecturers. In these cases, all staff are inducted, mostly through our staff development programme ‘First Steps to Teaching’. In some cases, usually for provision in one of our out-centres, Recognised University Teachers are involved, supported by the University in suitable professional development for teaching.

Figures correct for academic year 2021-2022.

Modules

Here is a guide to the subjects studied on this course.

Courses are continually reviewed to take advantage of new teaching approaches and developments in research, industry and the professions. Please be aware that modules may change for your year of entry. The exact modules available and their order may vary depending on course updates, staff availability, timetabling and student demand. Please contact the course team for the most up to date module list.

Year one

Social Justice and the Welfare State in a Precarious World

Year: 1

Status: C

This module introduces students to key Social Policy concepts. They are also introduced to a number of contemporary issues in Social Policy and key debates on topics including the welfares state, demographic change, globalisation, technological advancements, and the financing of welfare.

Policy Making and the Delivery of Welfare

Year: 1

Status: C

This module introduces students to the nature of politics and governance and delivery in the UK. They will develop a deeper understanding of how policy issues are identified (or not) and the role of actors involved in policy networks. They will also be introduced to issues relating to multi-level governance and contemporary principles and agendas influencing the delivery of welfare. The system of devolved government in Northern Ireland is also explained with some reference to Scotland and Wales, and also governance in the Republic of Ireland. The context of constitutional, political and economic factors is also described.

Qualitative Research Methods

Year: 1

Status: C

This module will introduce students to essential features of qualitative research through: conceptualizing research, constructing appropriate and effective data collection instruments, interpreting research findings and presenting significant research conclusions.

Contemporary Social Policy Issues

Year: 1

Status: C

This module introduces students to key issues and themes in Social Policy. They are introduced to contemporary issues and debates in Social Policy that impact upon individuals and communities and discuss the effectiveness of policy in tackling these issues.

Introduction to Health and Social Care Policy

Year: 1

Status: C

This module introduces students to the evolution and development of health and social care in the UK and Ireland. Some reference will be made to policy and provision in the European Union and the US. The core of the course is organised around three main areas: the structure and administration of health and social care services; awareness of the impact of ideological, political, social and economic factors on the nature of health and social care provision; and key contemporary developments in health and social care policy and delivery.

Changing Images of Welfare

Year: 1

Status: C

Social policies are continuously undergoing reconstruction and change. This module examines, in their political, economic and historical contexts, the most significant and instructive changes in the approach to social policy in the UK, from Victorian times to the 1970s. Provision by voluntary action and privately is reviewed as well as action by the state. The module is particularly concerned to show the heuristic value of perspective and process in understanding key modern controversies over the ideas and practices taken to be central to the formation and delivery of social policy.

Year two

Social Survey Methods

Year: 2

Status: C

This module will seek to provide students with knowledge and skills of quantitative research methods, designing surveys and analysing primary and secondary data sets. It will also emphasise the wide variety of applications of statistical techniques and social survey data, and situate quantitative methods in the wider discipline of social policy and the field of public administration.

Successful learners will be able to:
1. Critically analyse the methods, rigour and findings of a quantitative research study
2. Design a social survey with consideration for ethical implications and appropriateness to the participant group
3. Choose and analyse secondary data sets to answer a chosen research question
4. Successfully apply their statistical and analytical skills in a professional setting, such as a mock assessment centre

Social Policy: Concepts and Theories

Year: 2

Status: C

This module examines some of the key concepts, ideas and theories relating to social policy in the UK and other countries. It provides the theoretical foundation necessary to understand the basis of policy and practice and contemporary debates about them.

Placement

Year: 2

Status: C

This module provides students with the opportunity to undertake a six week placement so that they may improve their skills and understanding of social policy by direct experience.

Poverty and Social Security

Year: 2

Status: C

This module introduces students the main contemporary concerns of social policy in relation to poverty and social security. They will learn about the History, Concepts and Context of today's social security system ? charting the development of the European Social Model and the British welfare state; the impact of different ideologies on the welfare state; and dimensions of poverty, inequality and social exclusion through the life-cycle stages.

Adult Social Care

Year: 2

Status: C

This module provides students with a knowledge of policy and provision of Adult Social Care. The core of the module is organised around the major issues in the development and develivery of Adult Social Care. Also included are administrative and governance arrangements and the financial and economic context. Key issues related to major vulnerable groups are covered. Attention is also paid to differences in policy and provision in Northern Ireland compared to England, Scotland and Wales and internationally.

Policy for Children and Families

Status: O

Year: 2

This module is optional

This module covers major debates, perspectives and challenges associated with children and families. It will consider policy and services for children's well-being and recent reviews of children's services including child protection services and key areas of provision. Students will examine perspectives on policy, child poverty, mixed economy of care, partnership and inter-agency work and children's participation and rights.

Housing and Society

Status: O

Year: 2

This module is optional

This module will examine the justifications for and the basis of state involvement in the housing market and evaluate the main policy mechanisms used such as the provision of social housing, the right to buy and the regulation of the private sector. The module aims to provide students with the tools to assess housing problems and policies. It also examines the interplay between housing, health and inequalities.

Year three

Diploma in Professional Practice

Status: O

Year: 3

This module is optional

This module provides undergraduate students with an opportunity to gain structured and professional work experience, in a work-based learning environment, as part of their planned programme of study. This experience allows students to develop, refine and reflect on their key personal and professional skills. The placement should significantly support the development of the student's employability skills, preparation for final year and enhance their employability journey.

Diploma in International Academic Studies (DIAS)

Status: O

Year: 3

This module is optional

This module provides an opportunity to undertake an extended period of study outside the UK and Republic of Ireland. Students will develop an enhanced understanding of the academic discipline whilst generating educational and cultural networks.

Year four

Dissertation

Year: 4

Status: C

This module provides students with the opportunity to 'showcase' their knowledge, understanding, intellectual, practical and transferable skills acquired throughout levels 4 and 5 of the course. As the largest and most substantial piece of work in the degree course, the dissertation is designed to require maximum student input and to foster independent working and self-directed learning, towards demonstrating the ability to plan, design, complete and report a theoretical and/or applied investigation into a well-focused social policy topic of the student's choosing, in a systematic and coherent manner.

Health and Social Care Economics

Year: 4

Status: C

The module introduces students to how the discipline of economics can help day-to-day management and decision making in respect of social and health issues providing an introduction to economic principles, examining a range of social and health problems and using economic analysis to shed light on these problems and the policies aimed at addressing them.

Disability and Social Policy

Year: 4

Status: C

This module gives students the opportunity to explore the major themes and issues in disability and social policy and how they have been changing. The study of disability will afford the opportunity to understand how social problems are socially constructed and how assumptions about the nature of social needs will affect policy responses. It aims to build on prior learning to enable students to reach a deeper and more analytical understanding of disability as a complex political and social issue.

Contemporary Issues in Health Policy

Year: 4

Status: C

This module provides students with the opportunity to study selected issues in contemporary healthcare and health policy in depth. Healthcare takes place in a rapidly changing policy and delivery environment and students need to understand the context of change. The issues selected have occupied a central position in recent debates and are likely to do so in the future.

Gender and Social Policy

Status: O

Year: 4

This module is optional

The module introduces a range of debates and theoretical positions, which help students to conceptualise gender relationships to social policy and provision. It uses particular examples, such as reproductive rights, family relationships, and community care, to enable students to identify the implications social policy has on gender.

Civil Society, NGOs and Social Movements

Status: O

Year: 4

This module is optional

Voluntary organizations have become to play a central role in current policies to modernise the delivery of welfare services and are at the centre of key debates on the future of welfare, the obligations of citizenship and government hopes for civic renewal. This module will enable students to gain an understanding for the reasons why voluntary agencies have come to play such an important role in these debates and an insight into some of the dilemmas and contradictions that these changes have given rise to. It draws on contemporary research in a rapidly changing field.

Migration, 'Race' and Ethnicity

Status: O

Year: 4

This module is optional

This module introduces students to a range of debates related to migration, racism and ethnicity with a focus on the United Kingdom and Ireland. Historical developments are reviewed but the focus is in current policy debates and perspectives. This includes international and national governance of migration flows and citizenship processes. Key policy areas covered include: immigration, refugee and asylum processes, equality and human rights.

International Social Policy

Status: O

Year: 4

This module is optional

This module will engage students in the study of social policy in an international comparative perspective. It will explore rationale for the welfare state and its instruments. It provides the foundations of the comparative method. The course will also cover substantive policy areas relevant for international social policy, such as income security, education, health care, environment, and language policy.

Ageing and society

Status: O

Year: 4

This module is optional

This module seeks to develop critical understanding of ageing and old age with particular reference to policy and practice in relation to older people in the United Kingdom. The aim of this module is to equip students with conceptual, analytical and reflective tools to examine the lives of older people in society. A holistic view of older people is presented in relation to the realities and possibilities of the older years.

Mental health and society

Status: O

Year: 4

This module is optional

No other health condition matches mental ill-health in the combined effect of prevalence and impact across individual, social, economic and mortality measures. This module aims to show how our knowledge and understanding of mental illness have changed over time, as well as indicate the problematic nature of the definition of mental illness. Students will also study the social patterning of mental health and illness and consider variations according to age, gender and social class. Particular attention is paid to the role and influence of user groups in the development of policy and strategy.

Standard entry conditions

We recognise a range of qualifications for admission to our courses. In addition to the specific entry conditions for this course you must also meet the University’s General Entrance Requirements.

A level

The A Level requirement for this course is BBC*.

* Applicants can satisfy the requirement for the third A-Level by substituting a combination of alternative qualifications recognised by the University.

Applied General Qualifications

Overall BTEC QCF Extended Diploma award profile DDD

OR

BTEC Level 3 RQF National Extended Diploma with profile DMM.

You may also meet the course entry requirements with combinations of different qualifications to the same standard. Examples of combinations include:

A levels with BTEC Level 3 QCF Subsidiary Diploma or BTEC RQF National Extended Certificate

A level with BTEC Level 3 QCF Diploma or BTEC Level 3 RQF National Diploma.

For further information on the entry requirements for this course please contact the administrator as listed in Contact details.

Irish Leaving Certificate

112 UCAS tariff points to include a minimum of five subjects (four of which must be at Higher Level) to include English at H6 if studied at Higher Level or 04 if studied at Ordinary Level. .

Irish Leaving Certificate UCAS Equivalency

• View tariff point chart

Tariff point chart

Scottish Highers

The Scottish Highers requirement for this course is grades BBCCC.

Scottish Advanced Highers

The Scottish Advanced Highers requirement for this course is grades CCD.

International Baccalaureate

Overall International Baccalaureate profile minimum 25 points (12 at higher level).

Access to Higher Education (HE)

Pass Access Course (120 credits) with an overall mark of 63%.

GCSE

GCSE Profile to include CGSE English Language grade C or above (or equivalent).

English Language Requirements

English language requirements for international applicants
The minimum requirement for this course is Academic IELTS 6.0 with no band score less than 5.5. Trinity ISE: Pass at level III also meets this requirement for Tier 4 visa purposes.

Ulster recognises a number of other English language tests and comparable IELTS equivalent scores.

• English language requirements
• Your country

Additional Entry Requirements

Please note that this course is a "regulated and/or care provision" within the meaning of the Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults (NI) Order 2003 and the Safeguarding of Vulnerable Groups (NI) Order 2007. They may involve access to children and/or vulnerable adults and students are required to be subject to the criminal records check and may not complete the course without it. The fee for this is £33.00.

Exemptions and transferability

Students with two distinctions, two merits and four passes in the HND in Health and Social Care may enter year two directly. Please contact Admissions for further information.

Graduates who progress to the four year social work degree programme can qualify for up to two years exemption.

Careers & opportunities

Graduate employers

Graduates from this course are now working for:

• AgeNI
• Barnardos
• Cedar Foundation
• Disability Action
• Health and Social Care Trusts
• NI Civil Service
• Youth Action

Job roles

With this degree you could become:

• Care Co-ordinator
• Civil Servant
• Community Health Advisor
• Disability Support Worker
• HSC Graduate Intern
• Policy and Advocacy Worker
• Research Officer

Career options

This degree is excellent preparation for a wide range of careers within the health and social services sector and further afield. Graduates have high employment rates with many working in health and social care or related areas and are well-equipped with the knowledge and skills to develop a career in local and central government, in consultancy or management and in research settings. This degree will enable students to apply for the fast-track relevant graduate route in social work. Our graduates have also progressed to postgraduate study in related areas such as health promotion, public health and community and youth work.

Work placement / study abroad

A key feature of the course is a six-week block work-based placement at the end of year two and an optional module in Diploma in Professional Practice, lasting 12 months, taken in year 3. Opportunities to study abroad include the Erasmus Scheme and International Student Exchange Programme.

Apply

Start dates

• September 2023

Contact

For more information visit

• Visit Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
• Visit School of Applied Social and Policy Sciences

Disclaimer

Testimonials

Rebecca Hunt, Final Year Health and Social Care Policy

I attended Limavady Grammar School, completing my A-levels to then venture on to higher education. I have always had an interest in politics and the inequalities faced within society and so I knew that Health and Social Care Policy was a perfect choice. During my placement at the end of second year I worked in the NI Assembly’s Research and Information Service. This enabled me to gain confidence in carrying out research. I appreciate the support that I have received over the past few years whilst studying at Ulster. I received the Academic Excellence Award at the end of first year which recognised my academic achievement and this also gave me the confidence to realise my future career potential. I have a young daughter and I am grateful to my lecturers for their understanding and support. I recommend Ulster University as the lecturers are very supportive, wanting everyone to succeed. It is a friendly and welcoming University with so much to offer and the course is empowering and informative!