Undergraduate

BA (Honours) Social Work (Scotland)

On this page

• Description
• Planning your studies
• Career relevance
• Courses
• Learning outcomes
• Credit for previous study elsewhere
• Classification of your degree
• Regulations
• How to register

Description

The Open University offers an open and work-based learning route to an honours BA in Social Work in Scotland. The Programme is currently available only to staff who are working in social care agencies in Scotland and are supported by their employer.

The requirements for the degree in England and Wales are different and exact arrangements can be found in the descriptions for the BA (Honours) Social Work (England) (B32) and the BA (Honours) Social Work (Wales) (B42). 

The programme will lead to an honours degree. You’ll also achieve a Certificate of Higher Education after completing K101 and K113 and a Diploma of Higher Education after the additional completion of K216 and a further 60 points at Stage 2 or 3. The programme, which students can study in not less than four years, combines work-based and supported open learning. Responsibility for students’ learning is shared between their employer and the OU. The OU provides study materials and tutorial support, organises workshops and manages the assessment procedures, while the employer substantially manages the two 100-day practice learning opportunities on the programme, subject to University approval. Students remain in employment while they study and employers are required to give them between nine and 36 days study leave during the academic year (the amount of study leave required depending on the number of courses being studied in a particular year).

You’ll normally complete each of the four stages in order. However, if you have completed open courses already you will usually be allowed to count them in up to the end of Stage Three. Counting-in is not normally permitted at Stage Four. You must complete and pass the practice learning courses in order and the practice learning course must be completed last in each stage.

Planning your studies

Although some courses in the programme are available to all students, the full programme is at present restricted to students working in Scotland who are being supported in their practice by their employing agency. Entry has to be made through the employing agency; you cannot apply direct to the OU. Employing agencies and individuals who are interested in taking part in the Programme are invited to contact one of the Faculty Co-ordinators at The Open University in Scotland on telephone 0131 226 3851.

All candidates for the degree must:

• have a qualification at the level of Standard Grade Two in English and Maths
• 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
• take part in an interview.

They must also register with the SSSC as a student social worker. Registration with the SSSC includes a Disclosure Scotland check.

There is a time limit for studying this degree. You must obtain the required 480 credit points within 10 years.

See our faculty website for further information about this degree.

Career relevance and employability

An honours degree in social work is now the professional award for all social workers. Once you have successfully completed the award you are entitled to register with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) as a social worker. If you want to find out more about this career and related careers for which this qualification might be useful, you can ask our Student Registration & Enquiry Service for the careers publication OU study and your career if you want to find out more about the process of career development and about sources of careers information and guidance.

For planning your next career steps, visit the OU Careers Advisory Service.

There’s more information about the career relevance of degrees on the national HE Prospects website.

Courses

For this 480-point honours degree you require:

Stage 1

120 points from the following compulsory courses:

Or, subject to the rules about  excluded combinations, the discontinued courses, K100, KZX100, DD100, DD121, DD122

Stage 2

90 points from the following compulsory courses:

Or, subject to the rules about excluded combinations, at Level 2 you may be allowed to count the discontinued courses K201 or K224   – please contact the Social Work team in Scotland

And 30 points from one of the following optional courses:

Or, subject to the rules about excluded combinations, you may be allowed to count K202 or the discontinued courses K201, K222, K257 or K268 in place of one of the above options.

Stage 3

120 points from the following compulsory courses:

Stage 4

60 points from one of the following optional courses:

Or, subject to the rules about excluded combinations, you may be allowed to count the discontinued course K302 in place of one of the above options.

And 60 points from the following compulsory course:

Credit for previous study elsewhere

A credit transfer scheme for the programme is in place for Stage One and parts of Stage Two. Qualifications which may be eligible for credit include the HNC in Social Care; the HNC in Social Sciences, a qualification in general or mental health nursing (if linked to a DipHE), and a relevant degree. For further information please visit the Credit transfer site.

Present holders of the Diploma in Social Work (DipSW) can top up their points to achieve the academic award BA (Hons) Social Work Studies (B59) by studying a further 120 points at Level 3 (SCQF Level 10). For a full description of the top-up route and details of how to apply for it, please look at the description of the BA (Honours) Social Work Studies (B59).

Classification of your degree

On successful completion of the necessary courses, you will be awarded a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Social Work (Scotland) degree. You will be entitled to use the letters BA (Hons) after your name, and to apply to the Scottish Social Services Council 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 credit points from graded OU courses above SCQF Level 7, of which at least 120 points must be from courses at SCQF Level 10. 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 Award Regulations and the Student Regulations.

Award Regulations

• Introduction to the Award Regulations
• General Award Regulations
• BA (Honours) Social Work (Scotland)
• Schedule A to the Award Regulations

Student Regulations

The Student Regulations (including the Code of Practice for Student Assessment and the Code of Practice for Student Discipline) are available on our Policy Documents for Students website.

How to register

To register 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 course you wish to study first and ensure it is suitable for you before following the registration procedure for that course.

About this page

An undergraduate qualification in Health and Social Care.

Study explained

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