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BSc (Hons) Health and Social Care Studies (Top Up)

A top-up to an Honours degree for those with a foundation degree or equivalent, aiming for non-registered roles across health and social care.

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Why choose this course

  1. Prepares you to contribute to and lead health and social care services
  2. Study leadership, co-production, safeguarding, wellbeing and technology in care
  3. Problem-solving skills developed against real world challenges
  4. Work collaboratively with peers, including simulated activities and groupwork
  5. Many students go on to postgraduate study in teaching or social work

Overview

The BSc (Hons) Health and Social Care Studies Top Up programme supports those applicants who hold a foundation degree, or who have studied an equivalent level 4/5 health and social care, earn an Honours degree. The programme is designed for students who aim to work in non-registered roles across health and social care organisations.

Read the full overview

This programme will prepare you to contribute to and lead organisations and services in emerging integrated health and social care roles, enabling you to develop an understanding of the complexities of working in the health and social care sector. It will allow you to gain analytical techniques and problem-solving skills that can be applied in many types of employment within these sectors.

This programme has been designed in response to rapidly changing workforce demands and policy initiatives aimed at modernising services and improving quality, productivity and efficiency. Much of your learning will beat the current boundaries of both academic and practice-based thinking.

You will be encouraged to build on your previous experience and learning to engage with the rapidly changing context of health and social care by studying topics such as;

  • Leadership
  • Co-production
  • Using research
  • Use of technology in health and social care
  • Organisational change
  • Wellbeing
  • Safeguarding

By the end of the course, you have…

  • A broad and comparative knowledge of the general scope of the health and social care sector, its different areas and applications, and an understanding of the tension that exists within interactions between different parts of the sector.
  • An awareness of the provisional nature of knowledge and the limitations within current thinking and service provision across health and social care.
  • Knowledge, understanding and skills, in identifying and analysing problems and issues and in formulating, evaluating and applying evidence-based solutions and arguments.
  • An understanding of the importance of effective multi-agency working and collaboration.

By the end of the course, you can…

  • Understand the essential theories, principles and concepts that underpin thinking within the health and social care sector and of the ways in which these are developed through the main methods of enquiry.
  • Gather, evaluate, analyse and present information, ideas, concepts and quantitative and/or qualitative data, drawing on a wide range of current sources.
  • Communicate the results of studies and other work accurately and reliably in a range of different contexts to an integrated health and social care sector audience.
  • Identify and address your own learning needs, including being able to draw on a wide range of current research, development and professional thinking within the health and social care sector.

By the end of the course, you will be able to demonstrate…

  • Application of subject and transferable skills to contexts where criteria for decisions and the scope of the task may be well defined but where personal responsibility, initiative and decision-making is also required.
  • Awareness of the importance of ethical and sustainable practice values in the context of health and social care settings
  • An understanding of the ideas, methods, and analytical techniques in health and social care to carry out projects with support
  • Problem solving skills that can be applied in different situations

Adult Nursing

Step into a rewarding nursing career where you’ll make a lasting difference. This part-time nursing course is designed for compassionate, motivated individuals ready to become fully qualified professionals who can transform lives. Whilst we do not offer this from our UCNL Campus, there is an opportunity to attend our Doncaster Campus. For further information about this course please follow this link. University Campus Doncaster (Nursing (Adult)) Part Time

What you’ll study

4 modules

All modules are designed around a set of key principles based on engaging you with the world, collaborating with others, challenging you to think in new ways, and providing you with a supportive environment in which you can thrive.

  1. Modules

    120 credits

    • Practice and Employability Skills in Health and Social Care20 credits
    • Leading and Collaborative Organisations40 credits
    • Evidence Review40 credits
    • Technology Enhanced Care20 credits

Occasional changes to modules and course content may take place. Students will be notified when applicable.

How you’ll learn

You’ll learn through lectures, seminars and workshops, with independent study in between.

  • Lectures
  • Seminars
  • Workshops
  • Independent study
  • Research project supervision
Read more about how you’ll learn

There is an emphasis on developing problem-solving skills in relation to real world challenges including the application of research-based knowledge and technology. You will have the opportunity to work collaboratively with your peers during taught sessions and will be supported across a range of assessments.

You learn through;

  • workshop style lectures and seminars
  • learning through simulated activities
  • groupwork
  • synchronous and asynchronous activities
  • independent study
  • essays
  • presentations
  • dissertation

Meet us at an open event.

Next: Thursday 7 January 2027, 4:30pm to 6:30pm

Book an open event

Where it can take you

The Health and Social Care Studies top up course provides a principal route for the training and education of assistant practitioners (non-registered support staff working with registered health professionals) and other non-registered posts, who have developed roles in a wide range of services including;

  • long term conditions
  • staying healthy
  • end of life care
  • maternity and new-born
  • acute care
  • planned care
  • mental health
  • children and families
  • residential care
  • housing
Read more about careers and progression

Many students go on to further study including gaining post graduate qualifications in teaching and social work.

This course is also suitable for those wishing to pursue a career in health and social care, but who are either unsure about which field of practice they wish to work within or are perhaps not eligible to access a pre-registration course.

Found where you fit?

Entry requirements

Foundation Degree in Assistant Practitioner in Health and Social Care or 240 credits (of which 120 credits are at level at 4 and 120 at level 5) from an equivalent health and social care programme.

Fees and funding

£8,190

a year for UK students

Financial support

UK students can take out a tuition fee loan to cover the cost of their course and a maintenance loan to cover living costs.

We also have a range of other financial support available.

Additional costs

Your Tuition fees cover the majority of costs associated with your programme (including registration, tuition and assessment.)

There may be some extra costs that you might need to make or choose to pay for example:

- Books (you’ll have access to books from your module reading lists in the HE library, but you may want to buy your own copies

- Printing and photocopying)

- Trips and enhancement opportunities

If your programme includes a work placement, you may be required to pay for a Basic or Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Questions about funding?

Your next step

Apply now, come and see us first, or ask us anything.

Ready to apply?

Applying to more than one university? Apply through UCAS. Only applying to us? Apply direct.

Want to visit first?

Open Event – 7th January 2027Thursday 7 January 2027, 4:30pm to 6:30pm

What happens after you apply

1

You apply

UCAS gives you an applicant ID to track your application. Apply direct and we’ll reply by email.

2

You hear back

Responses usually arrive between November and May: an unconditional offer, a conditional offer, or an unsuccessful application.

3

You get ready to start

Before you enrol we’ll need photo ID and copies of your certificates. Apply for Student Finance early.

Read our full guide to applying

Quick reference for careers advisers

Level

Level 6

Duration

1 year

Study mode

Full-time

Awarding body

Sheffield Hallam University

UCAS code

L5D4

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