Skip to content
University of East London
  • Staff login
  • Student login
  • Study

    Study

    Site Navigation - Quick Links

    • Why UEL?
    • Undergraduate prospectus
    • Postgraduate prospectus
    • Sport at UEL

    Undergraduate study

    View all of our undergraduate subjects.

    Explore now
    • COURSES
      • Undergraduate
      • Postgraduate
      • Getting back into education
      • Subjects
      • May starts
      • Apprenticeships
    • STUDENT INFORMATION
      • Student life
      • Current students
      • New students
      • Accommodation
      • Term dates
      • Fees and funding
      • Scholarships
    • VISIT UEL
      • Open days and events
      • Our location
  • International

    International

    Site Navigation - Quick Links

    • Why UEL?
    • Undergraduate prospectus
    • Postgraduate prospectus
    • Sport at UEL

    Virtual Open Events

    Need support during your admission journey?

    Attend our virtual events
    • APPLYING
      • Advice for your region
      • Pre-degree courses
      • Immigration advice and compliance
      • Transferring to UEL
      • International admission deadlines
      • Pre-sessional English
      • Malvern House pathway programmes
    • STUDENT INFORMATION
      • Accommodation
      • Term dates
      • Fees and funding
      • Scholarships
    • VISIT UEL
      • Open days and events
      • Our location
      • Virtual open events
  • Your career

    Your career

    Site Navigation - Quick Links

    • Why UEL?
    • Undergraduate prospectus
    • Postgraduate prospectus
    • Sport at UEL

    Are you an employer?

    Advertise a vacancy on our platform today.

    Get started
    • STARTING YOUR CAREER
      • Career Zone
      • Explore your career
      • Career coaching and mentoring
    • GETTING A JOB
      • Meet employers
      • Be your own boss
      • Volunteering
      • Work while you study
  • Partners

    Partners

    Site Navigation - Quick Links

    • Why UEL?
    • Undergraduate prospectus
    • Postgraduate prospectus
    • Sport at UEL

    Are you an employer?

    Advertise a vacancy on our platform today.

    Get started
    • Partnerships at UEL
    • Train your workforce
    • Share your skills
    • Connect with our people
  • Our research

    Our research

    Site Navigation - Quick Links

    • Why UEL?
    • Undergraduate prospectus
    • Postgraduate prospectus
    • Sport at UEL

    REF 2021

    Read about our Research Excellence Framework submissions and results

    Impact case studies
    • Postgraduate research students
    • Research impact
    • Partnerships
    • REF 2021
  • About

    About

    Site Navigation - Quick Links

    • Why UEL?
    • Undergraduate prospectus
    • Postgraduate prospectus
    • Sport at UEL

    Connected campus

    We are improving our three campuses for people to study, work and live.

    What we're doing
    • OUR UNIVERSITY
      • Our schools and subjects
      • Staff
      • Governance
      • Professional services
      • Vision 2028
      • Alumni
      • Accreditations
      • Sustainable Development Goals
    • TEACHING AND SUPPORT
      • How we teach
      • Mental wealth
      • On-campus nursery
    • GET INVOLVED
      • Events
      • News
    • GET IN TOUCH
      • Our location
      • Contact us
  • Home
  • Study
  • Subjects

Social and Community Work

Hero Carousel

Social and Community work hero image

Where community matters

Join us and help improve communities across the UK and around the world. Whether that's as a teacher, researcher, youth worker or therapist.

Play

About us

Covering some of the biggest issues facing society today, you'll learn from researchers investigating different areas including the effects of conflict on children and the wellbeing of migrants in London. With this sort of experience, our graduates go on to secure roles at organisations such as British Red Cross and NSPCC.

UEL social work programmes are taught by experts in the field. All teaching staff are professionally qualified and registered social workers, and lectures are lively, highly participative and interactive.

The majority of placements are in east London, a diverse and multicultural environment. This provides unique opportunities for our students as you put theory into practice, giving you a wide range of experiences that is valuable to employers.

Why choose us?

    100% student satisfaction

    We were ranked Number 1 for overall satisfaction in the sector by students in the National Student Survey 2019.

    Professional qualification

    Our courses give you the professional and academic training you need to qualify as a social worker in England.

    Increased employment opportunities

    95% of our graduates go on to work and/or study (Unistats, 2017). Our courses give you the professional and academic training you need to qualify as a social worker in England.

    Our facilities

    Our libraries

    Our libraries and learning services are at the very heart of the University. We have a superb range of resources and facilities to help you with your studies and we're committed to offering you a first-class student experience.

    Our Stratford library, opened at a cost of £14 million, is a state-of-the-art building which provides an inspirational environment for study and research.

    Overlooking the Royal Docks, our modern Docklands library is another fantastic space for learning, offering a wide range of resources as well as group and silent study facilities. It's also home to the UEL Skillzone, where you can get extra help with your academic writing.

    Open 24/7

    Both our libraries are open 24/7 during term time, giving you maximum flexibility about when you choose to study. As well as visiting our libraries in person, you can also take advantage of our growing collection of electronic resources, including e-books, e-journals and databases.

    Student Support hubs

    To ensure our students get the best possible support, we've opened brand-new Student Support hubs at our Docklands and Stratford campuses - at a cost of £3.1 million. These contain centralised helpdesks as well as comfortable areas to relax and socialise. The helpdesks provide a 'one-stop shop' for every possible need, from course-related enquiries to personal issues such as health and money matters. They're designed to be your first port of call if you have an enquiry or problem.

    What we're researching

    Social work research is coordinated through The Centre for Social Work Research (CSWR).

    CSWR applies a distinctive approach to social work CSWR research embraces relationship-based reflective approaches to social work practice and policy, psycho-social approaches to understanding individuals, society and institutions and inter/multi-disciplinary perspectives on social work practice. CSWR has three current research themes:

    • mental health, including suicide prevention; infant mental health; adolescent mental health
    • social work education; practice education and issues of diversity
    • child protection; including issues affecting ethnic minorities

    More detail on our specific research focuses can be found on the research page. RK research and its applications in practice through its model of 'practice-near' research. We work closely with national and international academic and non-academic partners, to improve the evaluation and delivery of social and health services.

    Take a look at our areas of Doctoral and PhD research.

    Professor Maria Tamboukou has recently published research, funded by the Leverhulme Trust.

    Her research focuses on ways of understanding the position of migrant and refugee women who now form the majority of 'nomadic subjects' crossing into Europe.

    It examines how their experiences challenge our perception of the subject of feminism and force us to revise who we are and how we relate to ourselves and to others.

    • Subjects
      • Business Management Entrepreneurship and Finance
      • Architecture and Physical Design
      • Art and Creative Design
      • Computer Science and Digital Technologies
      • Construction Transport and Logistics
      • Counselling and wellbeing
      • Early Childhood and Education
      • Engineering
      • Allied and Public Health Professions
      • Fashion
      • Global Development Politics and Sociology
      • Hospitality Events and Tourism
      • Law Policing and Justice
      • Media and Journalism
      • Medical Sciences
      • Nursing
      • Performing Arts
      • Psychology
      • Social and Community Work
      • Sport
      • Teacher Education and Training
      Our courses are designed in partnership with employers, browse our subject areas

    The lecturers at UEL have been really supportive. They respond quickly and have helped me in areas I have struggled. My placements have been great and I've learned a lot. I continued volunteering at my last placement so that I could see through the work that I had begun. I've enjoyed improving my public speaking skills and doing presentations. I've built up my confidence and am no longer nervous to present to a big group.

    Ismail Batanda

    BA (Hons) Social Work, Undergraduate

    Careers

    Our degrees are designed to give you a range of career paths.

    Our graduates have gone on to start their own NGOs, work in teaching, family support, local government, research, marketing, some have become welfare officers, youth workers, community development worker, family therapists and psychotherapists.  

    We have strong links with local social work agencies and employers, who often offer UEL students newly qualified social worker posts.

    If you want to work with agencies tackling issues such as homelessness, drug abuse, learning difficulties and mental illness - as many of our graduates have - the insight and skills you gain on our courses will give you a head start. 

    At UEL, you'll have access to:

    • Employability skills training such as interview techniques and CV writing.
    • Career Assessment, giving you the opportunity to learn about yourself and Career Coach will help you to discover career suggestions based on your interests.
    • UEL Skills Academy, where external professionals deliver sessions on the competencies most prized by graduate employers.
    • Internships, placements and volunteering opportunities from our work placements team.
    • Professional mentoring scheme, matching students with staff from major companies.
    • Networking opportunities and annual careers fair.
    • Support with setting up your own business.

    Our location in one of Europe's largest regeneration areas and our extensive links to local employers will also give you access to fantastic internships and placements. From heavy industry to high-tech, health and social care to the arts, there are so many opportunities right on our doorstep.

    Career Coach

    Our online Career Coach shows you the different career paths that your chosen subject area can lead you to.

    Get information on specific careers, job roles, potential wages and available jobs in the sector.

    Or take a quick quiz to find a career to match your personality type!

    Explore Career Coach

    Accreditation

    We're accredited by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) to award professional qualifications in social work alongside academic degrees.

    Our students are eligible to register with the HCPC and practice as a social worker.

    Undergraduate courses

    BA (Hons) Psychosocial Community Work

    This course is about engaging with issues such as mental health, social care, racism, psychotherapies, class, gender, youth, and ageing.

    Read more

    BA (Hons) Social Work

    Get a rewarding insight into contemporary social work and train to become a reflective, capable and effective practitioner.

    Read more

    BA (Hons) Youth Work

    The course gives you the skills, experience, and qualifications to progress a career in the youth and community sector and associated fields.

    Read more

    Postgraduate courses

    Advanced Mental Health Policy And Practice Short Course

    A preparatory short course for professionals who are considering undertaking the Postgraduate Diploma Approved Mental Health Practice.

    Read more

    Post-qualifying Social Work - ASYE

    Learn how to support newly qualified social workers undergoing their work practice with assessed and supported year in employment (ASYE).

    Read more

    Practice Educator PQSW Short Course

    Practice Education Stage 1 & 2 and Practice Education Stage 2 are part of the post qualifying Social Work provision at UEL.

    Read more

    Prof Doc Social Work

    Conduct robust and innovative research; enhance your professional capability through critical analysis and the use of research evidence.

    Read more

    MA Social Work

    This MA Social Work degree equips you with the skills, knowledge and reflective capacity you need to practise as an effective social worker.

    Apply now

    MA Youth And Community Work

    This established course opens the door for you to step straight into youth work.

    Read more

    Stay in touch! Follow us on Twitter

    • social_icons_black_TWTR

    Other people also viewed...

    Applying to UEL

    Applying to UEL is easy. We'll give you all the support you need - from advice about fees and funding to guidance on specific course requirements.

    Undergraduate Open Days

    Discover our amazing campuses and large selection of degree programmes at our undergraduate open events.

    Applying to UEL as a postgraduate student

    When you apply for postgraduate study at UEL, we'll give you all the support you need - from advice about fees and funding to guidance from tutors.

    Help us make this site better by telling us what you think about this page

    Social Media

    Follow us on social media:

    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Youtube Instagram TikTok

    University of East London

    University Way

    London, E16 2RD

    United Kingdom



    T. +44 20 8223 3000


    Explore UEL

    • About UEL
    • Take a virtual tour
    • Calendars
    • Freedom of information
    • Governance management
    • Services and departments
    • Find us
    • Contact us

    The University

    • Undergraduate
    • Postgraduate
    • News
    • Events
    • Jobs

    University of East London

    University Way

    London, E16 2RD

    United Kingdom



    T. +44 20 8223 3000


    Copyright ©2023 University of East London

    • Accessibility
    • Data protection
    • Sitemap
    • AccessAble
    • Modern slavery
    • Legal and compliance
    • Cookie settings
    • Privacy