Social Work

Studying Social Work at ARU

If you’re passionate about making a difference to children, families and adults, our 3-year BA Social Work course – approved by Social Work England – is for you.

Why should I study Social Work?

Social work changes lives. We know. We've been training social workers for more than 20 years, and our graduates continue to make a difference to the children, families and adults they work with.

This challenging yet rewarding career will often bring you into the lives of some of the most disadvantaged and marginalised communities.

The chances are you’re naturally patient, honest and tolerant – someone with sound judgement who sees the value in people. We’ll nurture those qualities, while giving you the knowledge and skills you need to qualify as a social worker.

Study with us in Cambridge or Chelmsford and develop your skills out on placement while you are an undergraduate.

Social work is about empowering children, families and adults. It’s a complex job that demands a lot of soft skills, such as communication and partnership working.

As a student at ARU, you’ll learn how to assess people’s circumstances and needs; measure risk; and set up activities with individuals, families, groups and communities.

Working alongside other care professionals, you’ll plan, provide, review and evaluate services and interventions. You’ll become skilled in problem-solving and communication, and gain a thorough understanding of your legal powers and duties.

We work closely with our SUCI Group– Supporting Social Work Education with Lived Experience, so that you can learn directly from people with a lived experience of accessing services. There is ample opportunity to learn on the job too, with 170 days out on placement during your studies.

All of our students do two practice placements. You’ll do 70 days in Year 2, and 100 days in Year 3. One of your placements will involve statutory tasks, including legal interventions. Both placements are an invaluable opportunity to learn in the workplace and you’ll cover a range of topics such as engagement, assessment, interpersonal skills, interventions, safeguarding and the appropriate use of authority.


• If you study in Chelmsford, your placements could be anywhere in Essex, including Thurrock and Southend authorities.



• If you're joining us in Cambridge, your placements could be anywhere in Cambridgeshire.



We’ll make sure that you get a range of settings to best support your training. It’s likely that you’ll have to travel as part of your placement, so you’ll need your own transport to visit people accessing services in the community, where public transport may not be available.

Our Social Work degree course is validated by Social Work England so when you graduate, you’ll be eligible to apply to register as a social worker.

At ARU, you’ll be supported from day one with wellbeing services, money advice and careers guidance to help you through university and beyond.

Their courses are built around the skills and experience employers value. ARU are proud to be in the top 20% of UK universities for teaching quality (TEF 2023), and ranked #1 in the East of England, and #8 in the UK, for UG graduates in senior roles 15 months after graduation (Graduate Outcomes Survey 2025). You'll have access to fantastic facilities thanks to £95m of investment - think SuperLabs, TV studios, law courts, mock hospital wards, gaming studios and more.

Wherever you're heading, ARU will help you get there.