Health and Social Care Practice (with pathways)

Make a difference in the lives of those living with long term conditions. You’ll study a degree aligned with the UK health and social care policy framework to ensure you graduate with the skills and confidence for your future career.

During your studies you’ll explore holistic approaches to physical and mental health, tackling inequalities, and supporting diverse communities. You’ll also address critical priorities such as disease prevention, health promotion, safeguarding, and early intervention, equipping you to work across a range of different sectors.

Throughout your course you’ll focus on how you can support vulnerable people to live independent, active and healthy lives, and how to respond effectively to the needs of their families and carers.

You could choose to tailor your degree to your interests or career goals by studying a specialist pathway in Public Health or Child and Family.

We’re proud to welcome applications from candidates with practice experience in youth work, health, social care and education. This is as part of our commitment to enable those from non-traditional backgrounds to be able to study as part of our commitment to widening participation.

Why choose this course
You’ll study curriculum that prepares you for work in a variety of settings. For some students, this programme and pathways exist as a springboard for later specialisation in particular professions such as public health, social work, general nursing, mental health nursing, paediatric nursing, teaching, occupational therapy, radiography and other therapies.

How you will learn
Our teaching methods are designed to make you a confident, reflective learner. During your studies we encourage you to explore new ways of thinking, discuss and develop your ideas and to critically evaluate current health and social care practice.

You’ll learn through a variety of methods including lectures, small group discussions, workshop, seminars, presentations, tutorials and placements.

We regard placements as critical to your future career success, enhancing your learning, building your confidence and broadening your perspectives. They enable you to apply theory to practice and give you a flavour of the different working environments in which you could pursue your career.

Throughout the degree, you’ll have one-to-one support from a personal tutor who will provide advice and guidance on your personal and professional development.

Opportunities and experiences
During your second and third year you’ll take a placement to put the skills you’ve learned into practice. Placements are a great chance for you to make valuable industry connections, broaden your horizons in different employment settings and bring your health and social care knowledge to a range of employment settings.

Careers and employability
Our graduates work in a range of sectors, such as:


• Local Authority teams with vulnerable adults



• Multi-agency teams working with families



• Health promotion projects



• Teenage pregnancy projects



• Homelessness services



• Refugee and asylum-seeker services



• Residential care units



• Care-leaving and advocacy organisations



• Advocacy work



• Dual diagnosis support teams such as mental ill health and drug use



• Community mental health



• Community development



• Public Health services



• Commissioning and care management services



• Parenting support organisations in the statutory and voluntary sectors



Did you know?
This course is also available with a Foundation Year.

Based solely on more than 24,000 student reviews, we were named Uni Compare's University of the Year 2027, and voted 1st in the UK for employability and 2nd in the UK for course quality. Not only that, but 97% of students would recommend the University of Derby*, which we can offer you industry-relevant teaching, state-of-the-art study spaces, multi-award-winning accommodation, and a welcoming, inclusive community.

*Uni Compare 2027