Health and Social Care

Health and social care is a field that sits at the boundary of medical knowledge, social policy and human experience. It is concerned with how people experience illness, disability, ageing and vulnerability, how services and systems are organised to meet their needs, and how practitioners, organisations and communities can work together to improve wellbeing and reduce inequalities. Understanding this field requires engagement with the social, political and ethical dimensions of care as much as its practical and organisational ones.

At Nottingham Trent University, this part-time programme makes that understanding accessible to students who are already working in or alongside the sector.

You will study topics including health policy and the organisation of health and social care services, theories of health and illness, social inequalities and their impact on health, the experience of service users and carers, safeguarding, ethics of care, multi-agency working and the changing landscape of care in an ageing society. The programme develops your ability to think critically about the assumptions that underpin care systems and to understand the evidence base for different approaches to improving health and social outcomes. Part-time study allows you to draw on your professional experience as a resource for learning, bringing practical context to the academic material.

Graduates in health and social care move into management and leadership roles within the NHS, local authorities, care providers, housing associations, voluntary organisations and social enterprises. The degree also provides a foundation for further study in areas such as social work, public health, healthcare management, nursing or social policy. Many students are already working in the sector and use the degree to progress into more senior or specialist roles, and the analytical and reflective skills developed through the programme are valued across the full range of care settings and organisations.