Health and Social Care with Professional Practice

Health and social care with professional practice is a degree for people who are already working in or closely connected to the health and social care sector and who want to develop their knowledge, understanding, and professional competence at degree level. The field brings together the study of health systems, social care policy and practice, the needs of different client groups, and the evidence base for effective intervention, all situated in the real professional contexts in which care is delivered. Studying this at Birkbeck, with its distinctive commitment to part-time and flexible learning for people in work, means that the academic content can be directly connected to and informed by your professional experience.

At Birkbeck College, this part-time programme is designed to be accessible to people working in health and social care roles, with evening and weekend teaching that fits around professional commitments. The curriculum covers the biological and psychological foundations of health and wellbeing, the organisation and structure of health and social care services in England, the social determinants of health and the inequalities that shape who gets sick and who receives adequate care, law and ethics in health and social care, and the principles of evidence-based practice. The professional practice dimension of the degree is particularly significant: you will be encouraged to reflect critically on your own professional experience and to connect academic learning to the practical challenges you encounter in your work.

Graduates from this programme develop an enhanced professional profile and a deeper evidence-based understanding of their practice. Career progression within health and social care, including roles in management, service development, quality improvement, and specialist practice, is the primary outcome for most students. The degree also provides a foundation for further professional development, including postgraduate qualifications in social work, nursing, public health, or health services management.

Research roles in health services, policy organisations, and charities working on health and social care issues are further options for those who want to apply their analytical skills in a research or policy context. The Birkbeck model of study also reflects the degree's core purpose: it is a qualification designed to support people who are already committed to working in the sector.