Health & Social Care
Health and social care as an academic field examines how health and wellbeing are shaped by social, economic, political and environmental factors, and how services and systems are designed and delivered to meet the needs of individuals and communities. It combines perspectives from sociology, psychology, public health, ethics and policy to develop practitioners and analysts who understand both the personal experience of health and illness and the structural forces that determine who gets care and on what terms. At Liverpool Hope University, this three-year full-time degree includes a sandwich year, a year abroad and a work placement, building practical professional experience and international perspective into an academically grounded programme.
In the first year, you spend substantial time exploring health and wellbeing through the social science frameworks that underpin the field, developing a broad theoretical foundation before moving into more specialist areas in subsequent years. You will study health inequalities, care ethics, the organisation of welfare systems, mental health policy, disability and chronic illness, safeguarding and the role of evidence in policy and practice. The placement and sandwich elements give you direct experience of working in health or social care settings, developing your professional identity and practical competence alongside your academic understanding.
A typical entry tariff of around 104 points is expected.
Graduates pursue careers in social work, health promotion, public health, NHS management, community health services, the voluntary sector and policy research. The degree provides a foundation for postgraduate study including social work qualifying programmes, public health master's degrees and specialist routes into health services management. The combination of analytical rigour and applied focus that this kind of degree develops is valued wherever health and social care systems need people who understand both how services should work and the realities of how they actually function.