BSc (Hons) Health and Social Science

Why study this subject?

Our course is perfect for anyone who is interested in how society effects our health and wellbeing. We will study society and its impact on our health and wellbeing, including how harmful trends within our society are dealt with. We examine the impact and the cause of poor wellbeing both in terms of national policy and general healthcare practises.

This subject is perfect if you want to pursue a career in the public sector, either working in policy or politics, with ambition to change the landscape of healthcare and the health sector in the UK. Health and social science will help you to attain key transferable academic skills which are needed to pursue a career in the wellbeing, health, social and voluntary sectors.

You’ll be well qualified for positions such as a health assessment officer, exercise coordinators and lifestyle coaches. Social policy positions will also be within your grasp, or you may choose to work in the voluntary sector working with people in recovery.

Why study at Buckinghamshire New University?

In addition to the great employability potential and the skills you gain from the course, there are other benefits to studying at BNU, such as our easy commute location, our quality reputation with local employers and our insightful modules.

Large numbers of students have families and other commitments while they study, that’s why we aim to make our course as accommodating as possible to fit around your lifestyle.  

We also offer this course on a part time basis, which gives you the flexibility to study and work around other responsibilities when you need to. 

With our big deal benefit, all our societies, student union organised trips and extracurricular activities are completely free to you as a student. 

BNU also has opportunity modules, which add additional benefits to your study. You’ll be able to choose modules from a broad selection in areas such as sustainability, entrepreneurship, creativity, digital skills, personal growth, civic engagement, health & wellbeing and employment skills.

Opportunity modules are designed to enable you to develop outside the traditional boundaries of your discipline and help you to further stand out from the crowd to future employers.

What facilities can I use?

Our library is packed with all the information you need for your assessments and there’s plenty of room to settle down for some quiet study. Laptop loans are available if you need a computer and can’t make it into campus one day. 

While studying with us you will use our BNU online service, which provides access to many of the software applications you use for learning and studying. This service can be used from your own device or from a University owned PC or laptop, from any location.

What will I study?

Health and well-being are central to this course and we look in depth at problems and issues facing societies in this area. Our course has a strong focus on possible health policy solutions in order to prepare you for a career dealing with these issues.

There is a focus on employability throughout our course and you will have the opportunity to volunteer for an organisation relevant to you so you can apply your knowledge in the field. 

We will study how our society impacts on our lives, including how harmful trends are dealt with. We examine the impact and the cause of poor wellbeing both in terms of national policy influences and our healthcare practises. 

With an emphasis on how we can make a difference to influence culture, policy and practice, we will study modules such as Wellbeing in Society, Policy & society, Media, Communications and more. 

In your second year we move on to employability skills and professional development, contemporary research methods and ethical issues in research. 

We also help you to attain key transferable academic skills which are needed to pursue a career in the NHS, wellbeing and health, social and voluntary sectors.

How will I be taught and assessed?

There are a wide range of assessments which are designed wherever possible to mirror real world problems and issues you may encounter while working in the professional world. The assessments are designed to be positive to your learning, providing feedback and ways to improve. There are a variety of practical, coursework based and exam-based assessment methods throughout the programme.

Assessments vary according to modules and are designed to test your understanding of the modules. Some of the ways you will be assessed include:

• reports
• exams
• presentations
• coursework