Youth Work (with JNC Recognition) - BSc (Hons)

More about this course

Young people are not all the same and shouldn’t be treated as though they are. While young women, people from the LGBTQI+ community, Black young people and working class young people might have some things in common, they all have very different life experiences. These experiences and influencing factors are what you’ll explore on this Youth Work BSc degree in order to become an effective youth worker.

Designed as a hands-on course, each year you’ll complete fieldwork, gaining practical experience that you can take with you into the world of work when you graduate. You’ll make industry connections and learn from youth workers actively working in the public sector.

In the classroom you’ll explore topics such as anti-oppressive practice, identity, historical government approaches to policy, plus develop your counselling skills and gain significant practical experience.

On top of this you’ll look at social concerns around young people’s relationships, safeguarding, unemployment and social justice. By learning how to think critically about issues affecting young people and how these are portrayed in society and the media, you’ll explore the principles and practice of youth work. This theory will allow you to better understand young people and the challenges they face, meaning you can build stronger relationships.

This degree also includes modules in sociology and psychology to provide insights into young people’s social and mental welfare. As a university committed to social justice, this is a key focus among the core and optional modules that you’ll study.

The fieldwork element of this course means you’ll gain hands-on experience in at least two different organisations. In your final year you focus on specific aspects of the work you’d like to develop.

Assessment

You’ll be assessed through coursework, individual and group presentations, work placement portfolios and an explorative project. You’ll also be assessed through artistic presentation, which could be in the form of poems, music, art and craft.

Professional accreditation

This Youth Work BSc is Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) accredited by the National Youth Agency. Our lecturers are JNC-qualified and extremely experienced practitioners in youth and community work, and research. We also welcome external speakers for you to learn from.

Additional funding planned for the youth service sector is set to see a huge increase in jobs in the coming years. The JNC award ensures workers are paid at nationally recognised rates.

You will also gain the equivalent of the L2 Counselling Skills qualification and thereafter depending on which options you choose in Year two and three of the undergraduate programme you will qualify to gain a L3 Counselling Skills qualification as well.

Entry requirements

In addition to the University's standard entry requirements, you should have:

• three A-levels with minimum grades BBC, or a minimum of 112 UCAS points from an equivalent level 3 qualification
• English Language GCSE at grade C/grade 4 or above (or equivalent, eg Key Skills Level 2 in Communications or Functional Skills Level 2)
• considerable life experience or experiences in supporting young people
• an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check for the Child Workforce, which is registered with the DBS Update Service

A Level 2 or Level 3 qualification in Youth Work is desirable but not essential.

Please note, an interview will be required for this course.

You may be eligible for Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) for this course, provided your previous course was also JNC accredited.

Accreditation of Prior Learning

Any university-level qualifications or relevant experience you gain prior to starting university could count towards your course at London Met. Find out more about applying for Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL).

English language requirements

To study a degree at London Met, you must be able to demonstrate proficiency in the English language. If you require a Student visa you may need to provide the results of a Secure English Language Test (SELT) such as Academic IELTS. This course requires you to meet our standard requirements

If you need (or wish) to improve your English before starting your degree, the University offers a Pre-sessional Academic English course to help you build your confidence and reach the level of English you require.

Modular structure

Where this course can take you

Our social work graduates have gone on to have rewarding careers as social workers, youth justice workers, independant living officers, inclusion support managers and supported housing officers at the NHS, various councils and public sector organisations.

If you've already studied your undergraduate degree with us, as a graduate of London Met, you'll be entitled to a 20% discount on any further study with us.

Additional costs

Please note, in addition to the tuition fee there may be additional costs for things like equipment, materials, printing, textbooks, trips or professional body fees.

Additionally, there may be other activities that are not formally part of your course and not required to complete your course, but which you may find helpful (for example, optional field trips). The costs of these are additional to your tuition fee and the fees set out above and will be notified when the activity is being arranged.

Discover Uni – key statistics about this course

Discover Uni is an official source of information about university and college courses across the UK. The widget below draws data from the corresponding course on the Discover Uni website, which is compiled from national surveys and data collected from universities and colleges. If a course is taught both full-time and part-time, information for each mode of study will be displayed here.

When to apply

The University and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) accepts applications for full-time courses starting in September from one year before the start of the course. Our UCAS institution code is L68.

If you will be applying direct to the University you are advised to apply as early as possible as we will only be able to consider your application if there are places available on the course.

To find out when teaching for this degree will begin, as well as welcome week and any induction activities, view our academic term dates.