Integrative Health and Social Care (Top-Up)

This Integrative Health and Social Care BSc (Hons) Top-Up course will equip you with the skills, knowledge and support you need for a rewarding career within the health and social care sector, whilst allowing you to focus on what matters: making a real difference to people’s lives.

Ensuring your skills and knowledge are up to date has never been more important for professionals involved in today’s changing and expanding health and social care sector. Developed to closely reflect the changing requirements of the health and social care sector, the BSc (Hons) Integrative Health and Social Care course is designed to help skilled practitioners lead developments and implement positive changes in their own area of practice.

This specialist course is ideally suited to a wide range of health and social care professionals from family support workers, health promotion workers and probation officers to care home managers, volunteer co-ordinators and charity workers. It is also suitable for health scientists, practice managers, social workers, youth workers and other similar roles within the health and social care sector.

Ideal for health and social care professionals

Working in the health and social care sector can often be demanding and fast-paced, making it difficult to take time out to study. Studying online gives you the flexibility to study part-time, alongside your existing commitments from anywhere in the world so you can improve your career prospects whilst also focusing on making a difference.

Integrative Care is increasingly being practised around the world, it is a global trend which covers complex and comprehensive fields with many different approaches and definitions of the concept. More and more practitioners are being called upon to lead change towards this concept within their organisation, both practically and strategically.

Flexible and supported learning

The flexibility of this course allows you to devise a coherent programme of study, guided by a specialist Academic team consisting of Academic Leads, Associate Academics and Online Learner Advisors, who will support your individual aspirations and your requirements. Individual modules within the programme may address the development of your professional skills and knowledge, management and leadership skills, teaching and research skills.

This programme provides you with the opportunity to study core modules in integrative care, including leadership, management, mental health and wellbeing and public health. The curriculum is designed to provide a structured and cohesive focus on the core areas and advanced aspects of integrative health and social care practice in the twenty-first century.

Practitioners within health and social care face both challenges and opportunities that require innovation and the need to work inter-professionally. This programme will be intellectually challenging and enable organisations and markets to develop a workforce that can deliver effective health and social care, inter-agency working, policy development, strategic intentions and an integrative way of working, ensuring that patient, client, family, social and community benefit as a result of these interventions.

The focus of this programme encapsulates the principle of integrative care, ensuring a workforce is developed with a secure level of knowledge and skills base in integrative care fit for the 21st century. This programme reflects the academic benchmarks for students in health and social care, ensuring defined standards in knowledge, practice and application of ethical principles are met. Consultation for this programme with industry partners, stakeholders and students strongly highlighted the demand for flexible, inter-professional programmes such as this.

You can view the study plan for this online course.

If we have insufficient numbers of students interested in an optional module, this may not be offered. In addition, where demand is high, some modules may be subject to a cap.

You will need to complete six 20 credit modules including 3 core modules and 3 optional modules.

Please note that our modules are subject to change - we review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects.

Pace of study

We recommend about 20 hours of study per week to complete one 20-credit module over a 10-week trimester. If you aim to study two modules in one trimester, we recommend 40 hours of study per week.

Should you decide to study on the accelerated rate you should ensure that you have the capacity to fully engage with your studies and achieve the best grades and final award. If you choose to study on the accelerated rate, you will need to balance approximately 40 hours of study per week alongside your professional and personal life and commitments.

It may be useful to consider studying one module at the standard rate of study before deciding whether to then increase to the accelerated rate of study.

There will be 1/2 virtual classrooms over the 10 week trimester and if you are unable to attend you will be able to download the session to view in your own time.

*Completion in 1 year is available when joining in the September and January intakes and studying at the accelerated rate of study.

Please note: that studying at the accelerated rate is not available for the final trimester of study for students joining the programme in the May intake. Please refer to the study pattern for the programme.

Assessment method

This course is assessed through 100% coursework with a range of methods, such as essays, research reports, literature reviews, presentations, research proposals, group work and practical reports.

Student support and guidance

Whilst we encourage our students to become independent, life-long learners, we also recognise that offering the right support and guidance will help you to achieve your goals. There is a wealth of support available to you at the University, from your dedicated Personal Tutor and Online Learner Advisor, through to our:

• Library
• Health and Wellbeing Centre
• Careers and Employability Service
• IT Support
• Union of Students
• Develop@Derby for study, personal and employability skills

All these services, and more, are available to you as an online student at the University of Derby.

Get a taste of the course content

Our Integrative health and social care (Top-Up) BSc (Hons) course taster will give you an idea of how online learning works. It includes a selection of content from a course module so you can see what some of our learning material looks like.

You will need to complete a short form to access the course taster.

• 240 credits at Level 5 in a related subject area including, but not limited to, health and social care, social work, health promotion or youth work

and

• Have access to an environment where you will be able to apply your skills to achieve the individual module learning outcomes. This does not specifically need to be employment and could include voluntary work.

We are also accepting the following ATHE qualifications:

• ATHE - Both Level 4 and Level 5 in Management for Health and Social Care - equivalent of 240 credits
• ATHE Both Level 4 Management for Health and Social Care and Extended Level 5 in Management for Health and Social Care - equivalent of 240 or more credits

English Language Qualifications

Applicants whose first language is not English or who have not studied in an English-speaking institution, will need:

• IELTS (International English Language Testing System) 6.0
• Qualification evidence awarded in your country
• Transcripts of all relevant education/training

Find out more about our English language requirements

^‡2024/25 for new entrants

Starting between September 2024 and August 2025.

2025/26 for new entrants

Starting between September 2025 and August 2026.

About your fees

This figure would be the total cost of this course based on the fee in the current academic year. However, please note that fees normally increase in line with inflation and the University's strategic approach to fees, which is reviewed on an annual basis. The total fee you pay may therefore increase if your course lasts longer than one year.

If you are required to undertake any associate study or additional study as a condition of your offer for the programme, please be aware that the cost for this may be in addition to the programme cost stated above.

Flexible payment plans available

Choose from two payment plan options:

• Pay monthly and only for the modules you are studying

• Pay your full course fees upfront and avoid annual increases

Undergraduate funding options

Depending on where you are from in the UK or EU, and on your pace of study, you may be eligible for an undergraduate student loan. Accessible through Student Finance, this is a non-income based loan to meet the cost of tuition fees.

If you are considering applying for a student loan, please also see our additional guidance on Loans for Online Students.

If you already hold an honours degree, and you are looking to re-skill or up-skill, you may still be eligible for a loan to study this course.

If you are joining the programme in the May intake and intend to study at the accelerated rate of study, this may impact the SFE funding available to you. Please refer to our guidance on Funding for less than 30 credits in a year.

Apply directly to the University.

Apply now

For support with completing your application, view our guide to the application process.

Documents to support your application

In order for your application to be assessed, you will need to provide the following documents when you apply:

• Official photo identification such as a passport or driving licence
• Written reference supplied on headed paper from either a manager, supervisor, tutor or teacher
• Copies of certificates and transcripts or a letter of testimony for previous qualifications*

*Documents not in English or Welsh must be accompanied by a certified translation by a professional translator/translation company. Each translation must contain:

• Confirmation from the translator that it is an accurate translation of the original document
• The date of the translation
• The full name and signature of the translator, or an authorised official of the company
• The translator’s contact details

A list of approved translators can be found on the UK Government website.

Please note: failure to submit any documentation when requested, may result in your application being withdrawn.

Application deadlines

All of our online courses have set start dates throughout the year. We require time to review your application and get back to you with a response before your course starts. Take a look at information regarding applying for an online course to see full details of deadlines and term dates.

This course is ideal for anyone working in the health and social care sector who are looking to further their career and pursue a degree. This would suit workers who are looking to develop their career in health and social care, for example, non-registered health practitioners and those with a foundation degree, BTEC or Level 5 certificate.

Utilise our Careers and Employment Service​

Whilst you are a student at the University of Derby, and for 3 years after you graduate, our Careers and Employment Service can assist you with job search advice, CV creation, workshops and events, as well as one-to-one appointments with employment advisers to help with career planning and interview preparation.

Contact us

Contact the University of Derby Online Learning:

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