PLEASE NOTE: This is not a CORU approved programme.
Programme Overview
This one-year add-on programme is designed for students who wish to further enhance and deepen their knowledge of social care practice while improving their future career and study prospects. The programme provides a direct pathway for students holding a Level 7 degree in Social Care (or equivalent) to achieve a Level 8 honours degree within a single year of study.
Practical Learning
Throughout the programme, learning is centred on the practical application of advanced theory to the daily realities of the social care profession. Students develop real-world practitioner skills by learning how to apply specialized therapeutic techniques, narrative methods, and legal frameworks directly to client work and organizational environments.
Coursework
The intensive one-year curriculum focuses on specialized areas of advanced practice, policy, and organizational leadership. Key subjects include therapeutic interventions, narrative approaches, social policy, management, and relevant law, with a continuous emphasis on practical professional application.
Career Opportunities
Graduates gain an advanced Level 8 honours qualification that enhances their professional standing and opens doors to higher-level positions across the social care sector:
Senior Social Care Worker & Team Leader
Social Care Manager & Practice Supervisor
Specialized Practitioner in Therapeutic Settings
Postgraduate Study & Professional Doctorate Routes
Upon completion of the degree, graduates are fully prepared to take on leadership, management, and specialized therapeutic roles within social care, or advance their academic journey through master's level study and specialized research.
Year 1
Semester 1
Semester 2
Law for Social Care Professionals 1
Law for Social Care Professionals 2
Systemic Approaches in a Social Care Practice
Narrative Approaches in Social Care Practice
Introduction to Therapeutic Interventions
Utilising & Applying Therapeutic Interventions
Social Policy Processes
Comparing Social Policies
Social Care Management & Professional Practice 1
Social Care Management & Professional Practice 2
Applied Research Project 1
Applied Research Project 2
Applications are accepted from graduates who have successfully completed a Level 7 social care degree programme or equivalent. Applications are considered on a case-by-case basis. To apply see SETU advanced entry: https://www.setu.ie/study/advanced-entry.
Students who successfully complete the BA (Hons) Applied Social Studies in Social Care (Add-on) programme may be eligible to advance to postgraduate taught or research programmes in SETU or other higher education institutions.
Graduates may take up employment by both state sector and in community based organisations and services and may work with:
Children and adolescents in residential care
People with intellectual or physical disabilities
People who are experiencing homelessness
People experiencing substance abuse issues
Families and individuals in the community
People seeking international protection, or others
