Health and Social Care and Management
Health and social care is one of the largest and most complex sectors in the UK economy. Running it effectively requires not just clinical expertise or caring commitment but the management skills to organise services, allocate resources, lead teams, navigate regulation, and respond to change. A degree that combines health and social care knowledge with management principles develops exactly the capability that this sector needs and struggles to find: people who understand both the human dimensions of care and the organisational demands of delivering it at scale.
This three-year full-time programme at Birkbeck, University of London reflects Birkbeck's distinctive character as an institution oriented towards mature and returning students and towards the intellectually serious study of subjects that have direct social relevance. With a typical tariff of 88 points, the programme is designed to be accessible to students with relevant experience or motivation rather than those with the highest prior formal qualifications. The combination of health and social care knowledge with management training is directly relevant to a sector that urgently needs graduates who can move between the front-line understanding of care services and the strategic thinking that running them requires.
You will study the organisation and policy of health and social care systems in the UK, theories and practice of management in public and third sector contexts, leadership and team management, quality and safety in care services, and the ethical frameworks that underpin practice in health and social care. Birkbeck's London location gives you access to a diverse range of health and social care organisations that can provide practical context for your academic learning.
Graduates move into management and leadership roles in the NHS, local authority social services, care homes, community health organisations, and the voluntary sector. Some continue to postgraduate study in health management, social policy, or public health, and others move into commissioning, regulation, or policy roles within health and care systems.