The steady growth of the voluntary and community sector here and internationally as provider of key services to communities as well as community enterprises offering innovative solutions to social problems has meant that the third sector (Voluntary, community organisations; social/community enterprises) is becoming a major employer of skilled professionals.

'Community Enterprise ' has become an important and trail-blazing concept in social policy, economic development and community-based politics, opening up:

• fresh and innovative approaches to tackling social problems
• different ways of working to benefit the community, and
• dynamic opportunities for careers.

This programme offers a framework on acquiring skills, critical thinking and developing practical capabilities and new ideas on social entrepreneurship.

The minimum requirements for entry for Level 1 entry is 240 UCAS tariff points from:

A/AS level (Including 2 A2 passes), GNVQ, AVCE, Scottish Highers, International Baccalaureate. European Baccalaureate, BTEC / SCOTEC Diploma, Relevant Access Course or successful completion of the Level 0. Other qualifications, including overseas, may be considered.

Applicants who do not fulfil the admission requirements for Level 1 may be considered for entry into Level 0. Applicants should have 40 UCAS tariff points from GCE A2 or equivalent.

We also welcome applicants from mature students who do not have formal qualifications but may have relevant experience. Students applying to this programme will be expected to demonstrate a specific interest in this area of study and should have a commitment to engaging with the subject. Applicants may be invited for interview.

Overseas Qualifications

The number of overseas qualifications which are accepted for entry are too numerous to list, but you can get advice from the British Council or our admissions unit on 020 8223 2835. You must be able to understand and express yourself in both written and spoken English and some evidence e.g. For level 1 entry a TOEFL score of 550 or an IELTS score of 6.0 (no skill level below 5) and for Level 0 entry an IELTS score of 5.5 (no skill level below 5) would be required.

• to develop 'core capabilities' to prepare you to be enterprising within an enterprising social sector. It offers skills and knowledge to investigate social problems, to develop proposals for action, and to work as individuals, in groups and within organisations as social entrepreneurs
• to enhance your 'cognitive' capabilities, offering theoretical and conceptual analysis which will raise questions about policies and practices in community enterprises and voluntary or community organisations and, more generally, about being enterprising for the benefit of the community.

The programme is intended to provide you with the opportunity to study community services and enterprise in an inter-disciplinary perspective. The aim is to equip you with:

Knowledge

• knowledge of the major disciplines and theoretical assumptions relevant to community services and enterprise with areas of specialisation in depth and an awareness of the provisional nature of the state of knowledge

Analytical and investigative skills

• experience of formulating your learning objectives, managing your own learning and reflecting on your achievement
• appreciation of methods of study, inquiry and reasoning used by social sciences
• ability to investigate social issues, by retrieving relevant information, using a variety of media and works of reference as sources of data
• understanding of the most effective ways in which data may be analysed, discussed and presented, together with an appreciation of the strengths and weaknesses of these data.
• ability to organise and use data and concepts towards a given purpose and to design innovative solutions
• capacity to critically review evidence supporting conclusions or recommendations

Subject-based practical skills

• the habit of reading critically to gain information about our changing society
• ability to apply business-like approaches and skills, including
• analysis of social needs and opportunities
• planning and writing project proposals
• finance and funding
• resource management and mobilisation
• business models and client centred design
• leadership and management
• social entrepreneurship

Skills for life and work

• confidence in applying your own criteria of judgement and in challenging received opinion and in reflecting on action
• confidence and flexibility in identifying and defining complex problems and in applying appropriate knowledge and skills to propose solutions
• ability to engage effectively in debate in a professional manner
• ability to produce detailed and coherent project reports
• experience of interacting in a learning or professional group, and of leadership roles, and of negotiation in a learning/professional context and of managing conflict.

The typical duration of this programme is 3 years full-time or 4.5 to 8 years part-time.

The teaching year is divided into two semesters of roughly equal length. A typical full-time student will study three 20 credit modules per semester. A typical part-time student will study up to four modules per year (2 modules in each semester).

This programme is part of a modular degree scheme. A typical full-time student will take six 20 credit modules per year. An honours degree student will complete six modules at level one, six at level 2 and six at level 3.

It is possible to bring together modules from one subject with modules from another to produce a combined programme. The University offers subjects in a variety of combinations:

• Single - 120 credits at levels one, two and three with minimum of 40 credits drawn from University wide options
• Major - 80 credits at levels one, two and three with a minimum of 20 credits drawn from University wide options
• Joint - 60 credits at levels one, two and three with a minimum of 20 credits drawn from University wide options
• Minor - 40 credits at levels one, two and three.

Modules are defined as:

• Core - Must be taken
• Option - Select from a range of identified modules within the field
• University wide option - Select from a wide range of modules across the University

In order to gain an honours degree you will need to obtain 360 credits including:

• A minimum of 120 credits at level one or higher
• A minimum of 120 credits at level two or higher
• A minimum of 120 credits at level three or higher

In order to gain an ordinary degree you will need to obtain a minimum of 300 credits including:

• A minimum of 120 credits at level one or higher
• A minimum of 120 credits at level two or higher
• A minimum of 60 credits at level three or higher

In order to gain a Diploma of Higher Education you will need to obtain at least 240 credits including a minimum of 120 credits at level one or higher and 120 credits at level two or higher

In order to gain a Certificate of Higher Education you will need to obtain 120 credits at level one or higher.

This programme integrates the gaining of intellectual and practical knowledge by focussing students on real cases and participants' experience as well as on some occasions on made-up or disguised cases. The teaching-learning process combines:

• lectures and presentations by tutors, and discussion by students
• seminar presentations by students and discussion
• case-studies by students individually and in small groups
• workshops on skills and cases
• analyses of the workings of community organisations and social enterprises, perhaps the participants' own organisations
• research into social problems and community-based issues through documentary sources, public reports and statistics, interviews etc
• preparation of project proposals and reports, perhaps on organisations and issues in which participants are involved
• reading, review of literature, web-based searches etc
• student's one-to-one tutorials with a tutor

The programme is led by tutors from the Centre for Institutional Studies and School of Social Sciences, Media and Cultural Studies and other schools of the University, and their associates, who offer:

• appropriate academic knowledge
• direct experience of working in and with voluntary and community bodies, social and community enterprises, campaigns, pressure and interest groups, identity groups, social enterprise
• practical experience in research, politics and entrepreneurial methods

Project proposals enable you to demonstrate your intellectual and practical capabilities in analysing problems and solutions, your knowledge of working in the community and through community organisations, your abilities to set real issues in theoretical frameworks, and your entrepreneurial capabilities.

Essays enable you to concentrate on your reading and your reviews of literature, other research and conceptual frameworks

Seminar presentations enable you to demonstrate your capabilities in analysis and in structuring and presenting information and in making use of criticism and discussion.

Case-studies enable you to focus on - actual or simulated - cases to analyse the workings of communities and organisations in detail and to build on your experience.

Examinations enable you to demonstrate your breadth of knowledge from the module and to respond to questions and analyse issues under testing conditions; you will be informed by tutors about the forms of examinations for the module.

Project reports enable you to bring together your learning from a variety of sources and to combine academic and practical skills in research, analysis and evaluation, as well as in setting issues in context, framing concepts and testing theories, and contributing to social reform and social enterprise.

Tutors will advise you individually on how you can apply your knowledge and skills in different forms of assessment to develop your range of capabilities, so that you can organise complementary and contrasting pieces of work to demonstrate your range.