BSc (Hons) Community Development and Leadership

**Why study this course?**Our Community Development and Leadership BSc (Hons) degree focuses on social concerns affecting communities and individuals. This undergraduate degree also holds two validations from professional bodies, the Endorsement and Quality Standards Board for Community Development Learning and the Chartered Institute of Housing.In the 2020 National Student Survey, 91% of our Community Development and Leadership students said their course made them feel like part of a community and they'd been given opportunities to apply what they'd learnt on their course.**More about this course**Our Community Development and Leadership BSc course combines the disciplines of social policy and sociology to provide a comprehensive view into issues that affect communities and look at how we can prevent them. It’s linked to degrees in social work and youth studies to offer a wide range of learning experiences and job opportunities.This course is perfect preparation if you’re interested in working with diverse communities, including Black, Asian and ethnic minority groups, LGBT+, transnational communities, as well as vulnerable groups, such as homeless people, people with disabilities, refugees and asylum seekers. Your lectures will concentrate on the most pressing issues in these communities. They will investigate principles of community work and equip you with the skills and competencies you need to practise in the community. You’ll focus on the prevention of social problems in-line with the government’s current community integration strategy, examining the opportunities and challenges associated with regenerating communities.You’ll also look at how differences in culture and identity affect the opportunities of individuals, addressing the causes of inequality and investigating the challenges of living in a very diverse society. We work closely with our local communities, including our work with refugees, asylum seekers, residents of Lewisham and other boroughs in London, so you’ll get to learn about issues that affect urban communities directly and think about how we can solve them.The degree prioritises the development of important transferable and employability skills. You’ll have the opportunity to complete a mini placement in Year 2 and a longer one in Year 3. This will increase your chances of gaining employment on graduation. Our team will support you in finding and securing the right placement. We have extensive links with employers who offer work experience opportunities in community trusts, youth clubs, housing associations, charitable organisations and other non-governmental organisations (NGOs).Employers from the sector will also provide guest lectures, which will give you the perfect opportunity to learn about the practical aspects of working in this field and also to find out what skills and experience employers are looking for. By the end of the course you’ll have the necessary experience and knowledge to become a leader in your chosen field.