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Students vote Kent number one for Social Work

The University of Kent's Social Work degree course has been ranked number one for student satisfaction in the United Kingdom.

In the latest National Student Survey (NSS), an overwhelming 99 per cent of Kent's final-year undergraduates said they were satisfied with the overall quality of the degree programme. This means the University tops the list of nearly 60 higher education institutions who run Social Work degree courses and whose students completed the NSS survey.

David Shemmings, Professor of Social Work and Deputy Head of the School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research at the University of Kent, said the top NSS ranking was a tribute to his teaching team. 'The social work profession is often under close scrutiny, so excellence in the teaching of social work is crucial,' he said.

'One of the emerging themes about the education and training of social workers is whether the emphasis at university is too theoretical, rather than being focused on the acquisition of skills. At Kent, we attempt to blend the two. We expect a sound appreciation of contemporary theory and research, alongside extensive social work practice and experience.

'This is regularly reflected in students' feedback to us as something they find helpful during their 200 placement days on the three-year degree programme, and which they tell us prepares them well for the real world of social work.'

The Social Work programme - based at the University's Medway campus - was also ranked as the country's number one in several other categories in the satisfaction survey. Kent was ranked as the best for lecturers making the subject interesting and for explaining things well; for the quality of staff assessment and feedback; for enthusiasm of staff and for students' personal development.

'To have such an outstanding satisfaction rating is a reflection on the hard work and commitment of staff and students alike at Medway,' Professor Shemmings said.

He added that places on the Social Work degree course at Kent are highly sought after, with more than 300 applicants competing for around 45 places per year.

The University's School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research - within which the Social Work team is based - is one of the top-rated research departments in the United Kingdom.

Since its launch in 2004, the National Student Survey has become vital reading for anyone considering going to university. It provides finalists with an opportunity to give feedback on their academic experience, and the results are also used to help future students to make informed choices about university courses. Nearly 220,000 students in the United Kingdom completed the 2008 survey.

The University of Kent was voted the number one university in London and the south-east in the National Student Satisfaction surveys of both 2007 and 2008. Students also rated Kent among the country's top ten universities for student satisfaction.

Contact: N.J.Ellwood@kent.ac.uk

Story published at 9:49am 18 December 2008