BA (Hons) Education Studies

When can you start this course? | UCAS code | Fees | Course length | Entry requirements

Why choose this course?

In the 2011 National Student Survey, 100% of our students said they were satisfied with the quality of our course. Our students voted us one of the top five universities in England to study education studies.
You can tailor this course to your own interests and career aspirations, as you can choose certain modules that interest you.
Our enthusiastic and experienced team of tutors will guide you through your studies and help you to reach your full potential.
If you want to teach in the future then this course will give you a deep understanding of the education sector and the role it plays in society. You'll also look at how people develop and learn.
You'll have the opportunity to broaden your experience by taking part in a study visit to The Netherlands.
You won't have to take any exams. We use other ways to assess you including essays, portfolios and presentations.
You can choose to study the course full time or part time allowing you to fit your studies around your personal commitments.

About the course

By studying this course, you'll get a broad knowledge of education. You'll be encouraged to think about the different aspects of education, where and how education happens, including primary education, secondary education, lifelong learning, and higher education.

Throughout the course you'll gain a deeper understanding of the aims of education and its role within society. You'll learn how education theory relates to the policy and practice which influences it, such as Government policies. You'll also consider education from a student perspective including motivation, different learners' needs and learner behaviour.

During stages two and three there is the opportunity for you to go on a ten day work placement in a nursery, school or college of your choice, which will look great on your CV.

In stage two, you'll have the opportunity to visit a European school, Hogeschool Edith Stein in Holland. We are also developing links with Gambia so that in stage three you could have the opportunity to visit an educational establishment in the Gambia. This will provide you with an insight into different levels of education provision and the associated issues surrounding economic, social and cultural development.

You won't have to take any exams - you'll be assessed through essays, presentations, portfolios and case study analysis.

Working with War Child 2011/2012

Our current students studying Education Studies are supporting War Child during 2011 and 2012. They will be fundraising to help child soldiers affected by war, to have the opportunity to go back to school and to have the educational chances we so often take for granted.

Find out more about what subjects and modules you'll be studying...

Your career

Dr Vivian Walkup talks about the different careers you can go into with a degree in BA (Hons) Education Studies.

During this course you'll develop skills including time management; organisational skills; independent working; communication, including speaking and listening; presentation skills; team working and self confidence. These skills can be transferred into a range of employment opportunities once you have completed the course.

If you want to become a teacher, when you've completed this course you could apply to study our PGCE course. Our PGCE course offers you outstanding training and opportunities to develop the skills, qualities and subject knowledge you'll need to qualify as a primary school teacher, as well as giving you Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). Or you could study our Professional Graduate Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector which will give you Qualified Teaching Learning and Skills (QTLS) status in order to teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector.

Tracy Darby, one of our graduates commented about the course saying
"Everything I learned has been useful in my first year of teaching ... teacher training at Derby was a brilliant experience ... help is always on hand from the tutors"

What our students say

Vicki Carr, one of our current students

Nigel Playdon, one of our current students
"Learning at this level is an exciting and stimulating process that is an engaging and addictive experience."

Vicki Carr, one of our current students
Vicki investigated the level of personal finance education given in a Derby secondary school, and attitudes to money among 13 and 14-year-olds. She researched into this for her Independant Study after an all-Parliamentary committee of MPs said there was an urgent need for children to be taught personal finance. Her report found teenagers knew education on cash handling was important and wanted more - but that teachers have to find time to include this teaching amongst other competing pressures. After her study was brought to the attention of the 'ifs School of Finance' which has a role in educating people on personal finance, Vicki was invited to London to brief its Vice Principal, Rod McKee, on her work. She was then interviewed in its magazine.

"I have seen first-hand how a lack of knowledge and understanding of financial matters can lead adults to make poor financial decisions and end up with large overdrafts and debts, and personally I didn't receive any education on the subject at school". Read more on Vicki's story.

Anything else?

It may be possible for you to enter directly into the final stage of this course if you have relevant qualifications. Typically the kind of qualifications that are considered include:

Foundation degree in a related, appropriate subject area with a Merit grade
Diploma or Certificate in the lifelong learning sector
Diploma in Higher Education in a related, appropriate subject area.

If you would like to discuss this informally please contact our Direct Entry tutor Vanessa Cottle on:

Tel: 01332 592208
Email: v.cottle@derby.ac.uk

Start dates

If you're from the UK or EU you can apply to study this course in:

September 2012

If you're from a country outside the EU you can apply to study this course full time in:

September 2012

UCAS code

X300

Fees

This is a classroom based course.

UK/EU students

Full time: £6,995 (each year)
Part time: £875 per module (you usually take 18 of these modules in total).

International students

Full time: £9,700 (each year)

*These fees apply if you're starting this course between September 2012 and August 2013. We recommend you check fee details with us though, as they can change. Costs can increase each year.