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What makes Education Studies at Worcester special?

Do you want to make a difference in people’s lives through education? Our community engages with difference. By joining us, you will experience profound change which can enable you to transform the lives of others. By creatively critiquing education we can create suggested ways to make it become more inclusive both inside the classroom and in real-world workplaces, communities, and un-conventional environments.

Your first year in this course will help you find your feet in the varied environment of modern education. You will meet a team of education experts who will support you to find your voice within debates surrounding the purpose and practice of education. By your final year, you will know how to find your direction as a specialist educator. Throughout your studies you will explore local, national and international perspectives and delivery of education in all its forms.

We value each student’s voice as a member of our inclusive and diverse community of unique lifelong learners. Students who successfully complete this course may apply to post graduate teacher training programmes.

Overview

Overview

Key features

  • Our course is focused on values, and at the heart of Education Studies is a focus on social justice. We want you to develop the skills to listen to learners’ voices and help them create the future they deserve
  • Our Academic staff have a wealth of diverse experience. We have backgrounds in alternative styles of learning and understand unusual pathways through the education system
  • We prioritise the individual. Our small class sizes maintain a space for discussion and create a beneficial learning experience for tutors and students
  • Education is more than schools. Our off-site visits include specialist provisions, care farms, PRUs and placements in prison education to provide you with the potential to become a passionate and well-rounded future educator
  • We focus on your ability to effect change in society through education and pay attention to your experiences, specialisms, and educational interests to allow you to explore what matters to you
  • The University offers a wide range of opportunities to continue your studies abroad. Find out more information here: Study Abroad
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Education Studies Top-Up Year (Level 6)

If you have studied a Foundation degree, DipHE, HND or equivalent qualification in education, teaching and learning, professional practice, health, care or welfare or related subject a Education Studies Top-Up degree could be for you.

This option allows you to turn your previous qualifications into a full Bachelor's degree. You'll develop a deeper understanding of how people learn, investigate education in relation to society, and improve your research skills. Our course focuses on current events creating an inclusive environment which examines how the education journey shapes our lives and identities from childhood into adult life. 

Education Studies at Worcester

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Study Abroad

We offer a wide range of opportunities for you to study abroad, so you can see how different countries approach education.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements

88
UCAS tariff points

Entry requirements - Education Studies BA (Hons)

88 UCAS tariff points (for example, CCD at A Level).

T Levels, Cache Diplomas, and B-Tech qualifications may be used to meet the entry tariff requirements for this course. Find out more about using these qualifications towards UCAS tariff points here.

An Enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check is required for some modules on the course.

Entry requirements - Education Studies Top-Up (Level 6)

 

  • A Foundation degree, DipHE, HND or equivalent qualification in education, teaching and learning, professional practice, health, care or welfare or related subject.
  • Supportive academic reference.
  • Non-standard entry routes will also be considered. We encourage applications from candidates who can provide evidence of their ability to work at Level 6 and substantial experience of working within education or health, education, care or social welfare. If your qualification is not listed, please contact Registry Admissions or advice.

An Enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check is required for some modules on the course.

 

Colin Vernon

Colin Vernon

I chose to study Education Studies with Computing at the University of Worcester as I wanted to teach in the further education sector to help make a positive impact on learners who may have not had the best time at school. I graduated in 2020 with an Upper Second Class Honours Degree then went to Birmingham City University to take my Further Education (FE) PGCE in Computing and Esports, which I passed in July 2021. After the course, I secured a part-time job teaching T levels and BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Esports at a further education college in Worcestershire. During one of my modules at Level 6 tutor mentioned that teachers can teach higher education (HE) courses at college and now I teach Web Development and Design on an HNC module at Level 4.

The support provided by the Education Studies and Computing lecturers at Worcester was fantastic as they would give us engaging activities that encouraged us to think about the issues in Education. I now apply what I learned in the classroom with my 16–19-year-old FE students and HE students for my Web development module. My advice for new students is to take up any opportunities available: I did the Level 1 Basketball coaching and took part in conferences through the Students as Academic Partners projects.

Patricia Eriksson receiving award

Patricia Eriksson

Scholarship Prizewinner 2023

Receiving the award was a moment of great pride and satisfaction. It was amazing to see that my commitment and dedication to my studies was successful. The award also works as a strong motivator, reminding me to always put the effort in and to work hard in pursuit of my goals. Studying Education Studies has opened up my eyes to a range of different careers within the education sector and I feel like it has given me confidence to take the next steps in my journey.

Ryan Salter receiving award

Ryan Salter

Scholarship Prizewinner 2023

The lecturers and their support provided has helped me to thrive in an area of study which I hadn't previously explored before university. Getting a scholarship award from my first year results gave me a massive confidence boost going into my second year of studies, and is going to go towards funding my eventual PGCE studies for secondary teaching. The modules available have not only helped me to gain a broad understanding of the field of education in many capacities, but also to focus in on the topics which interest and will benefit me.

Four key elements combine within the Education Studies programme:

Theory

The core concepts, theory and values of our Education Studies programme are embedded throughout the course.

  • In your first year, you will learn how different disciplines, such as Sociology, History and Psychology, all approach the same subject: Education.
  • Throughout your second year you will evaluate what a ‘quality’ education means, understanding diverse and conflicting viewpoints.
  • You will spend your third year preparing to be an educational change-maker, by listening to different voices, learning to be inclusive, and developing the vision to lead practice.

Research

Learning to understand and take part in research is a key element of our course

  • The first year of studies supports you to read like a researcher, discovering data and using library catalogues to review literature.
  • In your second year, you will learn how to design ethical research projects by engaging with a range of methodologies.
  • In your final year, you will work independently on your own dissertation, demonstrating reflexive and inclusive research in education.

Practice

The third key element of the Education Studies programme are learning practices and how they impact the real-life people learners you encounter.

  • In your first year, you will learn who has experienced educational inequality, normativity and exclusion throughout education’s past and present.
  • Your second year will examine education in the context of the climate emergency to consider who will experience education inclusively and equitably in the future.
  • Your final year will examine the philosophy and values of a socially just world, taking a more-than-human approach to education.

Specialism

We have a wide range of optional modules which allow you to specialise your knowledge to focus on your individual interests.

  • In your first year, you can choose to study creativity in education or children’s wellbeing in digital and social media.
  • In your second year, your options include psychology of teaching and learning or safeguarding in education.
  • In your third year, you can opt to study drama and education, the education of the sociological imagination or weaponised education.
  • Your options can also include modules in our Centre for Academic English and Skills and the opportunity to qualify as a professional tutor.
Course content

Course content

Our course is informed by research and current developments in the broad field of education. A range of modules allow you to explore equality and diversity issues, social issues in education, education in different contexts including and beyond formal schooling, and the impact of social media on the wellbeing of children and young people. You can also study a language or develop your academic writing to a higher level. 

We regularly review our courses to reflect the latest research and developments in the subject area, as well as feedback from students, employers and the wider sector. As a result, modules may change to ensure the course remains current and relevant.

Optional modules will run if enough students choose to study them. It is not guaranteed that all modules will be offered every year.

Year 1

Mandatory Modules

  • The What and Why of Education Studies
  • Using Literature to Initiate Research: From the Library to the Page
  • Education’s Past, Present and Future: Mapping Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

Specialist Optional Modules

Year 2

Mandatory Modules

  • Whose Standards? (Re)forming quality for education
  • Navigating the Research Journey: Ethics, methodology and research design
  • Sustainable Futures: Educating for a shared world

Specialist Optional Modules

Year 3

Mandatory Modules

  • Listener, Learner, Leader: Becoming education change-makers
  • Dissertation: Your independent study of education
  • Developing Personal Values and Philosophy in Education

Specialist Optional Modules

  • Education @ Work 2: Placement and work-based learning 
  • Education and the Sociological Imagination 
  • Theatre & Education 
  • Ideology and Education: Sites of struggle and stories of emancipation 
2 female students and 1 male student working at table

Study Education Studies as part of a joint honours degree

As well as a single honours degree, Education Studies is also available as part of a number of joint honours combinations, allowing you to combine it with another subject to match your interests and career aspirations:

Education Studies and English Language BA (Hons)

Education Studies and English Literature BA (Hons)

Education Studies and Psychology BA/BSc (Hons)

Education Studies and Sociology BA (Hons)

Teaching and assessment

Teaching and assessment

The University places emphasis on enabling students to develop the independent learning capabilities that will equip you for lifelong learning and future employment, as well as academic achievement. A mixture of independent study, teaching and academic support through the personal academic tutoring system enables you to reflect on progress and build up a profile of skills, achievements and experiences that will enable you to flourish and be successful.

Teaching

You will be encouraged to take an active part in their learning. Staff make space in all lectures, seminars and tutorials for student contributions that are based upon academic curiosity and respectful challenge. These may take the form of space for quiet reflection, question and answer interactions or small group discussions.

Each module involves lectures, seminars and tutorials. The lecture presents you with the core information and knowledge you need to orient yourself in the subject. The seminar provides you  with the opportunity to discuss and debate past advances and present knots in education and to propose solutions that might build a better and brighter future for education. Tutorials enable you to identify strengths and areas to develop that extend and enhance your graduate attributes and academic skills. Additionally, meetings with Personal Academic Tutors are scheduled on at least four occasions in the first year and three occasions in each of the other years of a course.

The University places emphasis on enabling you to develop the requisite independent learning capabilities that will equip you for lifelong learning and future employment, as well as facilitating progressive academic achievement. 

Contact time

In a typical week, you will have around 14-16 contact hours of teaching, balancing lectures and seminars. The precise contact hours will depend on the optional modules selected and in the final year there is normally slightly less contact time in order to do more independent study.

Typically class contact time will be structured around:

  • Interactive lectures
  • Workshop-type seminars
  • Tutorials
  • Student-led presentations
  • Visits to educational settings and/or other appropriate community-based resources
  • Online activities

Independent self-study

In addition to the contact time, students are expected to undertake around 15 hours of personal self-study per week plus preparation for assessment. Typically, this will involve academic reading, learning activities to consolidate and extend knowledge and understanding and online learning.

Independent learning is supported by a range of excellent learning facilities, including the Hive and library resources, the virtual learning environment (VLE), and extensive electronic learning resources.

All Education Studies BA (Hons) modules engage critically with current practice and explore skills and attributes that transfer from the university to the workplace. EDST2402 and EDST3402 focus particularly on real-world experience through placement and work-based learning. Although it is an optional module, students who may plan on forging a career in the education sector are strongly advised to select this module

Assessment

The course provides opportunities to test understanding and learning informally through the completion of practice or ‘formative’ assignments. Each module has one or more formal or ‘summative’ assessment which is graded and counts towards the overall module grade. The precise assessment requirements for an individual student in an academic year will vary according to the mandatory and optional modules taken, but a typical formal summative assessment pattern for each year of the course is:

Year 1: essay, personal reflection on education, group presentation, annotated bibliography, portfolio of work and student-led choice of assessment

Year 2: portfolios of work, negotiated projects, reflective and analytical reports

Year 3: dissertation, policy proposal briefing paper, presentation, evaluative report

Teaching staff

Education Studies BA (Hons) teaching staff are experienced educators and active researchers in the subject. All bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the course teaching, learning, assessment, and student experience journey. The diversity in teaching and research interests across the teaching team enhances and enriches students’ learning experiences.

The course is designed in such a way as to make the unique contribution of each staff member unmissable. Building on a research strength within and across the team, the course adopts a Universal Design for Learning approach to learning and teaching. It values the diversity of each learner and works continuously to improve accessibility and engagement across both the on-campus and digital learning experiences. 

Feedback

You will receive feedback on formative assessments and on formal coursework assessments. Feedback is intended to support learning and you are encouraged to discuss it with personal academic tutors and module tutors as appropriate.

We aim to provide you with feedback on formal coursework assessments within 20 working days of hand-in.

Programme specification

If you would like to see a full programme specification for this course, please email AcademicQualityTeam@worc.ac.uk

You will be taught by a teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on the course. The team includes senior academics and professional practitioners with relevant experience.

Teaching is informed by research and consultancy, and 100 per cent of course lecturers have (or are working towards) a higher education teaching qualification (excluding Sessional lecturers) or are Fellows of the Higher Education Academy. In addition, several lecturers either hold or are working towards doctorates in education and are active educational researchers.

You can learn more about the staff by visiting our staff profiles.

 

Meet the team

You will be taught by a teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on the course.

man with a dark top and beard

Stuart Gallagher

Stuart is a Senior Lecturer in the Institute of Education. He is a keen learner, attentive listener and experienced leader. He leads Education Studies BA (Hons) and Leading Culture Change in Safeguarding (PG Cert).

Both courses provide their students with relevant knowledge, appropriate real-world challenges and wholehearted support. Stuart balances whole-class teaching with individual tutorials to make sure all learners are seen and heard. He collaborates with student reps and university services to see that all students really enjoy their subject and get the most from each module. The shared goal is an excellent course experience and long-lasting impact of student learning.

Ellie Hill - 2024

Dr Ellie Hill

Ellie is a Principal Lecturer and the Course Leader for the PGCert Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (LTHE). She has worked as a primary school headteacher, teacher educator and lecturer. Ellie currently also teaches the dissertation module for undergraduates and supervises MA Education and PhD students.

Ellie joined the School of Education at Worcester in 2013, as Senior Lecturer working within the School of Education. Her expertise and interest lie in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, student experience at university, personal values, social justice, reflexive research, narrative approaches to research and inclusion.

Prior to her role at the University of Worcester, Ellie held a post of Senior Lecturer in Education at the University of Northampton for four years. There she was Head of Year 3 BA QTS and supported the trainee teachers as they prepared for their first year as qualified teachers.

The preparation for this role came from Ellie's earlier career in Primary Education which culminated in headship of a village primary school for 5 years. The school was placed in special measures by Ofsted during her first term, thus ensuing an upward climb to leave the school as Good when she moved into lecturing in Higher Education.

Ellie has completed a PhD in Higher Education student experience, using narrative inquiry to find out about Gen Z student values and the impact of the student experience. Her methodological expertise is in narrative methods and reflexivity as a researcher.

Sharon Smith

Sharon Smith

Sharon joined the School of Education at Worcester as a full time member of staff in 2013 as a Senior Lecturer in Education. Sharon previously worked for the University in other capacities. She has worked closely with the University of Worcester for some years delivering Foundation Degrees and engaging in research within the University through funded seconded projects.

Prior to her role at the University of Worcester, the majority of her teaching has been within Further Education and she has also been involved in teaching a range of adult learners including those with learning difficulties and disabilities (and learners with Acquired Brain Injury). In addition, she has worked in schools with pupils with Special Educational Needs. Her expertise has been extensively in training teaching assistants and early years practitioners.

simon-taylor

Simon Taylor

Simon joined the School of Education in January 2016 having worked in the arts and cultural sector for many years. He specialises in collaborative research, building partnerships, commissioning, strategic planning, interdisciplinary working and professional development supporting artists, teachers and senior managers.

Simon is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) and a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of the Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (FRSA).

Marie Stephenson

Dr Marie Stephenson

Marie joined the Department for Education & Inclusion in 2014 and brings extensive teaching experience from the post-compulsory (FE) sector. Marie has several specialisms, which include teaching the visually impaired, having spent a few years designing and delivering courses at the Royal National College for the Blind. She teaches on undergraduate & post graduate courses in the Department for Education & Inclusion and is pathway lead for the MA in Education (Leadership & Management). She is also Course Lead for the BA (Hons) Special Educational Needs, Disability and Inclusion.

Marie is also currently the lead coordinator for the new NPQ SENCO working with valuable partners such as the Church of England (Diocese of Worcester) to deliver their excellent replacement course for the PGCert NASENCo Award – which welcomes SEND practitioners from across the country.

Careers

Careers

Employability

Our Education Studies degree provides an excellent route into many careers or further study.

You may wish to progress on to a PGCE course (to become a qualified primary or secondary teacher).

We also run an MA in Education degree, and guidance is given to support you to do this successfully.

Careers that graduates move into include:

  • Child welfare
  • Learning mentor
  • Training professional in the private sector
  • Military service
  • Prison education
  • Lecturing in further education
  • Working in higher education
  • Youth work
  • International development work
  • Working in a charity 
Costs

Fees and funding

Full-time tuition fees

UK and EU students

The Government has announced that it will increase tuition fees and maintenance loans by 3.1% from the 2025/26 academic cycle. Subject to approval, the University intends to increase our tuition fees in line with this and as per our terms and conditions. This means that from September 2025 the standard fee for full-time home and EU undergraduate students on BA/BSc/LLB degrees and FdA/FdSc degrees will be £9,535 per year for new and continuing students. 

For more details on course fees, please visit our course fees page.

International students

The standard tuition fee for full-time international students enrolling on BA/BSc/LLB degrees and FdA/FdSc degrees in the 2025/26 academic year is £16,700 per year.

For more details on course fees, please visit our course fees page.

Part-time tuition fees

UK and EU students

The Government has announced that it will increase tuition fees and maintenance loans by 3.1% from the 2025/26 academic cycle. Subject to approval, the University intends to increase our tuition fees in line with this and as per our terms and conditions. This means that from September 2025 the tuition fees for part-time UK and EU students on BA/BSc/LLB degrees and FdA/FdSc degrees will be £1,190.83 per 15-credit module, £1,587.77 per 20-credit module, £2,381.66 per 30-credit module, £3,175.55 per 40-credit module, £3,572.50 per 45-credit module and £4,763.32 per 60 credit module for new and continuing students.

For more details on course pages, please visit our course fees page.

Additional costs

Every course has day-to-day costs for basic books, stationery, printing and photocopying. The amounts vary between courses.

If your course offers a placement opportunity, you may need to pay for an Enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check.

For international opportunities, there will be costs involved depending on the nature of the opportunity.

Accommodation

Finding the right accommodation is paramount to your university experience. Our halls of residence are home to friendly student communities, making them great places to live and study.

We have over 1,000 rooms across our range of student halls. With rooms to suit every budget and need, from our 'Traditional Halls' at £131 per week to 'Ensuite Premium Halls' at £228 per week (2025/26 prices).

For full details visit our accommodation page.
How to apply

How to apply

Applying through UCAS

Single Honours:

  • Education Studies BA (Hons) - X302

Joint Honours:

Please visit the individual joint honours course pages for UCAS links:

UCAS is the central organisation through which applications are processed for entry onto full-time undergraduate courses in Higher Education in the UK.

Read our How to apply pages for more information on applying and to find out what happens to your application.

UCAS Code

X302

Apply Via UCAS

Get in touch

If you have any questions, please get in touch. We're here to help you every step of the way.

 

Admissions Office

admissions@worc.ac.uk
01905 855111

Stuart Gallagher

Course leader
s.gallagher@worc.ac.uk
01905 855052

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