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BA(Hons) Education

Entry year
2025/26
Course code
X304
Application
UCAS
Level
Undergraduate
School
School of Education and Childhood
Tariff points
104
Campus
Frenchay
Duration
Three years full-time; four years sandwich
Delivery
Full-time; sandwich
Programme leader
Dr Michael Whelan

Page last updated 6 March 2025

This course is open for applications

Introduction

Make yourself highly employable on this future-facing degree, which is informed by principles of sustainability and can be adapted to your interests. Develop specialist knowledge and skills in the areas of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Digital Learning.

Why study education?

How and where people learn, and what influences that learning, is constantly evolving. With advances in digital technology creating new learning tools and experiences, it's a particularly interesting time to work in this field.

Learning isn't just something that takes place in schools. Designing and improving how learning happens has relevance in all areas of work and society, so graduates are prepared for employment across diverse sectors and roles.

Why UWE Bristol?

Study our BA(Hons) Education and you'll examine education for all ages, in both formal and informal settings, including schools, workplaces, communities and wider society. You'll benefit from Bristol's diverse education community, with many organisations pushing boundaries using the latest teaching and learning innovations.

Explore the role of education as a positive force for change in society and develop your understanding of the design and improvement of learning in dierent contexts, informed by principles of sustainability. Digital Learning and SEND are important specialist threads within the course, offering you strong transferable skills and an awareness of professional practice that's sought after by employers.

You'll engage with work-based opportunities, with the potential to complete a placement or study abroad in year two. By tailoring your modules and assessments to your interests, you'll graduate in a condent position for your career.

Where can it take me?

By the end of your degree, you'll have gained strong transferable skills, SEND and Digital Learning awareness and knowledge of making learning accessible for all. You'll be equipped to make a positive difference across a range of educational settings, with the skillset to get you noticed by employers.

You could find work in formal or informal education settings, creative or cultural organisations, or industry or local government as an education, digital education or inclusion specialist. You could also go on to teacher training or a master's in education, or a chosen specialist area.

Personalised virtual tour

There's no need to visit us in person to explore our facilities and campuses. Take a personalised virtual tour and discover it all for yourself from wherever you are.

Take a virtual tour

BA(Hons) Education at UWE Bristol

Learn more from the Programme Leader about our BA(Hons) Education.

Structure

Content

Year one

You'll study:

  • Becoming an Educator
  • Education, Society and Inclusivity
  • Exploring Digital Learning
  • Learning Journeys
  • Guided Studies*.

Year two

You'll study:

  • Becoming a Researcher
  • Education in Practice
  • Educational Policy
  • Inclusive Digital Learning Design
  • Meeting Diverse Needs
  • Guided Studies*.

Placement Year (if applicable)

If you study on the four-year (sandwich) course, you'll spend a year away from the University on a work or study placement after year two. The placement year can be undertaken in the UK or internationally.

You'll complete a placement learning module.

See the Placements and Fees sections for more information.

Final Year

You'll study:

  • Debates in Education
  • Education Project
  • International Comparative Education
  • Lifelong Learning**
  • Guided Studies*.

*Only available in exceptional circumstances and with the agreement of the Programme Leader.

** Not available to study if you complete the placement year.

The University continually enhances our offer by responding to feedback from our students and other stakeholders, ensuring the curriculum is kept up to date and our graduates are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need for the real world. This may result in changes to the course. If changes to your course are approved, we'll inform you.

"On my course, I spoke to our College's Lead for Employability and Enterprise, who was a helpful contact. We spoke about the different sectors I could work in after graduating, which started my interest in Career Development, where I'm now pursuing a career." Susanna, Education (Special Needs) graduate.

Learning and Teaching

You'll learn through formal lectures, seminars, workshops and work-based learning, as well as collaborative, online and virtual learning. You'll also participate in tutor and student-led study groups, simulations, role play, live briefs and project work.

The diversity of your learning experiences will enable you to build valuable graduate skills such as adaptability, creativity, collaboration and digital skills.

Explore and understand contemporary approaches to learning and teaching in diverse settings including university and virtual environments, museums, art galleries and industry.

You'll explore a broad range of contemporary approaches to learning and teaching in diverse educational settings. These include schools, universities, virtual environments, community learning settings, museums, art galleries and industry.

You'll learn to be enterprising, by exploring innovative practice models and hearing from a broad range of guest speakers. You'll also craft your skills as a reserarcher, working with innovative academics and partners in the field.

Internationalisation is embedded throughout the course, enabling you to develop a more globalized perspective on education, and on yourself as an educator, through exciting international learning experiences.

To find out more, see our full glossary of learning and teaching terms.

Study time

You'll have at least 12 hours of contact with your tutors each week, which may include some online or virtual contact, to suit the context of what you're studying.

You'll need to be motivated and able to learn independently and collaboratively. We'll give you the help and resources you need to study well on your own and with others.

Assessment

We use a range of assessments across the course designed to enhance your learning and support your future employability. We do not use written exams as part of our formal assessments.

Learn more about assessments. 

Features

Placements

Work experience hones your skills and knowledge, making you a sought-after graduate.

As well as shorter work-based projects and briefs throughout, you can opt to do a longer workplace experience in a school or other organisation in Year two. This could be in the UK or overseas.

Benefit from our close links with over 250 schools, and with cultural and business organisations across the city and region.

If you choose the four-year (sandwich) course, you'll spend a year away from the University on a work or study placement after year two.

You'll get help to find a placement and support throughout from staff within the School and our award-winning Careers Service.

Fieldwork

During your studies there are opportunities for international travel. Current partnerships involve links with projects in Gambia and Finland.

Fieldwork also includes visits to industry and assignments in and around Bristol throughout the course.

Study facilities

Our modern, purpose-built facilities include high-quality teaching rooms, excellent IT facilities, equipment that can be loaned out, and open learning areas.

You'll make use of the latest digital tools and spaces, including design studios, PC labs and virtual reality technologies.

You may also spend time at our City Campus sites, including the Pervasive Media Studio at Watershed, gaining experience of industry-leading creative and technical facilities.

Learn more about UWE Bristol's facilities and resources.

Take a personalised virtual tour of the Education and Teaching facilities and experience what a typical day could look like here for you.

Life

Accommodation

An excellent range of options for all of the Bristol campuses and the city centre.

Bristol

A stunning city for student living with all the qualities to make you want to stay.

Sports, societies and activities

There is more to your experience here than study. Choose to make the most of it and try new things.

Health and Wellbeing

We provide support in the way you need it.

Campus and facilities

Discover our campuses and the wealth of facilities provided for our students.

Careers

Careers / Further study

Education, and how it is evolving, is a major area of interest across many fields. The skills you develop on this degree will open the door to many potential careers.

You could work in an education-related role in a creative or cultural organisation, or in learning and development in a business context.

You could go onto a postgraduate teaching qualification and become a qualified teacher in the UK or overseas. You'll be guaranteed an interview for our PGCE Primary and Early Years courses.

Get inspired

You could also go onto postgraduate study, such as a Masters in education.

Our award-winning careers service will develop your employment potential through career coaching and help find you graduate jobs, placements and global opportunities.

We can also help find local volunteering and community opportunities, provide support for entrepreneurial activity and get you access to employer events.

Visit our Employability pages to learn more about careers, employers and what our students are doing six months after graduating.

See also

Fees

Supplementary fee information

Additional costs are for items you could need during your studies that aren't covered by the standard tuition fee. These could be materials, textbooks, travel, clothing, software or printing.

Learn more about costs.

Find out more about available scholarships and bursaries which if you're eligible, can offer financial support during your study.

Entry

Typical offers

You will need to meet the following Level 2 requirements:

  • GCSE: Grade C/4 in English, or equivalent.

In addition to the above Level 2 qualifications, you'll need to achieve the published tariff points from your Level 3 studies prior to entry. Below is an indicative list of the main qualification types. However, we will consider any Level 3 qualifications towards meeting our entry requirements.

  • Tariff points: 104
  • Contextual tariff: See our contextual offers page.
  • English Language Requirement:

    International and EU applicants are required to have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.0 with 5.5 in each component (or approved equivalent*).*The university accepts a large number of UK and International Qualifications in place of IELTS. You can find details of acceptable tests and the required grades you will need in our English Language section. Please visit our English language requirements page.

  • A-level subjects: No specific subjects required.
  • EDEXCEL (BTEC) Diploma: No specific subjects required.

    For information on required Guided Learning Hours please see our minimum entry requirements page.

  • Access: No specific subjects required.
  • Baccalaureate IB: No specific subjects required. We accept the IB Career-related Programme in conjunction with other Level 3 qualifications.
  • Irish Highers: No specific subjects required.
  • Welsh Baccalaureate: We accept tariff points achieved from the Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales in conjunction with other Level 3 qualifications.
  • Cambridge Technical: No specific subjects required.
  • T Levels: No specific subjects required.

Entry requirements

If you do not meet the above requirements but have already completed your qualifications and can demonstrate relevant personal, professional or education experience, we may ask you to complete a written task to determine your suitability to study the course.

Before you start your course, you'll be required to complete:

  • an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check*
  • a health check*

*All information will be treated in confidence and only taken into account when absolutely necessary.

Read more about professional checks.

International applicants

For country specific entry requirements please find your country on the country information pages. If you are an international student and do not meet the academic requirements to study this course, you can qualify by completing preparatory study at our International College.

If you are applying to study at UWE Bristol and require additional support to meet our English language requirements, you may be able to attend one of our pre-sessional English courses. Read more about our Pre-Sessional English Programme.

Read more about entry requirements.

How to apply

For further information

Unistats

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