Education Studies - Sociology

Education studies with a sociological focus examines education not simply as a practical activity but as a social institution, one that is deeply embedded in questions of inequality, power, culture and political purpose. Sociology provides the theoretical and empirical tools to examine how educational systems are structured, how they reproduce or challenge social inequalities, how different groups of children experience education differently depending on their class, ethnicity, gender or disability, and how educational policy is made and contested. Together, education studies and sociology develop a critical and evidence-based understanding of one of the most important institutions in any society.

At the University of Durham this programme begins with a foundation year, building the academic skills and theoretical grounding you need before the degree proper begins. The full programme includes a sandwich year, a year abroad and work placement opportunities, giving you substantial professional experience alongside an international academic perspective. Durham's research culture and its strong sociology and education departments provide an excellent context for this kind of interdisciplinary inquiry.

You will engage with curriculum theory, the sociology of knowledge, the politics of education, comparative education systems, and the empirical research that illuminates how schools and other educational institutions actually function in social context.

Graduates go on to work in education policy and management, social research, community development, the voluntary sector, local government and public administration. Many continue to teacher training, typically through a PGCE, with the sociological perspective this degree develops making them more reflective and analytically capable practitioners. Others pursue postgraduate study in sociology, social policy, educational research or social work.

The combination of academic depth, professional experience and international exposure that this programme provides makes graduates well equipped for careers that seek to make education more equitable and effective.