Education Studies

Education studies is the critical academic examination of education as a social phenomenon, a political project, and a set of professional practices. Unlike teacher training, which prepares you to deliver education, education studies asks fundamental questions about what education is for, how it works, who it serves, and why it takes the forms it does. It draws on sociology, philosophy, psychology, history, and policy studies to examine schooling and learning across different contexts, populations, and historical periods, producing graduates who can think rigorously and critically about one of the most important institutions in any society.

At the University of Northampton you will study this three-year full-time degree with a typical entry tariff of 72 points, reflecting the accessible entry point the programme offers. Across the programme you will engage with the sociology of education, examining how class, race, gender, and disability shape educational experience and outcomes. You will study the psychology of learning and child development, the history of educational ideas and policy, comparative education across different national systems, and the contemporary policy environment in the UK.

Research methods are central to the curriculum, equipping you to evaluate evidence and design your own enquiries into educational questions. The programme develops critical and analytical thinking, clear written communication, and the capacity to understand complex social systems.

Education studies graduates work in a wide range of roles connected to children, young people, and learning. Many go on to postgraduate teacher training through the PGCE or School Direct routes, qualifying as primary or secondary teachers. Others work in educational support, learning mentoring, youth work, community education, international development, policy research, publishing, and the voluntary sector.

The degree also provides a strong foundation for further study in education, sociology, psychology, or related disciplines, for those who wish to pursue research or specialist professional roles in the education system.