Education Studies with Integrated Foundation Year
Education studies is a discipline that examines education as a social, cultural, political, and economic phenomenon, going well beyond the practical skills of classroom teaching to ask fundamental questions about what education is for, how it works, who it benefits, and how it might be improved. It draws on sociology, philosophy, psychology, and history to develop a critical and evidence-based understanding of educational systems, policies, and practices, and it applies that understanding to the many contexts in which education happens, from formal schools and universities to informal learning in communities and workplaces.
At the University of Sunderland, this programme includes an integrated foundation year, which provides a supportive and accessible route into degree-level study for students who are returning to education, who did not meet standard entry requirements, or who want a more gradual transition into university learning. The foundation year builds the academic skills and confidence needed to succeed in the main degree. Over the full programme you will develop your ability to analyse educational issues critically, to evaluate research evidence, and to engage with the policy debates that shape what happens in educational institutions and systems.
The degree develops both analytical rigour and practical insight into the challenges facing education today.
Graduates from education studies programmes work in schools as learning support assistants and teaching assistants, in education charities and community organisations, in youth work, in policy and advocacy roles, and in a wide range of other settings where education and training matter. Many graduates use the degree as a foundation for further study, including postgraduate initial teacher training, the PGCE, social work, educational psychology, or research in education. The analytical and communicative skills the degree develops are also valued in journalism, public policy, and the voluntary sector.