Education

Education as an academic discipline examines how learning happens, how educational systems are organised, and what purposes schooling serves in different societies and historical moments. It draws on philosophy, psychology, sociology, history and policy studies to produce a field that is both analytically rigorous and directly relevant to some of the most contested questions in contemporary public life, including equality, inclusion, curriculum, pedagogy and the relationship between education and social mobility.

At the University of Manchester you will follow this three-year full-time degree, developing a broad and critical understanding of education across multiple dimensions. You will engage with the philosophical foundations of educational thought, with the psychological theories of learning and development that have shaped classroom practice, and with the sociological frameworks that help explain why educational outcomes vary so markedly across different social groups. You will also study the history of education as a social institution and the policy processes through which educational systems are reformed and contested.

Manchester's research strength in education and social science means you are studying in a department where these questions are being actively investigated, and the curriculum reflects that intellectual vitality.

Studying education develops the capacity to think critically about institutions and practices that are often taken for granted. You will become comfortable with evidence from multiple disciplines, with competing theoretical perspectives and with the kind of careful, context-sensitive argument that educational questions demand.

Graduates pursue careers in teaching and school leadership, educational research, policy analysis, the charity and third sector, local and national government, educational publishing, children's services and international development. The degree also provides a strong foundation for postgraduate study in education, social policy, psychology, sociology or for teacher training routes including the PGCE.