Special and Inclusive Education

Special and inclusive education is a discipline that sits at the heart of one of the most significant challenges in contemporary schooling: how to ensure that all learners, whatever their needs, abilities, or starting points, have access to high-quality education and genuine opportunities to participate and succeed. It draws on psychology, sociology, education policy, and evidence-based practice to develop professionals who understand diverse learning profiles and who can design and deliver learning environments and approaches that are genuinely equitable.

At Manchester Metropolitan University, this three-year full-time BA in Special and Inclusive Education has been developed in collaboration with sector leaders, including chief executives of mainstream and special schools, specialist local authority officers, and SEND therapists. You will develop expertise in creating equitable learning pathways and opportunities for learners with a wide range of special and additional educational needs, building the theoretical understanding and practical skills needed to support inclusive practice across educational settings. The programme prepares you to be a forward-thinking professional committed to equality of opportunity.

Graduates from special and inclusive education programmes are well placed for careers in education, social care, and the allied health professions. Roles as special educational needs coordinators, teaching assistants and learning support professionals, SEND advisers, educational welfare officers, and practitioners in specialist schools and units are among the most common destinations. Local authorities, charities, NHS education-linked services, and independent schools also recruit from this background.

For those who wish to qualify as teachers, initial teacher training is a natural next step, and the knowledge of inclusive practice developed through this degree is particularly valuable in that context. Postgraduate study in SEND, educational psychology, or inclusive education is also available for those who wish to develop specialist expertise.