Education Studies

Education studies is an academic discipline that examines education as a social, cultural, and political institution, asking how learning happens, who benefits from educational systems, how policy shapes practice, and what education is ultimately for. It is distinct from teacher training in that its aim is critical understanding rather than professional qualification, though it often attracts students who go on to teaching and other education roles.

At the University of Reading you will explore the history and philosophy of education, the sociology of schooling and inequality, child development and learning theory, curriculum studies, and education policy at national and international levels. You will engage with questions about inclusion and diversity, the relationship between education and social mobility, the role of technology in learning, and comparative perspectives on how education is organised in different societies. Research methods are woven into the programme, developing your ability to evaluate evidence and conduct your own enquiries into educational questions.

This three-year full-time programme includes a year abroad, which places you in a different educational system and academic culture, providing a comparative perspective that enriches your understanding of education as a social institution. The year abroad is an integral part of the degree, not simply an add-on, and it develops the adaptability and international awareness that are increasingly valuable in graduate careers.

Graduates go on to careers in education policy, research, curriculum development, educational publishing, youth work, international development, and social policy. Many go on to postgraduate teacher training, entering teaching with a distinctive analytical perspective on their profession. Others pursue postgraduate study in education, social science, or policy, or move into roles in government, NGOs, or the charity sector where understanding of educational systems is professionally valuable.