Education Studies with Foundation Year

Education studies is a broad and intellectually rich discipline that examines how human beings learn, how educational institutions are organised and what purposes they serve in society. It draws on philosophy, sociology, psychology, history and policy analysis to interrogate assumptions about teaching, childhood, curriculum and the relationship between schooling and wider social structures. Studied at degree level, it develops your capacity to think critically about education rather than simply accepting it as given, and equips you to contribute thoughtfully to debates about how learning environments can be improved.

At the University of Derby this four-year programme begins with a foundation year that builds your academic confidence and introduces you to the range of ideas and frameworks you will engage with across the degree. The main programme then takes you through the history and philosophy of education, theories of learning and development, the sociology of educational inequality, comparative and international education, and contemporary policy debates from early years through to lifelong learning. A year abroad is built into the programme, giving you the opportunity to engage with educational systems and approaches in a different national context, which is one of the most effective ways of developing a genuinely critical perspective on the assumptions embedded in the UK system.

Graduates of education studies pursue a wide range of careers. Many go on to gain qualified teacher status through postgraduate routes and work in primary or secondary schools. Others work in early years education, further education, adult learning, educational charity and NGO work, community education, museum and heritage education, policy roles in government or local authorities, or educational research.

The degree is also a strong foundation for postgraduate study in education, social work, psychology or public policy, and the analytical skills it develops transfer well into any role concerned with people, organisations and social institutions.