Overview

Education nurtures curiosity, stokes ambition and shapes careers. On this BA (Hons) Education Studies top-up degree course, you'll study education as a discipline and gain the skills and knowledge you need to work within education across a range of sectors and professions.

You'll turn your Level 5 qualification – such as a diploma, teaching apprenticeship or foundation degree – into a full Bachelor's degree. You'll develop a deeper understanding of how people learn, explore education in relation to society and build on your research skills.

Choose to study full time on campus, or part time on campus or by distance learning over 15 months, which enables you to work alongside your course and apply what you learn to your role in real time.

When you graduate, you'll be ready to step up into a career championing education as a lifelong experience, such as in educational practice, professional training, nurseries, youth work or (with further study) teaching.

Course highlights

Explore cultural, emotional and social learning perspectives, such as the significance of heritage in the educational experience, societal norms in education, and the role of mentoring within an educational context
Be taught by expert researchers and practitioners from our School of Education, Languages and Linguistics
Study full time at the University or on a part time basis alongside your job, either on campus or by distance learning
Graduate with a full Bachelor's degree that’s valued across the education sector

Top 30

for student satisfaction

(Times Higher Education, 2024)

Contact information

Admissions

+44 (0) 23 9284 5566

Contact Admissions

Clearing is open

This course is available through Clearing.

How to apply for accommodation

We have a variety of accommodation options, including studios, en-suites, catered, self-catered and private rental options. See how our housing team can help you find a place to call home.

Find out more

Clearing FAQs

To work out your UCAS points, use our UCAS Calculator to work out how many UCAS points you have.

The tariff calculator will allow you to see what grades you need to get into your preferred course at ��ý.

You can apply through Clearing if:

You don't meet the conditions of your offer for your firm (first) or insurance (second) choice courses
Your exam results are better than you expected and you want to change your course or university
You don't hold any offers
You've accepted an offer but changed your mind about the course you want to do
You're applying for the first time after 30 June 2024

After we make you an offer we'll send you a confirmation email. This email will let you know what you need to do next and it will tell you what you need to provide us. In some instances we may ask you to send us copies of certificates or you may need to send us a portfolio.

If you've previously applied through UCAS you'll need to use your UCAS Hub to accept our offer by adding us as your Clearing choice.

If you're having issues, please contact us on +44 (0)23 9284 8090 or admissions@port.ac.uk

Once you've accepted your Clearing course offer, we'll be in touch with details of available accommodation in the area. This will include our latest hall availability and support to find local rented accommodation via

See our accommodation page for more information.

No, it's not too late and you should make your application for student finance as soon as possible. You don't have to wait for your results. You can make your application now and just amend it when you know where you're going to be.

If you've already applied for your student loan, you'll need to log into your account and update details about your new course/university. If you haven't applied for your student loan yet, don't panic. Apply today – it only takes 30 minutes.

Find out more in our Student finance for Clearing guide.

If you're an EU or international student and you need a visa to study here, you need to start the process quickly as visas can take some time to come through. Get in touch with our visa support team if you have a question or problem.

See more on visa advice.

If you would like further information or guidance, please contact our international office or call our International Clearing Hotline on +44(0)23 9284 8785.

Entry requirements

BA (Hons) Education Studies (Top-Up) degree entry requirements

Typical offers

Relevant HE study leading to a Level 5 qualification, for example an appropriate HND, foundation degree or Advanced Diploma, or 240 credits from year 1 and year 2 of an undergraduate degree (BA/BSc), in a relevant subject

You may need to have studied specific subjects or GCSEs -

English language requirements

English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.5 with no component score below 6.0.

We also accept other standard English tests and qualifications, as long as they meet the minimum requirements of your course.

If you don't meet the English language requirements yet, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.

We look at more than just your grades

While we consider your grades when making an offer, we also carefully look at your circumstances and other factors to assess your potential. These include whether you live and work in the region and your personal and family circumstances which we assess using established data.

I really enjoyed this one-year journey, as it has added lots of knowledge and insight to my experiences. It has offered me the opportunity to grow my knowledge about the education system and policies in the UK through the assignments and work we have done.

Bahra Karim, BA (Hons) Education Studies (Top-Up)

Careers and opportunities

This education studies top-up degree will give you a solid grounding in the theory and ideas of practice behind education and the way people teach and learn.

It's ideal if you want a versatile Bachelor's degree that will open doors across the education sector and beyond.

Further study

This course does not provide Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), but it does provide the gateway to study for further postgraduate qualifications, including QTS, early years initial teacher training (EYITT), qualifying social work Master's and other postgraduate courses.

For example, once you graduate with this BA (Hons) Education Studies top-up degree, you could do further postgraduate study to become a teacher via a PGCE course, such as our Primary PGCE or Further Education and Training PGCE.

Ongoing career support – up to 5 years after you graduate

Get experience while you study, with support to find part-time jobs, volunteering opportunities, and work experience.

Towards the end of your degree and for up to five years after graduation, you’ll receive one-to-one support from our Graduate Recruitment Consultancy to help you find your perfect role.

What jobs can you do with an education studies top-up degree?

Roles our graduates have taken on include:

teaching in primary education (with further training)
teaching in colleges (with further training)
early years teacher (with further training)
social worker (with further training)
senior management roles in nurseries
senior positions in education and training in areas such as nursing and police work

Modules

On this top-up course, you'll study modules worth 120 credits.

Not a fan of exams?

On this course, you won't have to sit any exams. Instead, you'll submit coursework, assignments and presentations to demonstrate your knowledge. Take a look at how you'll be assessed on this course.

Full-time (on campus)

Core modules

You’ll cover the ways that education interacts with identities in the UK and take a comparative approach to other countries.

You’ll also examine issues related to the diversification and cultural dynamics of British life and society within the 21st Century, focusing on the impact of this on educational experience.

What does it mean to be a learner from diverse backgrounds within a multi heritage context?

You’ll evaluate the key features of a range of research methods and their application in educational research.

You’ll gain the knowledge and skills you’ll need to prepare for your work-based learning project or dissertation, including identifying ethical issues and showing how they will be mediated, and present a coherent dissertation or project plan.

You’ll critically explore how to apply leadership and management theory to provide equitable services for children and families.

By reflecting on your emerging professional identity, you’ll evaluate your impact on decision-making to drive positive change.

You’ll explore best practices on active listening, analytical thinking, trust building and conflict resolution, and tailor personalised development plans targeting mindsets, behaviours or knowledge gaps.

You’ll also review evidence-based coaching psychology frameworks and how they apply across corporate and educational contexts.

It's up to you what your dissertation or project is about – this will be your chance to showcase your passion for education by choosing a subject area or topic that most interests you.

You'll draw on everything you’ve learned so far to investigate, analyse, craft and refine your dissertation or project, using existing texts, sources and artefacts to support your arguments and give them context. You'll have the support of a dedicated dissertation tutor to guide you throughout this module.

Part-time (on campus or distance learning)