BSc Education / Course details

BSc Education draws upon psychology, sociology and critical policy analysis to help explain and understand formal teaching and learning processes, the mechanisms of and solutions to global inequalities both within and beyond education, and how such issues are affected by government policies on education.

A key feature of the BSc Education is the opportunity to choose from one of three specialist pathways through the degree, to enable students to focus their studies on a particular career trajectory. This is not compulsory and you are welcome to tailor all your optional units to your own preferences instead.

• BSc Education (Primary/Early Years Education) - This pathway is ideal if you want to focus on the Primary and Early Years settings, and how children learn. You will have the opportunity to gain comprehensive knowledge of the core (English, Mathematics and Science) and Foundation subjects, and learning in the Early Years. This pathway enables you to gain sound practical and theoretical knowledge of teaching.
• BSc Education (International Education) - In response to an increasingly globally mobile and globally connected world, this pathway provides an exciting opportunity for students whose interests lie in education with an international scope. You will consider educational systems and policies, educational purposes, methods and approaches relevant to a shifting global landscape. This pathway offers a well-rounded knowledge of international education and globalisation, including issues and challenges, research-informed policy and practice, and latest developments. You will leave with the knowledge and skills relevant to policy and practice in international education.
• BSc Education (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)) - The SEND pathway is for students interested in exploring core areas of psychology specifically in relation to education, particularly how cognitive processes are used by typical and atypical learners in educational settings. You will explore theories of development and learning, and consider how these might be used to make learning environments more inclusive of learners in schools and other educational settings.

The course is ideally suited for those who wish to:

• begin a career pathway towards Primary or Early Years teaching (e.g. through PGCE Primary);
• begin a career pathway towards professional psychology training routes, with an educational focus (e.g. educational psychology);
• enter into other education-based vocations, with a specialism towards pastoral responsibilities and/or special educational needs;
• enter into a career in Teaching English as a Second Language and/or Non-Government Organisations (NGO) focused on community education or adult learning both in the UK and overseas;
• prepare for a research career within the public sector and/or private industry. 

A key feature of the course is its `Learning through Research' approach, which enables you to develop skills relevant to employment in a range of professions (including teaching but also civil service, third sector, NGOs, and educational psychology). These include:

• the ability to collate and analyse data, information, evidence;
• critical analysis of contemporary global problems in education;
• written and oral communication skills.

In Year 2, this is supported by planning a research project and spending time with a host organisation in an educational setting. This helps build skills to undertake a substantial piece of research in Year 3.

The BSc Education aims overall to offer students a broad-based but thorough education, underpinned by research at the cutting edge of theory and practice. It will equip students to contribute to improvements in the quality of education for students, their families and communities in educational settings throughout the world.  Through the provision of carefully selected specialisms that reflect the research strengths of the Manchester Institute for Education, the BSc Education also aims to develop specialist knowledge, whilst simultaneously developing employability skills targeted at relevant careers.

Teaching sessions will typically include a mixture of formats (e.g. lectures/flipped classroom approach), to present knowledge in a systematic and comprehensible way. This will be accompanied by individual and group tasks to provide further opportunities for the discussion and processing of new knowledge.  

The development of specialist knowledge will further be supported through individual tutorial support and dissertation supervision.

To reflect the variety in teaching methods and the range of knowledge and skills covered in the curriculum, in the majority of course units throughout the three years, knowledge will be assessed through a number of different formats.  For instance, presentations, portfolios, research reports, critical essays, research proposals and a dissertation. Where possible, assessment tasks build explicitly on learning in previous or adjacent course units and provide opportunities to draw on knowledge from a range of units. 

• Read Bethany's blog where she discusses her typical week on the course
• Chat to Bethany and other students about student life

This course is taught by the Manchester Institute of Education (MIE), which has an incredibly strong heritage - education has been a field of study at The University of Manchester since 1890. 

You will benefit from studying within an environment that has a national and international reputation for quality in teaching, scholarship, and research in this field.  

We pride ourselves on close staff-student relationships and guided, one-to-one supervision. 

The Institute promotes equality and diversity, and you will study in an environment that embraces values of cultural diversity and is fundamentally committed to equality of opportunity, regardless of race, disability, religious or other beliefs, sexual orientation, or age.

MIE provides opportunities for progression to taught and research master's degrees, as well as our Ofsted 'Outstanding' Primary PGCE.