BA (Hons) Education Studies Bachelor's degree at the University of Reading
BA (Hons) Education Studies at University of Reading. The university.
About this course
BA (Hons) Education Studies is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at the University of Reading. It runs 3 years, studied full-time.
For Education and teaching graduates from this provider, 100% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 65% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £30,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Education & Teaching, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Moderate evidence Published sample: 40; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2022-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 100% (2021-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 80% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Year 1 6 modules
- Creative Learning Through the ArtsCompulsory
Module details
Explore the role of arts and creativity with in education and society. You'll consider the role of the teacher in arts education and creative learning and will partake in art, drama and creative writing projects.
- Education for InclusionCompulsory
Module details
Gain awareness of contexts and perspectives on learners with additional needs and those from diverse groups. You'll develop key skills in inclusive practice and its application to educational contexts.
- Psychology and Theories of LearningCompulsory
Module details
Discover educational theories and see how each is applied in the classroom, across age groups. You'll consider various approaches including early childhood learning, learning through play and learner identity.
- Sociology, Education and Social JusticeCompulsory
Module details
Consider social organisation and structures that impact individual opportunities and outcomes in education. You'll explore social class, gender, ethnicity, intersectionality and contemporary issues in social justice.
- Exploring Educational PracticeCompulsory
Module details
Explore key aspects of teaching and learning, culminating in the development of a learning activity. You'll develop a strong grounding in what it is to be an educator as well as an appreciation of the broad application of education in different contexts.
- Key Debates in EducationCompulsory
Module details
Gain an introduction to essential philosophical, social, cultural, and political discussions in education. Explore key issues, controversies, and debates surrounding education and learning while developing the skills to engage in and contribute effectively to these discussions.
Year 2 6 modules
- Contextualising Creative Learning through the ArtsCompulsory
Module details
Learn creatively through the arts and critique the ethics involved. You'll analyse creativity within specific contexts and examine the theory, knowledge and skills involved in the design, delivery and evaluation of projects.
- Constructions of Childhood and YouthCompulsory
Module details
Research psychology, sociology and policy on childhood and youth. By challenging assumptions about childhood and youth, you'll develop a critical understanding of policy and practice.
- Becoming an EducatorCompulsory
Module details
Develop key skills in teamwork, communication, and reflective practice while exploring staff support and learner engagement. You'll arrange a placement in an educational institution to gain hands-on experience and deepen your understanding of becoming an educator.
- Researching Education PracticeCompulsory
Module details
Drawing on insights from your placement, you will identify research topics of interest. Through interactive sessions, you will explore key aspects of research, including methods, methodologies, ethics, critical thinking, and proposal development, to shape your project ideas.
- Learning Gender: exploring the links between gender, education and societyOptional
Module details
Examine links between gender, education and society that impact individual opportunities and outcomes. Topics include constructions of femininity, feminist standpoint theory and performing gender.
- Global Perspectives in Education and SustainabilityOptional
Module details
Explore debates in education and sustainability globally, focusing on key theoretical questions and major contemporary issues. Examining the impact of globalisation in relation to national and transnational educational initiatives and policies.
Year 3 6 modules
- Examining Educational PolicyCompulsory
Module details
Strengthen your understanding of the UK's post-war public policy, which includes education. Using critical thinking, you'll explore the political, historical, societal and philosophical debates around education in society.
- Changing Education: An Educational Project for Social JusticeCompulsory
Module details
You'll investigate specific areas of education, thereby locating your own professional interests and skills. The department will provide you with support for a project, which will be critiqued with formative feedback.
- Dissertation in Educational StudiesCompulsory
Module details
Draw upon your own experiences and interests to select an area for further investigation within educational studies. To construct your dissertation, you'll collect data, review literature and give a presentation on your research.
- Growing Up Human: Early Childhood Development and Educational FuturesOptional
Module details
Discover early childhood development from the perspective of education systems that prioritise mind over body, reason over affect, work over play and competition over collaboration. Through interactive sessions, you'll explore an alternative model for education that lays the foundation for human flourishing.
- Deafness and Blindness in EducationOptional
Module details
Understand the types and causes of blindness and deafness in general, reflecting on the underlying challenges. By reflecting on these challenges, you'll consider different educational pedagogies for supporting those with a sensory impairment.
- Development of Transferable Skills Through a School PlacementOptional
Module details
Observe creative teaching and learning, gaining knowledge of secondary schooling and developing your transferable skills. Through a two week school placement, you'll build an understanding of what a career in teaching might look like.
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
You'll study how children learn, how schooling is organised, and how to support learners effectively across diverse needs. A course like this typically moves from foundations, child development and how schools work, through practical teaching placements from Year 1 onwards. In your second year, you'll focus on curriculum, pedagogy and inclusive practice, with sustained classroom experience. Year 3 brings specialist options, such as early years, primary teaching, SEND & inclusion, education policy, or QTS routes leading to qualified teacher status. Throughout, you'll develop professional judgement through observation, supported teaching, and assessment against national standards.
Who it's for
This course suits those interested in understanding educational systems, policy, and practice. You'll explore how education shapes individuals and society across different contexts. Most accepted students held A-levels or equivalent qualifications; the typical UCAS tariff among entrants was 80–95 points. Check the university's funding pages for bursaries and scholarships.
Careers & job market
Across Education & Teaching courses nationally, 90% of graduates are in work or further study within 15 months of graduating, with 70% in highly skilled work or further study. Starting salaries range from £22,000 to £30,000 nationally; after five years, graduates earn between £21,250 and £30,000. These are national figures based on Graduate Outcomes and LEO data, not university-specific guarantees. Retention is strong: 85% of students continue past their first year.
University & format
The BA (Hons) Education Studies is a 3-year full-time degree at the University of Reading, a university founded in 1892. Teaching is delivered in English. The award is nationally recognised as a UK degree. The university holds Silver status for teaching quality from the Office for Students' TEF 2023.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
- 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
- 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.
Show 5 later dates
- 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens
Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.
- 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers
Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.
- 2027 entryClearing opens
Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.
- 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
Provider-published requirement; check the linked course page before applying.
The provider publishes contextual-offer information. Eligibility and any reduced offer are applicant-specific.
See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.
Entry & how to get in
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
UCAS tariff of entrants
Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 80% |
| a foundation course | 10% |
| another higher-education qualification | 5% |
| an Access course | 5% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Accepted students came in with a broad spread of qualifications and UCAS points. If you're worried about grades, this course has historically taken a wide range, and contextual offers may apply.
Will you get in? Plot your grades
Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course (code X300). One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Provider fee page (England 2026/27 cap where not stated).
Check fees at University of Reading →For students who normally live in England
2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.
Starting on or after 1 January 2027?
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.
Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
- Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
- Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.
National funding for this subject
- Teacher-training bursaries: Postgraduate bursaries and scholarships are available for selected shortage subjects. Official guidance
We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Careers & earnings
What Education & Teaching graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £30,000 | £29,000 – £31,500 | 40 |
| 3 years after | £26,500 | £20,500 – £28,000 | 185 |
| 5 years after | £31,000 | £22,500 – £35,000 | 180 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 40; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2022-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in education & teaching · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
- 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Education & Teaching nationally
National figures for Education & Teaching graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2021-23. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 40; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2022-23. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Education & Teaching courses at the same study level.
Compared with 515 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Teaching ProfessionalsSOC 2020 231 · 25% of published destinations · ASHE median £42,660
- Teaching and Childcare Support OccupationDiscover Uni category · 15% of published destinations
- Welfare and housing associate professionalsSOC 2020 322 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £27,937
- Sales occupationsSOC 2020 71 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £15,975
- Managers, directors and senior officialsSOC 2020 1 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £51,733
- Artistic, literary and media occupationsSOC 2020 341 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £33,824
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 30; response rate: 60%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Job market & outlook
How Education & Teaching graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Routine information gathering
- First-draft writing and summaries
- Standard analysis and admin
- Repetitive processing tasks
More human than ever
- Judgement and original thinking
- Working with and leading people
- Owning and sense-checking AI output
- Ethics and accountability
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Education & Teaching graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Schools & academy trusts
- Local authorities
- Education charities
- Tutoring providers
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Education & Teaching graduates.
Education SEN MentorMacIntyreEducation Recruitment ConsultantAcademicsEducation Delivery Consultant - Fast Paced, Dynamic Organisation - WorcestershireAP EducationEducation Trustee - Lead Youth Careers & Outdoor LearningRacing to SchoolEducation Recruitment Consultant - Build Futures & Earn UncappedProtocol EducationEducation Recruitment Consultant: Grow Your Desk & ImpactEducation AssetsIs this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years.
Where graduates go
100% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £30,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Your entry chances
Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 9.3 out of 10: NSS 99% · in work or study 100% · continued 80%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
The University of Reading
Education and teaching across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around University of Reading
1,062 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is Education & Teaching right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to University of Reading from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is £26,850 / year for this course (from the provider’s fee page). You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check University of Reading’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with University of Reading and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at University of Reading
Common questions
How competitive is entry?
What are the entry requirements?
What do graduates go on to do?
What will it cost me?
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