Education professionals make a difference to the lives of children and young people, inspiring them to learn and developing their knowledge and skills to prepare them for their future.
Our BA (Hons) Education degree invites students to consider education within different learning environments and review education systems across the world.
The study of education provides an insight into how children and young people learn and the ways in which this is shaped and delivered. This degree looks at learning and teaching through four key areas: philosophy, sociology, history, and psychology.
The programme considers the different ways in which education is implemented and understood throughout the UK and globally. The aim of the degree is to support our students to understand and question current and historical education systems, and to consider how these systems align with policy, practice, and social expectations.
Students will have the opportunity to consider education in compulsory schools and in other learning environments not associated with typical classrooms.
BA (Hons) Education at Lincoln aims to incorporate research-based opportunities. Throughout their degree, students are encouraged to undertake small-scale research projects in an area of education, such as learning or teaching approaches, comparisons of global education systems, studies of curricula, or special educational needs.
Subject ranked 2nd in the UK for academic support*
Subject ranked in the top 10 in the UK for overall satisfaction*
Conduct research alongside our expert academic team
Choose from optional modules to suit your preferences
*National Student Survey 2023 (out of 81 ranking institutions)
The first year centres on introductory core modules which focus on learning, teaching, education, and research skills. Students can reflect on the global and local influences on policy and practice, and consider how this has shaped the ways children and young people are able to learn.
A tutorial system operates throughout the three-year course. The first year provides opportunities for you to develop your own personal and academic skills and can provide a sound basis for transition to the second year. The course also includes a series of scheduled meetings with a personal tutor.
In the second and third years, teaching focuses on special educational needs and diversity, research methods in education, and perspectives in education. You are able to choose optional modules to support your own specific interests. These currently include Studies of Childhood; Curriculum: Principles and Purposes; Psychology of Education; and Intermediate Education.
The final year involves the completion of an extended research-based project. This, along with further elective modules, aims to provide opportunities for you to build on your own interests and may be determined by your career aspirations.
Teaching takes place in lectures, seminars and workshops, and in small groups, depending on the level and the topic of study. In addition, staff use the intranet to provide materials to support teaching; course materials are posted to an online virtual learning environment to supplement face-to-face teaching and support onsite and remote study.
This module is designed to provide students with an introduction to education and consider the background to UK and global perspectives on current education policy and provision. It aims to enable students to understand the relationship between education, politics and society, to understand the views of others and to establish a personal view that will inform the choices they make as global citizens.
This module is designed to introduce students to research methods including quantitative and qualitative research methods used in education research, and aims to help students to develop the understanding of what qualitative and quantitative research projects are like. It will provide an overview of the purpose and different approaches that can be used within research in education.
This module is designed to provide students with an insight into what learning is, how this takes place and what strategies or approaches can be used to support learning. It is anticipated that the module will draw on learning across the lifetime, e.g. in early childhood through to adulthood. However, it will also provide focused examples of learning in early years, primary and secondary learning environments in order to support students who are aiming for careers in teaching, other educational roles, psychology or educational research. Students can gain a broad overview of learning theory and considerations.
This module is designed to introduce students to the theories of teaching and the role of the teacher. It will explore theories of teaching and their consequences for lesson planning, preparation and delivery, classroom management and effective learning environments. It will explore the role of the teacher – such as developing relationships with the students, teaching style to meet different needs and abilities, modelling good practice, being innovative, resourceful and purposeful. It will also explore theories and principles of behaviour management, which will include assertive discipline, preventative approaches to disruption; promoting alternative thinking strategies and conflict resolution.
This module is designed to provide students with insight into the diversity that can be observed between learning, concepts of inclusion and approaches to alternative education. The module focuses on teaching and learning in a range of educational environments and through educational research. The module provides the opportunity for students to engage with contemporary research and ideas linked to these key concepts and to explore how policy impacts on provision for different groups of learners.
This module aims to support students to critique and synthesise their knowledge and understanding of education by comparing the approaches of philosophers, historians, sociologists and psychologists. It introduces students to each of these academic disciplines and their contribution to our current understanding of education. The module draws on classical texts, key academic studies and critically compares their influence on our understanding of education in the UK and internationally.
The aim of this module is to support students in preparing for their dissertation in year three. Students have the opportunity to develop their knowledge, understanding and skills in relation to the complex nature, and processes of research in education. Students can plan and develop a realistic project proposal which should enable them to address a research question of their choice within a specific educational context.
This module focuses on curricula for learning in education. It considers the purpose, breadth and design of curriculum structures and models and how these can differ in relation to context and culture. Students can gain an understanding of how the curriculum in England has changed and developed and can describe the subject specific elements within current education provision. This module aims to help students to know, understand and contextualise the core components that make up curricula.
This module teaches students to think about education within the digital society we live in. Key debates and issues will be engaged with and explored, and students will develop an understanding of how digital tools can be used to enhance the learning experience. Students will consider developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning, for example, and the impact that quickly changing technologies have on educational institutions, their leaders, teachers, and students. They will evaluate the use of technological solutions for diverse and inclusive classrooms and understand the implications of digital practices within the education system. They will also be expected to communicate their learning to different audiences, using different mediums (e.g. video).
This optional module is designed to provide students with a deepening understanding of education studies. The module will focus on how education impacts on and is viewed by society. It will consider how social justice, educational policy and representations of education in society can impact on knowledge, understanding and attitudes.
This module is designed to provide students with an insight into the psychology of education and how psychology can be used to support practice in a range of learning environments. The module provides students with an opportunity to engage with cutting edge research and how this impacts on practice. Students can gain an insight into some of the key ideas in psychology and how these influence educational practice.
This optional module focuses on childhood by comparing the theories and perceptions of children. It reflects on developmental aspects including social, cognitive, emotional, environmental, physical and language. It considers the ways in which children are portrayed in the media and the impact this may have on cultural representations of children. The module draws on classical and contemporary texts, academic studies and media such as television programmes and films.
This module is designed to introduce students to major issues shaping education today, and to the conceptual tools needed to understand these in an informed way. Students can gain an understanding of key sites of debate in compulsory and alternative education, and critically examine a range of current debates in areas such as educational systems, policies and reform within the UK and in global context, through multidisciplinary perspectives. This module aims to help students understand and confidently engage with the discursive, social and political contexts of education today.
The dissertation module builds on previous education research modules and facilitates independent research into an area of interest that is central to a student's programme of study. Typically the module will involve a small-scale investigation into a topic agreed between the student and personal tutor, and with the agreement of the personal tutor, students may undertake more theoretical studies as long as they offer an original framing or interpretation of the research problem.
It is designed to develop students understanding of, and skills in applying research methods while building and synthesising knowledge gained in previous modules. Students will be asked to complete a research proposal, and if collecting empirical data, an ethical approval form in the first term.
Using problem-based learning, this module asks students to design and develop a learning artefact based on a real-world brief. Aiming to prepare students for the workplace, design teams will be formed and students will apply their subject knowledge to the development of their learning artefact over the course of the module. They will be expected to work collaboratively, within teams and with their clients, responding to feedback and engaging with evidence throughout. The presentation of final learning artefacts will demonstrate students’ awareness of the role of digital education within the modern world, and, importantly, the ethical implications of the use of digital tools in education and beyond.
This module focuses on the development of state-funded education, primarily in the UK, but with reference to systems of education in other countries. It provides a social history of education and situates it within a broader social history of the public sector. The module draws on archival documents, the media, public policy, academic theory and applied research, and pays particular attention to the role of educators, students and parents in shaping debates around public education.
This module is designed to introduce students to the concept of learning through reflection, where reflection is deliberate, purposeful, and structured. Reflective skills will be linked to theory and practice and will encompass learning, change and development. The module is designed to build on students' critical thinking and critical reflection skills through the close study of educational theory, practice and through the exploration of the educational philosophers, their relevance to modern educational thought and through the development of critical writing skills.
This optional module is designed to provide students with an insight into education from a philosophical perspective. It considers how curricula, teaching and learning are influenced and shaped by the broader views, values and beliefs of what education is and what it is for. Students can engage critically with the fundamental, and enduring questions about education.
This module is designed to provide students with an advanced insight into the psychology of education and how psychology can be used to support practice in a range of learning environments. The module is particularly aimed at those considering a career in teaching and provides students with an opportunity to engage with cutting-edge research and how this impacts on practice. Students will be able to gain an insight into the specifics of psychology and how these influence educational practice.
This optional module is designed to provide students with an insight into the different categories of needs that learners may have in the learning environment. The module focuses on learning, teaching, education related work and educational research, and provides students with an opportunity to engage with cutting-edge research and how this impacts on practice. Students will be able to gain an insight into some of the key ideas in the pedagogy associated with supporting children with Special Educational Needs and Disability.
This module is designed to help students ‘see education sociologically’ by exploring the relationship between education, individuals and social life, and between learning and power. How do schools and other educational institutions influence people’s life chances? How do the state, religion, family and economic systems shape educational values and practices? Who decides how people should be educated, about what, and why? How are social inequalities of class, race, dis/ability, gender and sexuality produced and challenged through educational theory, policy and practice? What is the relationship between educational and social change?
Drawing on historical and contemporary examples in national and international perspective, this module aims to help students ‘map’ theoretical perspectives and research methods in the sociology of education and apply these in their own thinking and practice.
This module considers how to engage with children and families to assess and respond to needs and how to make professional judgements in decisions to safeguard and promote children’s welfare. A further key theme is working in partnership both with children and families and other agencies, considering how, in practice this can best be promoted at different levels and stages of decision-making.
Emphasis will be on current research and developments. This module will be of particular value to students as a preparation for making career choices and to enhance their employability.
† Some courses may offer optional modules. The availability of optional modules may vary from year to year and will be subject to minimum student numbers being achieved. This means that the availability of specific optional modules cannot be guaranteed. Optional module selection may also be affected by staff availability.
We want you to have all the information you need to make an informed decision on where and what you want to study. In addition to the information provided on this course page, our What You Need to Know page offers explanations on key topics including programme validation/revalidation, additional costs, and contact hours.
The aims of module assessments are to provide a measure of the development and attainment of course outcomes, including the attainment of high-level intellectual skills such as critical analysis and evaluation.
Accordingly, the methods of assessment varies across the three levels of the course, and can include essays, course work, portfolios, presentations, reports and data analyses. Assessments at levels one and two focus on the acquisition and understanding of knowledge and skills. In contrast, the level three assessments place far greater emphasis on the ability to apply, analyse, and evaluate knowledge.
Students will be encouraged, through the study of various modules, to consider education from a global perspective. Whilst formal placements are not currently included in the BA (Hons) Education course, we do encourage students to consider the possibilities of taking part in the Lincoln Award: http://lincolnsu.com/lincolnaward.
The College’s Work Opportunities Hub, which looks to identify suitable placements for students, can help those seeking to enhance their studies with work experience.
You may have the opportunity to undertake self-funded study trips abroad, such as to the Czech Republic and Malaysia, to consider education systems globally. These opportunities have been developed through partnerships with universities in Olomouc, Czech Republic and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. Please note, you'll be responsible for your accommodation, travel, and general living costs.
I love studying Education at the University of Lincoln, because the modules are so interesting and engaging. They give you plenty of insight into what you can expect in different learning environments if you decide to go into teaching. The lecturers are always on hand to offer support where I need it.
Emma Marum
BA (Hons) Education
Applicants should demonstrate an interest in education in general. We'd like to hear your thoughts about the education system and why you're interested in studying this subject at undergraduate level.
This course aims to incorporate research-based opportunities; and as a result,you'll be encouraged to undertake small-scale research projects in an area of education such as learning or teaching approaches, comparisons of global education systems, studies of curricula, or special educational needs. The course has been designed to provide you with a strong base for postgraduate study and beyond.
Graduates of this course would be well-placed to move into further study in the form of a PGCE primary teacher training course. Please note, to qualify to teach students in secondary education you would need to complete the first degree in a curriculum subject, i.e. English, Physics, History, etc. prior to completing the PGCE secondary qualification.
Graduates also go on to become education specialists in a number of workplaces that provide school trips for children, from museums to outdoor pursuit centres. Others choose to travel and teach English abroad.
96 to 104 UCAS Tariff points.
This must be achieved from a minimum of 2 A Levels or equivalent Level 3 qualifications. For example:
A Level: CCC to BCC
BTEC Extended Diploma: Distinction Merit Merit
T Level: Merit Overall
Access to Higher Education Diploma: 96 to 104 UCAS points to be achieved from 45 Level 3 credits.
International Baccalaureate: 28 points overall.
GCSE's: Minimum of three at grade 4 or above, which must include English and Maths . Equivalent Level 2 qualifications may be considered.
The University accepts a wide range of qualifications as the basis for entry and do accept a combination of qualifications which may include A Levels, BTECs, Extended Project Qualification (EPQ).
We may also consider applicants with extensive and relevant work experience and will give special individual consideration to those who do not meet the standard entry qualifications.
Non UK Qualifications:
If you have studied outside of the UK, and are unsure whether your qualification meets the above requirements, please visit our country pages
https://www.lincoln.ac.uk/studywithus/internationalstudents/entryrequirementsandyourcountry/ for information on equivalent qualifications.
EU and Overseas students will be required to demonstrate English language proficiency equivalent to IELTS 6.0 overall, with a minimum of 5.5 in each element. For information regarding other English language qualifications we accept, please visit the English Requirements page
If you do not meet the above IELTS requirements, you may be able to take part in one of our Pre-sessional English and Academic Study Skills courses.
If you would like further information about entry requirements, or would like to discuss whether the qualifications you are currently studying are acceptable, please contact the Admissions team on 01522 886097, or email admissions@lincoln.ac.uk
Going to university is a life-changing step and it's important to understand the costs involved and the funding options available before you start. A full breakdown of the fees associated with this programme can be found on our course fees pages.
For eligible undergraduate students going to university for the first time, scholarships and bursaries are available to help cover costs. To help support students from outside of the UK, we are also delighted to offer a number of international scholarships which range from £1,000 up to the value of 50 per cent of tuition fees. For full details and information about eligibility, visit our scholarships and bursaries pages.
The best way to find out what it is really like to live and learn at Lincoln is to visit us in person. We offer a range of opportunities across the year to help you to get a real feel for what it might be like to study here.
