Education BA Hons | University of Chester

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Course Summary

Do you want to have an impact on the world around you, inspiring critical thinking and challenging inequality? Our BA Education degree course will give you the skills and knowledge to do this, illuminating the transformative power of education. As educational professionals of the future, we realise the significance of widening mindsets and enriching the educational experience. Our passionate tutors will support you in gaining an excellent understanding of the sociology, psychology, and philosophy of education, and how this changes in reaction to national and international developments.

On our course, the study of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) is woven into all three years of your studies, meaning you acquire specialised knowledge and practical skills that will help you to create inclusive learning environments, foster every child's potential, and make a meaningful impact in schools, care settings, and beyond. You will also significantly build on your understanding of political science, sociology, philosophy, history and psychology within the academic study of education.

Our lecturers are research-active in a wide variety of educational topics and bring contemporary insight into the classroom that covers education in its broadest sense. You will explore formal, informal, and non-formal ways of learning across all age groups and build an understanding of both lifelong and life wide study.

If you’re interested in specialising in international education, we have second year modules which are designed to provide you with a global perspective on educational systems, policies, and practices, and will give you the opportunity to study abroad - for a short placement or a full academic year! Through doing this, you will increase your understanding of diverse cultural approaches to teaching and learning, naturally enhance your adaptability and cross-cultural communication skills, and attain invaluable and unique experiential overseas learning.

As well as lectures and seminars, you will also receive personal one-to-one reassurance and support throughout your studies. We deliver our curriculum to smaller class sizes, which means we get to know you personally in what one of our international students has described as our “living classroom”.

We regularly receive feedback from schools and initial teacher education providers saying that our students are well equipped and knowledgeable for progression into teacher training should you wish to choose this career progression route. No matter what area you’re interested in, this course will provide you with skills and experience to progress to a wide range of education-related careers, including both primary and secondary teacher training.

BA Education - A Community of Learning

Why You'll Love it

Highly practical, with placements in all three years of study

Pioneering, offering an additional CELTA qualification in your second year

Future-focused, offering opportunities for further study on PGCEs and MAs

Optional specialist pathway

A specialist pathway is your opportunity to further tailor your studies to become an expert in your chosen field. Our pathway provides you with specific modules and opportunities to enable you to tailor your studies towards areas you are passionate about, through a Psychology specialism. Choose from various modules to align with your interests and career goals.

When applying for this course with a specialist pathway, it is important to search for and submit your application for 'Education BA (Hons)'. Your chosen pathway will be confirmed post-application and this will be the award that you complete your studies with ie. Education with Applied Psychology BA (Hons). If you choose to study this course without a pathway, your award on completion will be Education BA (Hons).

What You'll Study

The Professional Studies Foundation Year route is designed to provide you with the knowledge and skills you will need to be successful at university and whilst on a professional and vocational course.
You will study a range of topics relating to your profession and the environment in which you will eventually work.

Areas of focus include person-centred care, mental health, children’s development, communication in a professional setting, social inequality, and how to apply psychology in the real world.

Teaching and learning is tailored and designed with specific modules that relate to the profession you are preparing to join. You will also be introduced to the professional codes and standards that you must uphold such as, the Nursing and Midwifery Code, Social Work England, College of Policing, and national Safeguarding guidance.

The information listed in this section is an overview of the academic content of the course that will take the form of either core or option modules and should be used as a guide. We review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects. If during a review process, course content is significantly changed, we will contact you to notify you of these changes if you receive an offer from us.

The BA Education course contains core modules at each level of study. On graduating with an honours degree in education, you will be able to demonstrate a critical understanding of the societal and organisational structures and purposes of educational systems, and the possible implications for learners and the learning process.

At Level 4, you are introduced to basic values, concepts and theories relating to education and its history, psychology and sociology.

Level 5 builds upon this understanding by exploring the diversity of learners and the complexities of the education process whilst introducing students to the research process.

At Level 6, you will have acquired a wide range of skills including ethical awareness which will enable them to design and undertake their own research project. You will critically examine and explore the complexity of the interaction between learning and local and global contexts, and the extent to which participants (including learners and teachers) can influence the learning process.

This course is delivered in three terms of ten weeks each. In each term, you will study 40 credits, which will comprise either one or two modules. Scheduled contact hours range between approximately six and ten hours per week depending upon level of study and the complexity of the material being taught. This course is delivered in person. You can expect to take part in lectures, workshops and peer-led seminars.

You should expect to spend an average of 30 – 34 hours per week on independent study which might include following asynchronous learning material, tutorial time with staff, using the University’s library, working with peers and preparing work for assessment.

Teaching will be delivered by experienced academics and practitioners in the subject. This will be supplemented by occasional guest lecturers and speakers.

There will be a broad range of assessment methods so you are exposed to the different types of tasks you might encounter in the workplace. These will include coursework in the form of portfolios, written pieces (both long and short form) and presentations. In some modules, you will encounter digital assessments. We continuously review the assessment methods used in order that they adequately prepare you for graduate level employment.

All teaching is delivered by experienced academics and practitioners, with the fundamental principles of the Chester Future Skills Curriculum at its core - building your subject competence, confidence, and key transferable skills to shape you into a world-ready Chester graduate.

Entry Requirements

104UCAS Points

UCAS Tariff	104 points
GCE A Level	Typical offer – CCC-BCC
BTEC	BTEC Extended Diploma: DMM
International Baccalaureate	26 points
Irish / Scottish Highers	Irish Highers - H3 H3 H3 H4 H4 Scottish Highers - BBBB
Access requirements	Access to HE Diploma, to include 45 credits at level 3, of which 30 must be at Merit or above
T Level	T Level with a Pass grade and C or above in the core
OCR Cambridge Technicals	OCR Extended Diploma: DMM
Extra Information	Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced and A level General Studies will be recognised in our offer. We will also consider a combination of A Levels and BTECs/OCRs. Please note that GCSE grade C/4 or above in English (or equivalent) is required. GCSE grades C/4 or above in Maths and Science are desirable. All successful candidates who receive an offer of a place for this course and choose the University of Chester as their Firm choice will be required to undergo checks with regards to their suitability to practice. A couple of months prior to admission to this course, the University will contact you to request that you complete a self-declaration form detailing any relevant convictions or other information that you believe may have an impact upon your ability to undertake work with children or vulnerable adults. You will also receive instructions on how to complete an online application for a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check through the University as a registered body, there will be a charge for this. Please note that the University does not accept previous DBS checks from other registered bodies or the update service. For details about the cost of the DBS and for further information please visit our DBS web pages.

Students from countries outside the UK are expected to have entry qualifications roughly equivalent to UK A Level for undergraduate study and British Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) for postgraduate study. To help you to interpret these equivalents, please click on your country of residence to see the corresponding entry qualifications, along with information about your local representatives, events, information and contacts.

We accept a wide range of qualifications and consider all applications individually on merit. We may also consider appropriate work experience.

English Language Requirements

IELTS Academic: Undergraduate: 6.0 (minimum 5.5 in each band)
Postgraduate: 6.5 (minimum 5.5 in each band)

For more information on our entry requirements, please visit International Entry Requirements.

72UCAS points

UCAS Tariff	72 points
GCE A level	72 points overall, including grade D in A level
BTEC	BTEC Extended Diploma: MMP
International Baccalaureate	24 points
Irish / Scottish Highers	Irish Highers: H4 H4 H4 H4 H4 Scottish Highers: CCDD
Access requirements	Access to HE Diploma – Pass overall
T Level	T Level: Pass (D or E on the core)
OCR Cambridge Technicals	OCR Extended Diploma: MMP
Extra Information	Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced and A level General Studies will be recognised in our offer. We will also consider a combination of A Levels and BTECs/OCRs. If you are a mature student (21 or over) and have been out of education for a while or do not have experience or qualifications at Level 3 (equivalent to A Levels), then our Foundation Year courses will help you to develop the skills and knowledge you will need to succeed in your chosen degree.

More Extra Information

Please note that GCSE grade C/4 or above in English (or equivalent) is required. GCSE grades C/4 or above in Maths and Science are desirable.

All successful candidates who receive an offer of a place for this course and choose the University of Chester as their Firm choice will be required to undergo checks with regards to their suitability to practice.

A couple of months prior to admission to this course, the University will contact you to request that you complete a self-declaration form detailing any relevant convictions or other information that you believe may have an impact upon your ability to undertake work with children or vulnerable adults. You will also receive instructions on how to complete an online application for a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check through the University as a registered body, there will be a charge for this.

Please note that the University does not accept previous DBS checks from other registered bodies or the update service.

For details about the cost of the DBS and for further information please visit our DBS web pages.

Fees and Funding

£9,535per year for a full-time course (2025/26)

Our full-time undergraduate tuition fees for Home students entering University in 2025/26 are £9,535 a year, or £1,590 per 20-credit module for part-time study.

You can find more information about undergraduate fees on our Fees and Finance pages.

Students from the UK, Isle of Man, Guernsey, Jersey and the Republic of Ireland are treated as Home students for tuition fee purposes.

Students from countries in the European Economic Area and the EU will pay International Tuition Fees.

Students who have been granted Settled Status may be eligible for Home Fee Status and if eligible will be able to apply for Tuition Fee Loans and Maintenance Loans.

Students who have been granted Pre-settled Status may be eligible for Home Fee Status and if eligible will be able to apply for Tuition Fee Loans.

£14,450*per year for a full-time course (2025/26)

The tuition fees for international students studying Undergraduate programmes in 2025/26 are £14,450 per year for a full-time course. This fee is set for each year of study.

The University of Chester offers generous international and merit-based scholarships, providing a significant reduction to the published headline tuition fee. You will automatically be considered for these scholarships when your application is reviewed, and any award given will be stated on your offer letter.

For courses with a Foundation Year, the tuition fees for Year 1 are £10,750 and £14,200 for Years 2-4 in 2025/26.

For more information, go to our International Fees, Scholarship and Finance section.

Irish Nationals living in the UK or ROI are treated as Home students for Tuition Fee Purposes.

In November 2024, as part of the government’s Autumn Budget, it was confirmed that some foundation years from September 2025 will have a fee of £5,760 for the first foundation year of a four-year course. This is mainly for courses in the Humanities, Business, and Social Sciences disciplines. The following three years of these courses will be the standard fee of £9,535 per annum.

	Foundation (First) Year	Second Year onwards per year
Home Students	£5,760 for the first foundation year (2025/26)	£9,535 per year from the second year onwards (2025/26)
International Students *	£10,750 for the first foundation year (2025/26)	£14,450 per year from the second year onwards (2025/26)

* For courses which accept applications from International Students

Your course will involve additional costs not covered by your tuition fees. This may include books, printing, photocopying, educational stationery and related materials, specialist clothing, travel to placements, optional field trips and software. Compulsory field trips are covered by your tuition fees.

If you are living away from home during your time at university, you will need to cover costs such as accommodation, food, travel and bills.

Students often elect to purchase a laptop, where students choose to do so, the cost it likely to be around £800-£1000.

Most software specific to your course is available free to students through agreements we have with the software vendors.

Occasional, optional, field trips may be offered, depending on student demand, these are typically within the UK and where chargeable the cost is likely to be under £100. Students are not required to participate in order to successfully complete the course.

Who you’ll Learn from

Dr Helen Eadon-Sinkinson

Programme Leader

Kelly Bradburne-Tailby

Lecturer

Prof Mark Gant

Head of Modern Languages

Associate Professor Chandrika Devarakonda

Dr Paula Hamilton

Programme Leader, MA Social Justice and Globalisation in Education

Debbie Ravenscroft

Senior Lecturer

Where you'll Study Exton Park, Chester

The location

Modern learning resources and library

Seaborne library, seating and reception area.

Student Services

Fitness facilities

A male student wearing goggles is swimming in the training pool between the red rope lane marker lines.

Chapel, chaplaincy and multi-faith spaces

Accommodation

Catering

Your future Career

Job prospects

Our commitment goes beyond your undergraduate studies. Subject to achieving a 2:1 in your undergraduate degree, you will benefit from a guaranteed interview on one of our postgraduate teacher training courses (PGCEs) and a range of other courses that will allow you to specialise in areas such as special educational needs, leadership and creativity, as well as pursuing research interests.

Embedded at the heart of the course is the emphasis on employability skills, ensuring that you will be equipped to enter a diverse range of careers, both directly from the course as a graduate professional and with further study at postgraduate level.

Education graduates enter a variety of education-related jobs, such as developing careers in training staff in industry, teaching, coaching, therapy, counselling, management, working in museums and galleries, and working in school in a range of support roles, including SEND support and learning mentors, to name but a few. To find out more about the possible career paths following your studies, take a look at the Prospects website.

Progression options

Coaching and Mentoring PGCert: Level 7

Education, Society and Globalisation MA

Educational Leadership MA, PGDip, PGCert

Primary (5-11) PGCE with QTS

Primary School Direct (5-11) PGCE with QTS

Secondary (Lead School Partner Route) PGCE with QTS

Careers service

The University has an award-winning Careers and Employability service which provides a variety of employability-enhancing experiences; through the curriculum, through employer contact, tailored group sessions, individual information, advice and guidance.

Careers and Employability aims to deliver a service which is inclusive, impartial, welcoming, informed and tailored to your personal goals and aspirations, to enable you to develop as an individual and contribute to the business and community in which you will live and work.

We are here to help you plan your future, make the most of your time at University and to enhance your employability. We provide access to part-time jobs, extra-curricular employability-enhancing workshops and offer practical one-to-one help with career planning, including help with CVs, applications and mock interviews. We also deliver group sessions on career planning within each course and we have a wide range of extensive information covering graduate jobs and postgraduate study.

Education BA (Hons)

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