Education Degree
In studying an Education Degree you have many options, our Education Degrees allow you to combine Education with another subject in three ways:
- Joint Honours: 50% Education and 50% another subject
- Major Degrees: 66% Education and 33% another subject
- Minor Degrees: 33% Education and 66% another subject
Such combinations also provide you with varied and interesting schemes of study. Further, as we draw upon methods of study which are found in the humanities and the social sciences, the Education modules complement many of those of the partner subjects in the Education degree scheme. If the partner subject in your Education Degree is a school subject, this allows you to consider teaching as a career opportunity.
Course structure
Education Degree - Year 1
The modules in the first year of Aberystwyth's Education degrees lay the foundations for themes of study which are developed in the second and third years. Policies and Issues in Education (compulsory) introduces basic concepts relating to the planning of curricula and school systems. Child Development (compulsory) and Young Children Learning (compulsory) begin the study of the cognitive and social development of children and adolescents.
Education Degree - Years 2 and 3
In the second year of your Education Degree, the core Psychology of Learning and Thinking module continues your study of cognitive development. The second year also sees the introduction of new themes in: Literacy in Young Children; Cultural Diversity in Education and Health and Education.
In the final year of the Education degree scheme, the core module Critically Reflecting and Evaluating Learning and Skills considers methods of assessment in Education. The study of policy and curriculum-related issues is undertaken in Making Sense of the Curriculum. Linguistic and sociolinguistic matters can be further studied in Bilingual Education, First Language Acquisition, and Language and Gender. The study of science in education can be continued with Communicating Science. The opportunity for more independent study is provided by a module, Major Dissertation.
Click here to see the available combinations of Education with another subject
Methods of Study
The main teaching methods are formal lectures, seminars, and workshops. Lectures introduce you to the issues and reading material which are relevant to the topics of a module. They are variously illustrated and supported with interactive whiteboards, handouts, videos, and computer packages. The seminars and workshops allow you to explore the content of the lectures through discussion, presentations and practical investigation. They may also involve group work which encourages the development of skills of team-work.
Assessment
The course utilises two main modes of assessment: end-of-semester written examinations and continuous assessment. The latter variously involves essays and projects. However, some modules will also include other methods of assessment, including poster and oral presentations.
These modes call for different skills of preparation and presentation. They cater for the different abilities of students and also encourage the strengthening of any weaknesses.
Facilities
The School of Education and Lifelong Learning enjoys a magnificent location in the Old College on the seafront in the town. The Old College library stocks books and periodicals which are relevant to the degree scheme, and computers are also provided for word-processing, bibliographic searches, and programming.
Career Opportunities related to you Education degree
Graduates who have a degree in Education have the opportunity to seek employment in teaching, either as administrators or professional teachers. If the latter is contemplated, graduates can apply to undertake a fourth year in the School of Education and Lifelong Learning to study and train for a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). We advise prospective students who are thinking of a career in teaching to ensure that their degree involves a subject which is found on the school curriculum.
In addition, a BA or BSc joint honours degree demonstrates a level of intellectual achievement which also allows students to compete for a variety of employment opportunities, such as social work, journalism, and the civil service.
95% of Aberystwyth first degree Education graduates entered employment/study six months after graduation.
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