Education Studies - Sociology at Durham University - UCAS

Course summary

Are you interested in why people learn in different ways? Do you want to find out more about barriers to learning and how learning supports childhood development? Maybe you’d like to know more about the impact of society and social policy on the education experience. The BA Education Studies – Sociology is an ideal qualification if you are fascinated by the learning process from a sociological perspective and want to keep your career options open. From the philosophical foundations of schooling to the political implications of policy, education is a vast field that has multiple avenues to approach a seemingly straightforward subject. Our degree goes far beyond any classroom and considers education, people and their relationship to the ever-changing world. The curriculum draws on research carried out in the Department to keep the course content relevant and up to date. The breadth of modules allows you to create your own pathway through the course. As well as the sociology pathway, we offer pathways in psychology and geography, or you can choose to focus purely on education studies This BA will prepare you for a career in many different areas, both in the education sector and further afield. It can provide the first step towards a career as a teacher or researcher, and supports roles in publishing, policy making, the voluntary and public sectors, as well as many more.

Modules

Year 1 Core modules: Historical and Philosophical Ideas of Education will introduce you to some of the major educational theorists and the foundational ideas informing education practice today. This will help you to develop a personal perspective on the longstanding debate about the purpose and value of education. Contemporary Issues and Evidence in Education examines a range of contemporary issues in education and the nature and scope of the supporting evidence. With a range of guest speakers from across the Department you will gain a grounding in a variety of issues at stake. Societies in Transition is the study of contemporary societies and aspects of social life and change, focusing on local communities, families and relationships, economies and consumerism, and patterns relating to health, social class, gender race/ethnicity and religion. Classical Sociological Theory introduces sociological concepts and theorising, using individual thinkers and particular topics to illustrate changing understandings of the relationship between structure and agency in sociological thinking, both across time and in relation to current debates. In recent years, optional modules have included: Disability and Educational Needs: What’s so ‘Special’ about SEND? International and Comparative Education Foundations of Psychology in Education

Assessment method

We promote diverse and creative forms of assessment so whilst many modules are assessed by essays, other modules may include portfolios, blogs, presentations or posters. The 12,000-word dissertation is worth one-third of your final-year marks.


How to apply

Application codes

Course code:
XL33
Institution code:
D86
Campus name:
Durham City
Campus code:
O

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1

International applicants

Durham has a long and proud history of welcoming students from countries across the globe.https://www.dur.ac.uk/study/international/

Entry requirements

Qualification requirements

Whilst many of our applicants exceed our entry requirements, we don’t make offers based only on who has the highest grades. We’ll look at your background, context and personal statement as well as your academic grades when we consider your application. We also make reduced grade contextual offers to many applicants and are sometimes able to accept applicants who narrowly miss their offer conditions.

Please click the following link to find out more about qualification requirements for this course

https://www.dur.ac.uk/study/ug/apply/entry/


English language requirements

Durham University welcomes applications from all students irrespective of background. We encourage the recruitment of academically well-qualified and highly motivated students, who are non-native speakers of English, whose full potential can be realised with a limited amount of English Language training either prior to entry or through pre-sessional and/or in-sessional courses. It is the normal expectation that candidates for admission should be able to demonstrate satisfactory English proficiency before the start of a programme of study, whether via the submission of an appropriate English language qualification or by attendance on an appropriate pre-sessional course. Acceptable evidence and levels required can be viewed by following the link provided.

English language requirements

https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/international/entry-requirements/english-language-requirements/


Student Outcomes

Operated by the Office for Students
70%
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)
90%
Go onto work and study

The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

Republic of Ireland £9250 Year 1
Channel Islands £9250 Year 1
EU £24750* Year 1
England £9250 Year 1
Northern Ireland £9250 Year 1
Scotland £9250 Year 1
Wales £9250 Year 1
International £24750* Year 1

*This is a provisional fee and subject to change.

Additional fee information

The tuition fees for 2025/26 academic year have not yet been finalised, they will be displayed here once approved. The tuition fees shown for home students are for one complete academic year of full-time study and are set according to the academic year of entry. Fees for subsequent years of your course may rise in line with an inflationary uplift as determined by the government. The tuition fees shown for overseas and EU students are for one complete academic year of full-time study, are set according to the academic year of entry, and remain the same throughout the duration of the programme for that cohort (unless otherwise stated).

Sponsorship information

We're committed to supporting the best students irrespective of financial circumstances. https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/scholarships/

Education Studies - Sociology at Durham University - UCAS