Course summary

Overview Combining Education Studies and Sociology allows you to engage with urgent and key issues facing contemporary society, with a particular focus on matters of social division, inequality, and identity in the context of education. You’ll examine contemporary sociological perspectives and research, acquiring knowledge that will enhance your understanding of education in the 21st century. The joint honours course encourages the pursuit of independent thought and ideas alongside discussion and collaborative working, allowing you to learn from your peers as well as specialist staff. Students graduate with skills applicable to educational and sociological fields, and also the wider job market. Key features

• Excellent support from your tutors to help you develop your subject knowledge and study skills

• Very strong links with teacher training courses and providers of employment in other sectors of education

• Opportunities to gain credit for work experience and/or mentoring in educational settings

• Opportunities to acquire research, communication and other skills that are highly valued by employers and to develop your capacity for analysis and critical thinking

• Worcester rose to become the number one English university (excluding specialist institutions) for sustained employment, further study, or both, three and five years after graduation in the 2022 Government-published Longitudinal Educational Outcomes survey, having been in the top 10 in 2020 and 2021. 96% of our graduates are in work or further study 15 months after graduating (Graduate Outcomes Survey 2022).

• In May 2023, the University received arguably the best Ofsted report of any teacher training provider in the 21st Century. The University’s primary and secondary programmes were rated ‘Outstanding’. The report opens: “Trainees benefit from an exceptional learning experience at the University of Worcester. This experience instils in them a deep-rooted commitment to making a difference to the lives of the children in the communities they serve.”

• The University of Worcester has been ranked in the top 5 in the UK for Quality Education in the Times Higher Education’s University Impact Rankings every year since its inception in 2019. The University has also been ranked in the top 5 in the UK for Gender Equality in all years of the rankings and currently holds the number one spot (2023).

• Worcester is a leader in sustainability and has been awarded First Class Honours in the People and Planet Green League each and every year since 2009. In 2019, the University was named Sustainability Institution of the Year in the Green Gown Awards and was Highly Commended in the global awards at the UN.