Education, Culture and Society MA, PGDip, PGCert

Through critical thinking, students on this master’s degree will explore the relationship between learning environments and wider societal and cultural influences. The programme takes a broad approach to education including informal and formal education settings: including schools, early years and children and young people’s settings.

• This interdisciplinary course provides students with opportunities to critically engage with current education debates
• Enhances students’ understanding of social science and education theory and make critical links to practice
• The programme provides excellent preparation for doctoral level study as you gain the opportunity to follow your research interests and design and conduct an education research project
• Provides excellent tutorial and supervisory support from expert scholars in the field

Why study Education, Culture and Society?

You'll have the opportunity to study in a stimulating research-informed environment, taught by lecturers who are experts in their field.

The course is broad in its theoretical scope. Drawing on cross-cultural and global perspectives, you will have the opportunity, in theory and in practice, to critically reflect on your own working practices.

The Education, Culture and Society degree has been specially designed for professionals working in education-related fields, for example: teachers; youth workers; those working in the public sector with families and children; and non-government organisations in both UK and abroad.

The programme is equally suitable for those who wish to dedicate time to either changing the focus of their career, or who are considering a career in academia.

With both full and part-time modes of study, the programme is suitable to those who wish to complete the course in one year and those who wish to combine studying with work over two years.

Teaching and assessment

The teaching on this taught master's is carried out via lectures and seminars supplemented by individual tutorials and additional study days (for example, during half-term, and/or on one Saturday per semester).

These teaching methods provide opportunities for informal student presentations, critical reflection, discussion and formative feedback.

Assessment is by coursework and individual oral presentations.

Career opportunities

This course will be of interest to those currently teaching in a school or college (ranging from Early Years through to Further Education), but will be interesting to those currently working with, or intending to work with, children and young people in non-formal educational settings such as Children's Services, Youth Work and NGOs. Students will also achieve exit awards PgDip and PgCert.

It will appeal to a broad range of professionals seeking to develop new skills and insights in order to develop their professional practice, and is an excellent qualification for enhancing your career potential.

It also provides excellent preparation for doctoral level study.

Students are expected to have at least a second class (2:2) honours degree from a recognised UK/overseas University. The degree should have an Education or Social Science (e.g. sociology, education studies, psychology) component to ensure some working knowledge of the field.