Education

Education as an academic discipline asks some of the most fundamental questions about society: what purposes does education serve, how does learning happen, who has access to good education, and how do schooling systems reflect and reproduce broader social inequalities? It draws on philosophy, sociology, psychology, and history to examine how educational institutions, practices, and policies shape human development and opportunity, and it engages critically with debates about curriculum, assessment, inclusion, and the relationship between education and the economy, democracy, and social justice.

At Cardiff University, this three-year full-time programme is taught in one of Wales's leading universities, in a context where education policy is shaped by the Welsh Government rather than Westminster, providing a distinctive and valuable comparative perspective on how different political systems approach educational provision. You will engage with sociological and philosophical theories of education, the history of schooling in Wales and beyond, the psychology of learning and development, educational policy and its effects, and contemporary debates about curriculum, assessment, and inequality. Cardiff's strong tradition in the social sciences and humanities means the programme benefits from a research-active faculty who bring current thinking directly into their teaching.

Graduates from Education at Cardiff go on to careers in teaching, educational research, school leadership, education policy, youth and community work, social work, further and higher education, and roles in educational publishing, curriculum development, and inspection. Those who want to teach in schools typically go on to complete a PGCE or other initial teacher training qualification after their degree. Others use the analytical and critical skills the degree develops to work in policy, research, or the public sector more broadly.

Some continue to postgraduate study in education, educational psychology, or related social sciences.