Education Studies
Education studies is a discipline that goes well beyond preparation for teaching, exploring education as a social institution, a field of policy, a site of cultural reproduction and a domain of philosophical inquiry. It asks fundamental questions about what education is for, who it serves, how it shapes identity and opportunity, and how power operates within educational systems. These are questions with urgent contemporary relevance as debates about curriculum, assessment, inclusion, technology and social mobility continue to evolve.
At Middlesex University, this three-year programme invites you to explore how education defines our world, as the university puts it, going far beyond teaching to develop skills applicable in any educational setting. You will study the history, sociology, philosophy and psychology of education, examining how schooling systems have developed, how they reflect and reproduce social inequalities, how different theoretical frameworks understand the purposes of education and how policy shapes practice at every level from the classroom to the national curriculum. Placement experience is a priority in the programme, giving you direct contact with educational settings and the professional context that academic study needs to come alive.
Education studies develops critical thinking, the ability to engage with complex social questions, strong written communication and an understanding of how institutions work and change. These capabilities are relevant across a wide range of professional contexts.
Graduates go on to work in educational settings as teaching assistants, learning support workers, youth workers, community educators and programme managers, as well as in policy, research, publishing, journalism, the civil service, the voluntary sector and international development. Those who want to qualify as teachers will typically need to complete a PGCE or School Direct route after graduating. Further study in education, social policy, psychology or related disciplines is also a common route.