Education Studies & Art and Design

BA (Hons) Education Studies & Art and Design

Education Studies
Education Studies is an innovative, exciting and challenging subject that looks at education from sociological, psychological, cultural, historical and political perspectives. You will critically debate education policy and practice to get beneath the skin of the ever-changing face of modern education.

This flexible strand of the course offers a wide range of contemporary core and optional modules, so you can choose the modules you study to suit your individual career plans and interests. Apart from work placements, a typical week usually involves three days on campus. Dynamic, research-informed teaching is delivered by enthusiastic, knowledgeable and experienced tutors. We use a wide range of teaching styles, including lectures, interactive seminars, workshops and tutorials.

Placements
We believe that you can't study Education out of context and so we make sure that you have plenty of time in schools or, if you want, other educational settings.

Currently this is about 15 weeks over your whole course, 12 of these in Education Studies. Crucially, this means that you have the experience you need to help you make up your mind about what you want to do when you graduate. You can choose from placements in primary or secondary schools as well as colleges and a wide variety of other educational organisations currently including outdoor pursuit centres, heritage sites, centres for learning disabled adults and art galleries.

Modules
We offer a wide choice of modules in Education Studies. Each year there are some 'core' modules that everyone studies, including:

• Learning and development, including the psychology of learning and teaching;
• Effective classroom practice;
• Ideologies in education;
• Education beyond the classroom;
• Inclusive education and diversity;
• The curriculum.

In your second and third year you can begin to tailor your course according to your interests by choosing from our popular portfolio of optional modules. Current optional Education modules include:

• Education and the media;
• Disaffection, Society and Education;
• Gender;
• Sustainability;
• Gifted and talented education;
• Children's spirituality.

Art and Design
The study of Art and Design is carefully integrated with your work in Education Studies. Many of the ideas and theories you encounter in Education Studies can be brought to bear on your Art and Design Studies. For example, there are fifteen work-placement days undertaken as part of your time in Art and Design. Most of your time, however, is, of course, spent extending your knowledge and experience of the subject. In Art and Design, we think you should experience intellectual excitement and enjoyment, knowledge and skills relevant to your chosen career and as much freedom as possible to explore your personal interests.

Alongside your Art and Design course, you also have the opportunity to choose options from other disciplines. Art and Design students may be particularly interested in modules from Drama, Music or English but you can choose from any of our other subjects, such as Geography, History, Maths, Religious Education, Science or Sport. This can be especially useful if you are thinking about primary education.

Current core Art and Design modules include:

• An introduction to Art and Design Projects and Practices;
• Art and Design in Education;
• Contemporary Practice: Projects;
• Learning in Art and Design;
• Contemporary Issues in Art and Design Education;
• Art and design: Contemporary Practice.

In the third year you complete a research study on any aspect of Art and Design that interests you. This can be directly linked with your final major project Art and Design: Contemporary Practice.

Current optional Art and Design modules include:

• Drawing in Art and Design;
• Art and Design: Materials and Processes;
• Drawing Projects;
• Specialist Studio Practice.

Placements
There are fifteen work-placement days undertaken as part of your time in Art and Design. Work placements throughout your course provide you with

• Practical experience of working with young people;
• Opportunities to help you decide what you want to do in the future;
• Beg to develop teaching skills;
• Carry out action based research.

Assessment
Your first year is important. We know that you will need time to settle in to University and build up your academic skills and so, although you have to pass all of your first year modules to progress to the second year, your first year work doesn't count towards your degree. Regular assessment and formative feedback are used throughout the degree including seminar group discussion, individual tutorial, digital presentations and individual projects as well as portfolio and exhibition. At the end of the third year there is the opportunity for you to exhibit in the joint End of Year Show.

Entry Requirements
You will normally need a minimum of:

• five GCSEs at grade C or above (or equivalent) including English Language and Mathematics.
• A Science GCSE at grade C or above (or equivalent) is preferred. However, if you later apply for a Primary PGCE/GTP route at BG, grade C or above is required at the time of application.

PLUS, one of the following:

• the equivalent of two A-levels/A2s, one of which should be at least a C (80 points) in an Art and Design subject and the other at least a C (80 points);
• an Access course with a suitable Art and Design content;
• an Art and Design A level/A2 at grade C (80 points) in an Art and Design Subject (Unendorsed, Fine Art, Graphic Design, Textiles and Fashion, 3d Design, Critical and Contextual Studies, Photography) plus another A level/A2 at grade C (80 points) or 2AS levels/A1s each at grade C (40 points) (not General Studies);
• A National Diploma in Art and Design (Fine Art, 3D Design, Design crafts, Textiles/Fashion, Multimedia, Photography, Graphic Design at grade(MPP)) (UCAS 160 points);
• A Foundation Diploma in Art and Design at Pass level (165 UCAS points);
• alternative qualifications;

Plus

• a portfolio of current studies to be shown at interview.

We welcome students who have completed an Access course with relevant subject content.

In addition all students will need a successful Enhanced Disclosure from the Criminal Records Bureau and to register with the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA). This is arranged by the University College.

Students will be legally required to register with the Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS) which is administered by the ISA. The ISA has recently been established as a single agency to monitor all individuals who want to work or volunteer with vulnerable people. Following successful registration you will be issued with an ISA Registration Number which will stay with you for the rest of your career. We will send you further instructions on registering with the VBS as part of the admissions process.

Please note that the University College is committed to widening access and participation and we adhere to a strict policy of non-discrimination.