Education/Geography

Education in BA/BSc - Combined Award

Education Studies is one of the fastest growing subjects in universities today. The subject at Bath Spa was one of the first to be developed and is now nationally recognised for its exciting and innovative approach to Education. We are one of the largest providers in Education in the country with other 600 students and so we can offer a very wide choice of study. The study of Education at Bath Spa has a high quality rating from the Quality Assurance Agency.

You can take Education in the Combined Awards Degree alongside a second subject of your choice and you can take it as a major, joint or minor award depending on your interests.

Career Opportunities

Education Studies itself is not a teacher training course, but it will prepare you very well for entry to a PGCE teacher training programme, either primary or secondary. It helps you with knowledge of the curriculum, schools and teaching and education policy. It will also give you a broad and critical analysis of the education system and how it works. All this is good for future teachers and you will be better informed with a background in education.

Alternatively, if you don't want to be a teacher, studying education will prepare you for one of the many alternative careers in education. Many companies and organisations now want people who know about education, schools and universities and offer posts such as, education officer, education adviser, educational researcher. There are also many opportunities for posts in various kinds of training which do not require qualified teacher status.

In addition, studying education will give you a range of skills which will equip you for a wide range of careers. You will be able to organise and manage groups, work in professional situations and negotiate and liaise with people, present information in written and oral form, analyse situations and handle data.

The University College offers a Masters Degree in Education Studies and you may be interested in applying for that course at the end of your undergraduate studies.

Geography - Combined Awards

Focus of the course

Geography is an exciting and diverse discipline that spans investigation of both the physical and human environment. Our degree programme begins by giving you a solid introduction to its core concepts and techniques through compulsory 1st year modules, but even at this stage you may begin to focus, if you wish, on either aspects of physical or human geography. From the 2nd year onwards, in two-thirds of your studies, you are able to specialise on those aspects of geography that you find most interesting, the remaining time involves research methods training, a foreign field course, an independent research project, and professional and academic development.

Interesting aspects of the course

Geography is about the world around us. Tutors at Bath Spa University College are committed to field work as an integral part of your learning and wider experience. Nearly every Geography module has a field trip associated with it, from day trips to local sites of interest, to week-long foreign residential courses to places such as Brittany (France), Boston (USA) and Naples (Italy). We are also committed to the use of IT in Geography, such as the use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and Global Positioning Systems (GPS), on which you will be instructed from the 1st year onwards. You could even apply to stay on and do our PGCE Geography with IT course, if you were interested in going on to teach.

Career prospects

Geographers possess a unique range of skills, knowledge and experience that make them suitable for a wide range of vocations. They can use IT and apply it to real world situations; for example, many businesses use postcode data and require geographers to process, analyse and communicate this information. Government offices, such as planning departments, require graduates that have knowledge of social and natural processes and how people and the environment interact. The Environment Agency and environmental consultants are also destinations for geography graduates, as are NGO's and conservation organisations. Teaching is another exciting avenue that geographers may pursue. Doing a degree in Geography is a bit like buying gold rather than stocks and shares, as it is a qualification that will hold its career value throughout your lifetime.

Opportunities for further study

Many geographers are hooked on the subject by the time they graduate, and many go on to undertake further study, either to extend their interest and/or to better the breadth of employment opportunities. You may want to do a taught course such as a PGCert, PGDip or Masters, or sign up for a research degree such as an MPhil or PhD and write a doctoral thesis. If you want to become a teacher then you will need to do a PGCE. There are many possibilities, but at Bath Spa University College we currently offer research degrees (MPhil and PhD) and PGCE Geography with IT.

Objectives

Subject aims

The strength Bath Spa's provision in Education is the breadth of the study which is offered. We believe that education is a powerful force for change in the world and our approach is a global one. We look at learning and development in individuals, schools and classrooms, but we also examine the big issues: What is education for? How can it make a better world? How can it enhance human rights? Does education relate to the economy?

When you have studied Education you will understand how the education system works and the politics of education; who takes decisions about the curriculum and what we learn. You will have a grasp of the social context of education and how poverty affects children's opportunities to learn and the effects of gender, race and ethnicity.

If you are interested in the development of young children, there is a strong Early Years team and you can choose Early Years modules.

Education is about learning and knowledge and you can study the nature of knowledge in the curriculum and how it is learned at different ages and in different situations.

Education is for the future and you can study alternative futures for education and for the world: how can education help us to have a sustainable future on the planet.

Teachers are the key to all this and you get the chance to study the work of teachers and children's learning in placements in educational settings.