Key information
- Duration:
- 3 years full time
- Typical A-level offer:
- BBB-BBC
View full entry requirements - UCAS code:
- X121
- Start date:
- September 2025
- 1st in the UK for our research impact in Education in REF 2021 (Times Higher Education)
- 8th in the UK for Education
If you want to influence education practice in diverse settings across people's lives, or plan education policy, this degree is for you.
You’ll study the broad spectrum of education, including formal and informal contexts, from schools to universities and from community to refugee and arts education.
You’ll gain the skills to support education from early years to older age by studying topics including:
- curriculum, learning, culture and society
- support for neurodivergent learners
- inclusion, equalities and identities
- education, democracy, social justice and global sustainability
- digital education in the age of Artificial Intelligence.
Our interdisciplinary approach incorporates history, politics and philosophy, through to sociology, psychology and policy. You will also take electives from other subjects, from philosophy to law and modern languages, to open your mind to other disciplines and tailor your degree to your interests.
You’ll also learn from our experts’ diverse international education research specialisms, from the role of education in conflict zones to learning in prisons, and children’s literacy to how sustainability is taught across the world. You’ll get to study education in the area that interests you, from infant schools to arts, museums and refugee education.
We understand that deciding where and what to study is a very important decision. We鈥檒l make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the courses, services and facilities described in this prospectus. However, if we need to make material changes, for example due to government or regulatory requirements, or unanticipated staff changes, we鈥檒l let you know as soon as possible.
Course content
This is a single-honours course, allowing you to focus in depth on your core subject.
Find out about our types of undergraduate degrees, their structure, modules and credits
Your degree
You’ll be encouraged to address philosophical and political questions about education globally, including questioning your own education. You’ll develop your teamwork, communication and problem-solving skills in collaboration with your tutor and peers.
Teaching
Teaching methods typically include seminars with teacher and student presentations, group work, discussion and interactive activities.
100%: Seminar
Assessment
Assessment methods typically include coursework with a wide range of creative and authentic assessments.
100%: Coursework
Contact hours and workload
This year of study includes approximately 1,200 hours of work. This breaks down into about 165 hours of contact time and about 1,035 hours of independent study.
Engage and actively participate throughout your studies to get the most out of your course.
Your modules
Core modules
Core modules are taken by all students on the course. They give you a solid grounding in your chosen subject and prepare you to explore the topics that interest you most.
Autumn teaching
- History, Purpose and Power of Education Globally
- Human Flourishing: Educating the Whole Child
Spring teaching
- Education across the Life Course
- Inclusive Practices: Integrating Pedagogy into Real-World Education
Explore modules from other subjects as part of your course
At Sussex, you can choose to customise your course to build the sort of degree that will give you the knowledge, skills and experience that could take you in any direction you choose.
As part of this degree, you explore subjects that are different to your course through electives and pathways that complement your main subject. Exploring different disciplines in four electives across Years 1 and 2 helps enrich your learning experience.
We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2025/26. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum. We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.
We’ll do our best to provide as much optional choice as we can, but timetabling constraints mean it may not be possible to take some module combinations. The structure of a small number of courses means that the order of modules or the streams you choose may determine whether modules are core or optional. This means that your core modules or options may differ from what’s shown here.
Check back in January 2025 for more module details.
Your degree
In addition to your teaching, you’ll develop employability skills by going on a placement in an educational context (40-60 hours) in the area that interests you most – from infant schools to the arts and museums, to refugee, peace-building or community education contexts.
Teaching
Teaching methods typically include seminars with teacher and student presentations, group work, discussion and interactive activities.
100%: Seminar
Assessment
Assessment methods typically include coursework with a wide range of creative and authentic assessments.
100%: Coursework
Contact hours and workload
This year of study includes approximately 1,200 hours of work. This breaks down into about 157 hours of contact time and about 1,043 hours of independent study.
Engage and actively participate throughout your studies to get the most out of your course.
Your modules
Core modules
Core modules are taken by all students on the course. They give you a solid grounding in your chosen subject and prepare you to explore the topics that interest you most.
Autumn teaching
- Education and Global Citizenship
- Education, Democracy and Social Justice
Spring teaching
- Becoming a Researcher
- Engaging in an Education Environment
Explore modules from other subjects as part of your course
At Sussex, you can choose to customise your course to build the sort of degree that will give you the knowledge, skills and experience that could take you in any direction you choose.
As part of this degree, you explore subjects that are different to your course through electives and pathways that complement your main subject. Exploring different disciplines in four electives across Years 1 and 2 helps enrich your learning experience.
We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2025/26. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum. We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.
We’ll do our best to provide as much optional choice as we can, but timetabling constraints mean it may not be possible to take some module combinations. The structure of a small number of courses means that the order of modules or the streams you choose may determine whether modules are core or optional. This means that your core modules or options may differ from what’s shown here.
Check back in January 2025 for more module details.
Study abroad (optional)
Apply to study abroad – you’ll develop an international perspective and gain an edge when it comes to your career.
If your application to study abroad is successful, you’ll have to meet the academic requirements at Sussex and also at the partner university. Find out more about studying abroad as a Sussex student
Placement (optional)
To help you gain experience and increase your employability, you can apply for an optional placement as part of your course. You’ll be responsible for applying for and securing your placement. Our dedicated careers team can provide you with information and advice. If you’re successful in obtaining a placement, this will form part of your course.
Find out more about placements and internships
Please note that if you鈥檙e receiving 鈥 or applying for 鈥 USA federal Direct Loan funds, you can鈥檛 transfer to the version of your course with an optional study abroad period in any country or optional placement in the USA if the number of credits for the placement/internship exceeds 25% of the total credits for your course. Find out more about American Student Loans and Federal Student Aid
Your degree
You’ll gain the confidence to work independently. You’ll conduct a research project, collect and analyse your data, and write up your final dissertation. Your research project could, for example, be linked to your placement in Year 2, researching an area that your partner organisation and you believe needs greater understanding.
Teaching
Teaching methods typically include seminars with teacher and student presentations, group work, discussion and interactive activities.
100%: Seminar
Assessment
Assessment methods typically include coursework with a wide range of creative and authentic assessments.
100%: Coursework
Contact hours and workload
This year of study includes approximately 1,200 hours of work. This breaks down into about 166 hours of contact time and about 1,034 hours of independent study.
Engage and actively participate throughout your studies to get the most out of your course.
Your modules
Core modules
Core modules are taken by all students on the course. They give you a solid grounding in your chosen subject and prepare you to explore the topics that interest you most.
Autumn teaching
- Digital Education in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
- Global Literacies and Multilingualism
- Research-Minded Project
Spring teaching
- Interprofessional Perspectives on Education: Inequalities, Poverty and Disadvantage
- Reimagining Education in an Uncertain Age of Change
- Research-Minded Project
We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2025/26. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum. We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.
We’ll do our best to provide as much optional choice as we can, but timetabling constraints mean it may not be possible to take some module combinations. The structure of a small number of courses means that the order of modules or the streams you choose may determine whether modules are core or optional. This means that your core modules or options may differ from what’s shown here.
Check back in January 2025 for more module details.
Silver
The student experience and student outcomes are typically very high quality.
This rating was awarded in 2023, for four years.
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Find out more about our approach to teaching and supporting you to thrive
Our staff
Education affects everything we do. This degree will help you re-think the importance, place and processes of education. You will explore its different dimensions, including formal and informal learning and local and global contexts.”Professor Simon Thompson
Head of the School of Education and Social Work
Prof Tamsin Hinton-Smith
Professor of Sociology of Gender and Education
Prof Julia Sutherland
Professor of Education, Literacy and Language
Careers
This course will prepare you for careers relating to the broad field of education. This could be anywhere from early years to adult education, and in the UK or globally.
You’ll gain skills and expertise for education-related careers, including:
- educational research
- local government and policy
- community learning and adult education
- arts or environmental education
- education welfare
- education-related work in charity organisations or NGOs, including adult refugee education.
On graduating, some students may choose to enhance their specialist knowledge, progressing to an Education MA, International Education and Development MA or Psychology MSc. Other students may want to train as teachers through a PGCE course.
Working while you study
Our Careers and Entrepreneurship team can help you find part-time work while you study. Find out more about career development and part-time work
Design your future at Sussex
Taking the next step in your career can feel daunting, but we鈥檒l help you to explore, connect and flourish throughout your studies and beyond.
As a Sussex student, you鈥檒l learn how to tackle real-world challenges and have access to tailored programmes of careers support:
- our Career Lab helps you to explore your options, build key skills and connect with employers. Take part in internships, community consultancy projects and insight visits, where you can learn about life at organisations including Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club, Gatwick Airport and the Knepp Rewilding Project
- one-to-one coaching with your Faculty Careers Consultant can enable you to identify your career goals, write an effective CV and prepare for future interviews
- entrepreneurship initiatives like StartUp Sussex and Ideas Lab can empower you to turn your concepts into reality.
Explore how our Careers and Entrepreneurship team can support you
Winner
Supporting Student and Graduate Employability Award
Winner
Entrepreneurship Catalyst Award
A-level - contextual offer
BCC
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma and one A-level - contextual offer
Grade C in A-level and Distinction, Merit in Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate and two A-levels - contextual offer
Grades BC in A-levels and Merit in BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (formerly BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma) - contextual offer
DMM
T Level - contextual offer
Merit overall with a grade B in Core Component