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Education Studies - Sociology

Course details
  • BA (Hons)
  • 3 Years
  • Full-time
  • 29/09/2025
  • Undergraduate
Course location
Durham City

Course summary

Course details
Are you interested in why people learn in different ways? Do you want to find out more about barriers to learning and how learning supports childhood development? Maybe you’d like to know more about the impact of society and social policy on the education experience. t
The BA Education Studies – Sociology is an ideal qualification if you are fascinated by the learning process from a sociological perspective and want to keep your career options open.
From the philosophical foundations of schooling to the political implications of policy, education is a vast field that has multiple avenues to approach a seemingly straightforward subject. Our degree goes far beyond any classroom and considers education, people and their relationship to the ever-changing world.

Why Durham University?
Embark on an Education degree at Durham and join us in a first-class experience which combines innovative teaching and exceptional support with a learning experience informed by the highest quality research.
Our BA in Primary Education provides the tools and support you need to become an inspiring and outstanding teacher who will make a difference to the lives of pupils, both now and in the future.
Gain all the knowledge, skills and experience you’ll need to become a first-rate primary teacher or choose a multidisciplinary course that takes a broader look at the role of education in society.
We work with a diverse network of schools covering a wide geographical area, and if you choose a teaching qualification you will spend some of your time based in a school developing your professional skills to inspire the next generation.

Rankings
World Top 100 in the QS World University Subject Rankings 2024
1st in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025
4th in The Complete University Guide 2025

Careers Opportunities
Our students graduate with a broad range of transferable skills which open the door to careers across a wide range of sectors in the education sector and beyond.
Our BA in Primary Education offers the opportunity to gain Qualified Teacher Status with most graduates progressing directly into teaching.
Graduates of the BA in Education Studies degrees move into a diverse range of roles including educational research, publishing, education administration, policy making and management as well as roles in the commercial or public sector.

Modules

For current information please scroll to the bottom of the page for Provider Information and select Visit our Course Page under Course Contact Details.

Assessment method

We promote diverse and creative forms of assessment so whilst many modules are assessed by essays, other modules may include portfolios, blogs, presentations or posters.

The 12,000-word dissertation is worth one-third of your final-year marks.

In addition to the help provided by your subject lecturers, you can also access extensive support for your assessments through ASC, the Academic Skills Centre. See below for details: https://www.durham.ac.uk/departments/centres/academic-skills-centre/

How to apply

Apply by
29 January

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Application codes

Course code:
XL33
Institution code:
D86
Campus name:
Durham City
Campus Code:
O

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1

International applicants

Durham has a long and proud history of welcoming students from countries across the globe. For further details please visit: https://www.dur.ac.uk/study/international/

International students who do not meet direct entry requirements for this degree might have the option to complete an International Foundation Year. For further details please visit: https://www.durhamisc.com/programmes/international-foundation-year

Open days

Entry requirements

UCAS Tariff

Not accepted

A level

AAB
Specific subjects excluded for entry: General Studies and Critical Thinking.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DDD

Access to HE Diploma

D: 30 credits M: 15 credits
We require 60 credits with a minimum of 45 credits at level 3 (or equivalent). Applicants may be required to meet additional subject-specific requirements for particular courses at Durham.

Scottish Higher

AAABB
We will normally make offers based on Advanced Highers. If an applicant has not been able to take 3 Advanced Highers, offers may be made with a combination of Advanced Highers and Highers, or on a number of Highers.

Scottish Advanced Higher

AAB

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

36 points
With 665 in higher level subjects.

Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (last awarded Summer 2024)

Not accepted

Extended Project

Not accepted

Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)

H2, H2, H2, H2, H2

Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal

D3, D3, M2

OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma

DDD

T Level

At Durham we welcome applications from students of outstanding achievement and potential from all educational backgrounds.  We will consider applicants studying T level qualifications for entry to many of our courses. Where a course requires subject specific knowledge and this is not covered within the T level being studied, you may need to supplement your T level studies with a suitable qualification to meet this requirement, for example at A level.  Where this is needed this will be clearly stated in our entry requirements. Detailed entry requirements can be found on individual course entries on our courses database https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/.

Whilst many of our applicants exceed our entry requirements, we don’t make offers based only on who has the highest grades. We’ll look at your background, context and personal statement as well as your academic grades when we consider your application. We also make reduced grade contextual offers to many applicants and are sometimes able to accept applicants who narrowly miss their offer conditions.

Find out more about qualification requirements for this course.

English language requirements

Durham University welcomes applications from all students irrespective of background. We encourage the recruitment of academically well-qualified and highly motivated students, who are non-native speakers of English, whose full potential can be realised with a limited amount of English Language training either prior to entry or through pre-sessional and/or in-sessional courses. It is the normal expectation that candidates for admission should be able to demonstrate satisfactory English proficiency before the start of a programme of study, whether via the submission of an appropriate English language qualification or by attendance on an appropriate pre-sessional course. Acceptable evidence and levels required can be viewed by following the link provided.

English language requirements https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/international/entry-requirements/english-language-requirements/

Contextual admissions

Universities and colleges consider more than grades when assessing applications and may make offers based on a range of criteria. Learn more about contextual offers.

Our contextual offer for this programme is A level BBC (or equivalent). To find out if you’re eligible, please visit: https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/how-to-apply/what-happens-to-your-application/contextual-offers/

Learn more on the Durham University website

Historical entry grades data BETA

This section shows the range of grades students (with UK A-Levels or Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diplomas) who received offers were previously accepted with (learn more). It is designed to support your research but does not guarantee whether you will or won't get a place. Admissions teams consider various factors, including interviews, subject requirements, and entrance tests. Check all course entry requirements for eligibility.

Not enough data available

We are unable to show previous accepted grades for this course. This could be because the course is new, it's a postgraduate course, there isn't enough historical data, or the provider has opted out of sharing their entry grades data for this course - learn more.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

LocationFeeYear
Channel Islands£9535Year 1
Republic of Ireland£9535Year 1
EU£26500Year 1
England£9535Year 1
Northern Ireland£9535Year 1
Scotland£9535Year 1
Wales£9535Year 1
International£26500Year 1

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.

Additional fee information

The tuition fees shown for home students are for one complete academic year of full time study and are set according to the academic year of entry. Fees for subsequent years of your course may rise in line with an inflationary uplift as determined by the government.

The tuition fees shown for overseas and EU students are for one complete academic year of full time study and are set according to the academic year of entry. Fees are subject to an annual inflationary increase. In deciding the annual level of increase the University will take into account inflationary pressures on the costs of delivery. Tuition fees will rise annually by up to the higher of 6% or the latest annual percentage increase in the Consumer Prices Index.

There may also be additional course costs for things like books (if you want to purchase them), field trips etc.

Sponsorship information

Durham University offers a range of scholarship opportunities to academically well-qualified and highly motivated students. For further details, including deadlines for application, please visit: https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/scholarships/

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