Education with a Foundation Year

Education is a fast-growing area of study that draws on the disciplines of psychology, philosophy, history and the social sciences focusing on understanding how people learn and how structures of education operate to foster life-long learning and personal development.

The Foundation Year gives you an exciting introduction to Higher Education, setting you up with the skills, confidence, and knowledge that you’ll need to be successful on your undergraduate degree. It’s ideal if you need a little more support after Further Education or are returning to education after a gap.

Our Education degree provides an ideal route into careers such as Primary and secondary school teaching, early years teaching, education administration, community development work, education publishing and also Postgraduate study.

You will need an additional Initial Teacher Education (ITE) or Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) qualification to become a teacher.

Education at Swansea is ranked:

• Top 15 in the UK for Research Quality (Complete University Guide 2025)

During your Foundation Year, you will learn the key skills you’ll need to make your degree a success while developing knowledge of your subject area and how it relates to the humanities and social sciences.

Education with a Foundation Year at Swansea is a flexible degree offering a wide-range of specialist modules that allow you to tailor your future career goals while developing your individual interests.

You will have the opportunity to undertake work placements in organisations such as schools, local authorities, businesses and charities to enhance your student experience and your career prospects.

In your Foundation Year, you will take a selection of modules that will provide you with key study skills, subject knowledge, and awareness of the importance of the humanities and social sciences. You’ll then progress to your degree.

In Year 0, you will typically study areas including
• Critical reflection and Problem Solving
• Introduction to Being Human
• Academic Writing and Skills Development

In Year 1, you will typically study areas including:

• What is Teaching and Learning
• Philosophy and Theory in Education
• Child Development
• Education and Society

In Year 2, you will typically study areas including:

• Research Methods in Education and early childhood studies
• Additional Learning Needs
• Protecting and Promoting Wellbeing in Education
• Curriculum Theory and Debates

Your final year will include a compulsory independent research based dissertation project.

For the full programme structure and module breakdown, please visit our course page at https://www.swansea.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/social-sciences/education-childhood-studies/ba-education-foundation-year/ or get in touch with us at study@swansea.ac.uk "

"Throughout your undergraduate Education with a Foundation Year BA (Hons) degree, you will develop excellent research and analytical skills and learn to present your ideas effectively both verbally and in writing.

We offer a range of assessment methods, including:

• Essays and written reports
• Presentations (poster and oral)
• Reflective and video blogs
• Group work
• Research proposals
• Examinations

Students complete an independent research-based dissertation in the final year, developing the knowledge and skills to become a research-effective educationalist.

Examinations form a small component of the degree.

For a full breakdown of course structure and assessment please visit our course page https://www.swansea.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/social-sciences/education-childhood-studies/ba-education-foundation-year/ or get in touch with us at study@swansea.ac.uk "