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Course contact details
Course Enquiries Team
Email:courseenquiries@bcu.ac.uk
Phone:0121 331 6295
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Education Studies with a Foundation Year
- BA (Hons)
- 4 Years
- Full-time including foundation year
- 09/2026
- Undergraduate
- City South Campus, Edgbaston
Course summary
Are you interested in teaching, education systems, care or research? Our BA (Hons) in Education Studies will allow you to explore all aspects of education, focusing on subject areas of most interest to you, so that you graduate with a range of career options in what you love to do.
Why choose a foundation year course?
The BA (Hons) Education Studies with a Foundation Year course has been specifically designed to support your transition to degree-level study in Education. As a student, you will undertake a foundation year situated at level 3 study, which has been designed as a prelude to your chosen degree course, providing opportunities for you to develop your knowledge, skills and understanding. Your learning journey through your foundation year will provide a secure platform on which you can build throughout your academic career in higher education.
As part of the foundation year, you will explore and develop a number of essential academic, interpersonal and professional skills that will help you succeed in your future degree level studies.
On successful completion of your foundation year, you are guaranteed to progress on to the first year of the BA (Hons) Education Studies degree. If you are interested in progressing on to one of our other Education and Social Work degrees, this will be subject to space available on those courses and on meeting the relevant entry requirements, which may include passing an interview.
What's covered in this course?
At the heart of the course are four key themes:
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A commitment to recognising education as a positive power for social justice, equity, and inclusion.
-
The role of education in an increasingly globalised world.
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The role of technology in education and considering how changes and developments in technology drive changes to education.
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A commitment to developing your employability through building a strong portfolio of academic and professional skills.
Through the course you will use your developing knowledge to build and justify your own educational value system and evaluate how education is influenced by international practices. You will also have experiences of working with educational technology and consider how educational practices can adapt to a changing world.
You will also complete a practical placement during the second year of your degree, giving you first-hand experience of working in the world of education and developing important employability skills as you prepare for your next steps beyond graduation.
We are committed to creating a supportive and challenging learning environment in which you can thrive and develop. You will be provided with lots of opportunities to explore and debate ideas. The course is designed to promote independence so that you become a more confident, autonomous, creative lifelong learner as you go through the course. We will challenge you to not only develop your own areas of interest within education and feel confident to learn about these in a meaningful way, but will also challenge you to discover your full potential while at university.
Ways to study this course
Campuses
- City South Campus, Edgbaston
Study options
- BA (Hons) • Full-time including foundation year • 4 Years
Start dates
- 09/2026
Apply by
14 January
This is the equal consideration deadline. You can still apply after this date, but your application may not receive guaranteed consideration.
Application codes
- Course code:
- X30F
- Institution code:
- B25
- Campus name:
- City South Campus, Edgbaston
- Campus Code:
- E
- Points of Entry:
- Foundation
Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)
Birmingham City University has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.
See why these ratings were awarded
What does this TEF outcome mean?
How to apply
Apply by
14 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:
- X30F
- Institution code:
- B25
- Campus name:
- City South Campus, Edgbaston
- Campus Code:
- E
Points of entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
- Foundation
Entry requirements
Qualification requirements
UCAS Tariff - 80 points
A level - CDD
80 UCAS tariff points from three A Levels.
Grades CDD (or equivalent).
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
80 UCAS tariff points. Diploma accepted with one A Level or equivalent level 3 qualifications. Extended Certificate accepted with two A Levels or equivalent level 3 qualifications.
Access to HE Diploma
Pass with 60 credits, 45 credits at level 3.
Accepted subjects: Education subjects preferred but other subjects also considered.
Scottish Higher
80 UCAS tariff points from three Advanced Highers (DDD) or two Advanced Highers (DD) plus two Highers (DD)
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
80 UCAS tariff points. Diploma accepted with one A Level or equivalent level 3 qualifications. Extended Certificate accepted with two A Levels or equivalent level 3 qualifications.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)
80 UCAS tariff points. Diploma accepted with one A Level or equivalent level 3 qualifications. Extended Certificate accepted with two A Levels or equivalent level 3 qualifications.
Scottish Advanced Higher
80 UCAS tariff points from three Advanced Highers (DDD) or two Advanced Highers (DD) plus two Highers (DD)
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme - 24 points
Obtain a minimum of 24 points overall.
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
Minimum of 80 UCAS tariff points, achieved in five Higher level subjects
GCSE/National 4/National 5
This course does not require evidence of GCSE qualifications.
T Level - Pass (C and above)
Pass overall (C or above on the core). Accepted subjects: Education
Welsh Baccalaureate: 80 UCAS tariff points. Considered with two A Levels or equivalent level 3 qualifications.
OCR Cambridge Technical qualifications: 80 UCAS tariff points.
NCFE CACHE Level 3 qualifications: 80 UCAS tariff points. Accepted subjects: Childcare and Education; Children's Care, Learning and Development; Children and Young People's Workforce; Health and Social Care; Early Years Education and Care.
WJEC Level 3 qualifications: 80 UCAS tariff points. Considered with two A Levels or equivalent level 3 qualification(s).
English language requirements
| Test | Grade | Additional details |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic) | 6 | overall with no less than 5.5 in each band. |
If you do not meet the required IELTS score, you may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English courses. Please note that you must have a Secure English Language Test (SELT) to study on the pre-sessional English course.
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.
Student Outcomes
Operated by the Office for Students
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)
Go onto work and study
The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
| Location | Fee | Year |
|---|---|---|
| England | £5760 | Year 1 |
| Northern Ireland | £5760 | Year 1 |
| Scotland | £5760 | Year 1 |
| Wales | £5760 | Year 1 |
| EU | £18570 | Year 1 |
| International | £18570 | Year 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
Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study, which is a foundation year. If you progress to the degree upon completion of your foundation year, the standard undergraduate tuition fee for 2027/28 will apply. Fees for 2026/27 can be found on the relevant course page, but please note that University reserves the right to increase fees in subsequent years in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament.
The fee for regulated courses in 2027/28 is expected to be £10,050.
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