Education
Education - with the pursuit and dissemination of knowledge at its heart - is one of the most important and powerful cultural currents of change and growth in the modern world.
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| Duration | Three years |
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| Colleges | The following Colleges admit for only some Education courses: Emmanuel, Queens', Robinson and Trinity Hall. Not available at the following Colleges: Corpus Christi, Girton, King’s, Newnham, Pembroke, Peterhouse, St Catharine’s, Sidney Sussex and Trinity. |
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| 2011 entry | Applications/places: 3 Number admitted: 38 |
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| Open days and events 2012 | Department open day - 6 July, booking required, see the Faculty website College open days (arts) Cambridge Open Days - 5 July, 6 July |
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| Contact details | 01223 767678 ugrad@educ.cam.ac.uk www.educ.cam.ac.uk |
Overview
Education at Cambridge
Education, as a major social science in its own right, explores the intellectual, social and psychological development from birth through to adulthood and the role of literacy, language, cognition and creativity in learning. It examines the historical contexts shaping educational ideas and movements, and the underlying philosophical principles and political beliefs promoting notions of meritocracy, equality, social inclusion, poverty alleviation and human rights.
The Education Tripos is an exciting, inter-disciplinary joint honours degree designed to give you the opportunity to engage in the intensive study of education, while developing knowledge of a particular specialist subject. The balance between education and your specialist subject is maintained throughout the degree, with a wide range of papers to choose from within the Faculty of Education and your specialist subject.
Teaching and resources
The Faculty has excellent facilities, including a library that houses one of the UK's best education collections. You'll be taught by academics who are at the forefront of their fields and who specialise in cutting-edge educational research.
Professional qualification option
The Education Tripos provides excellent preparation for continuing onto a teacher training course. On successful completion of the degree, many students proceed to the Faculty's outstanding PGCE course.
Careers and research
Education students progress to careers in educational research, educational psychology, educational publishing, teaching, and educational policy-making, as well as careers associated with their specialist studies.
Students find employment in a wide range of occupations in the UK and abroad including: the arts, theatre, the media, museum work, educational journalism, the Civil Service, government administration, business/management and international development. The Faculty also offers the opportunity for further academic study at postgraduate level on masters courses, or by entry to the PhD programme.
Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE)
The Faculty of Education offers the one-year PGCE course, with some 215 students training each year to teach in secondary schools and 205 students training to teach in the primary sector. Information on the PGCE and how to apply is available online at: www.educ.cam.ac.uk/pgce/.
Course outline
In Education, you attend four to six lectures or small-group seminars and workshops, and one or two hours of supervision per week.
Depending on your specialist subject, you also attend a similar number of lectures, seminars and supervisions for your specialist subject. In some cases, this may include practicals in laboratories or drama studios, or fieldwork as well.
You're assessed at the end of each year. How this takes place depends on the subject and papers studied, but this may be through coursework (eg dissertations), by practical work (eg drama productions, musical performances, laboratory or fieldwork notebooks) and/or by written examination.
Year 1 (Prelim to Part I)
You take four papers: two in your specialist subject (usually taught by the relevant department) and two in education (taught by the Faculty of Education):
- Introduction to the Disciplines of Education - covering the philosophy, psychology, sociology and history of education
- Language, Communication and Literacy - exploring the social, psychological and material context within which spoken language and literacy are developed
For your final half paper, you have the choice of giving a 15 minute recital, submitting an original composition, or writing an extended essay.
Year 2 (Part I)
In Year 2, you take five papers: two specialist subject papers from a wide choice within each subject, two education papers, and either a further specialist subject paper or another education paper.
In the two compulsory education papers you continue to study the philosophy, psychology, sociology and history of education. If you take your fifth paper in education you study the Modernity, Globalisation and Education paper, which examines the roots of modernity in the Western Enlightenment, its transformations and consequences, its impact on global development and the challenges created for education.
Year 3 (Part II)
Part II is very flexible with choice from a wide range of options. You take five papers:
- The compulsory Research and Investigation in Education paper includes an individual enquiry-based study of an educational issue which leads to a 10,000 word dissertation. The project may involve work in schools depending on the topic chosen.
- You must take a minimum of two further education papers, at least one of which must be an Advanced Discipline in education (in either the philosophy, psychology, sociology or history of education). The other compulsory education paper can be either a second Advanced Discipline or a Special Paper in education. Special Papers on offer vary from year to year but those currently available include: Children and Literature, Educational Inclusion and Diversity, and Creativity and Thinking.
- Your fourth and fifth papers may be taken from any of the education papers (both Advanced Disciplines and Special Papers) or may be taken in your specialist subject.
Entry requirements
Typical offers require
A Level: A*AA
IB: 40-42 points, with 776 or 777 at Higher Level
For other qualifications, see our main Entrance requirements pages.
Course requirements
Essential A Level/IB Higher Level in the subject you want to study with Education
Applicants will be expected to achieve an A grade at A Level (or equivalent) in their chosen area of specialism. It is helpful but not essential for applicants to have additional AS and A Levels in one or more of the social sciences, eg Sociology, Psychology and History.
For Education with Physical Sciences, Christ's, Murray Edwards and Homerton require Mathematics plus one of Physics or Chemistry.
Check College websites for College specific requirements. See also Entrance requirements and our Subject Matters leaflet for additional advice about general requirements for entry, qualifications and offers.
Admissions tests and written work
The table below sets out the ways in which each College assesses applicants for this subject. For more information about these methods of assessment and why we use them, see the main Admissions tests and written work page.
| College | Assessment of applicant for this subject |
|---|---|
| Christ's | School/college essay; Preparatory study/test at interview depending on subject combination |
| Churchill | School/college essays; Preparatory study/test at interview depending on subject combination |
| Clare | Interview only |
| Corpus Christi | Not available at this College |
| Downing | School/college essay and/or preparatory study/test at interview depending on subject combination |
| Emmanuel | Essay set by College; Preparatory reading before interview |
| Fitzwilliam | Interview only |
| Girton | Not available at this College |
| Gonville & Caius | School/college essay |
| Homerton | School/college essays; Preparatory study/test at interview depending on subject combination |
| Hughes Hall | Test at interview |
| Jesus | Preparatory study/test at interview depending on subject combination |
| King's | Not available at this College |
| Lucy Cavendish | Test at interview |
| Magdalene | School/college essay; Preparatory study/test at interview depending on subject combination |
| Murray Edwards | Not available at this College |
| Newnham | Not available at this College |
| Pembroke | Not available at this College |
| Peterhouse | Not available at this College |
| Queens' | School/college essay |
| Robinson | Preparatory study sent to student before interview |
| St Catharine's | Not available at this College |
| St Edmund's | Interview only |
| St John's | Interview only |
| Selwyn | School/college essay and/or preparatory study/test at interview depending on subject combination |
| Sidney Sussex | Not available at this College |
| Trinity | Not available at this College |
| Trinity Hall | School/college essay; Preparatory study at interview (Classics) |
| Wolfson | Preparatory study/test at interview depending on subject combination |
How to apply
If you are interested in applying for this course, please see our Applying section for more details.
Further Resources
Find out more about Education at Cambridge
- Course website - Explore Education in more detail on the course website.
- Course guide - A detailed guide to the Education degree.
- Course introduction - An introduction to the Education degree.
Improve your knowledge of Education
- Preparatory reading - There is no specific guidance on preparatory reading for applicants interested in Education, but you may wish to explore the suggested reading and other guidance for first-year students. The Education Faculty also suggests that you keep up to date with recent educational developments that are in the news, and that you do independent research, reading books and articles on those areas that interest you.
Tools to help you with your Education application
- Application information - Information on the entry requirements for the different subject paths in the Education course.
Education and your future
- A route into teaching - Information on the Education degree as preparation for a career as a teacher.
- Career opportunities - Information about the other career opportunities available to you after studying Education at Cambridge.
- Transferable skills - A guide to the transferable skills you can develop during the course of an Education degree.
The student experience
- Student profiles video - A video of some current students describing their experience of studying Education.