Studying education is just what it sounds like, the study of education itself. Education aims to explain educational outcomes - why people learn in the way they do when living in different contexts such as in families, schools, neighbourhoods and society. Thereby, it takes into account the role of learning intentions, epistemological beliefs, cultural contexts, the role of language and signs, the nature of academic and vocational disciplines and how the memory works. As such, it is a very complex and demanding subject. In turn, this study programme aims to improve education, based on the assessment of past and current research.
Most university level education courses include essential definitions, theories and methods of educational science and their scientific application.
The majority of courses will combine theory and practice and will include at least one internship in an institution or organisation. By discussing different educational concepts, students acquire reflexive orientation, knowledge and action competences. They learn to recognise, name and examine their own stereotypes critically and use this reflection to broaden their perspectives or change their attitudes. Theory draws from a wide range of disciplines like history, sociology and psychology and will look at themes like young people’s development, the history and philosophy of education, understanding young people, the learning environment and child behaviour. Educational training involves looking at your professional and academic development. Educational strategies focus on developing communication skills, looking at future career aspirations, and leadership and teamwork. The later stages of education courses will usually require students to focus on a certain field, target group or concept of education and to gain practical experience in an educational field putting their learning into practice in a real-world environment. After completing an undergraduate degree, some students may wish to pursue a postgraduate degree.
There are various job opportunities for you after studying education! You can start working as an education officer at a museum, gallery, sports club or organisation or working with people as part of a charity or government scheme. There is also the option to do a PhD and work in research or to do an internship and work in youth services. Your degree enables you to become a human resources manager in social service institutions. In many countries, you might also branch out to social work or school teaching.
If you’re considering pursuing a degree in education, then let us help you find the best university for you. U-Multirank’s ‘For students’ track offers personalised university comparisons, so you can find the university that best matches you. U-Multirank’s subject rankings provide the feedback of more than 100,000 current students studying at the respective universities, offering a unique student perspective to the rankings via our Teaching & Learning dimension. Create your own personalised rankings today, and compare universities according to what matters most to you. To start, make sure to select education as your subject of interest and we’ll help guide you through the rest.