BA (Hons) in Education Top-up

*Apply now for September 2025.

This qualification is awarded by The University of Staffordshire. 

*Daytime and evening classes are available. 

The BA (Hons) Education course has been designed and developed as a final ‘top-up’ year progression route for work-based students who have completed a Foundation Degree in Education.

If you are a member of support staff such as a teaching assistant or a volunteer in an educational setting and are engaged in work with children and young people, then this course could be for you. The aim of the course is to deepen your professional understanding and knowledge through academic study as a reflective practitioner. Attendance is four hours per week from September to July.

Educators working with older and professional learners may also wish to consider our BA Top-Up Post-Compulsory Education and Training Course: Education (with Post-Compulsory Education and Training). 
On successful completion of study, we will issue the following award: BA (Hons) Education. 

Entry requirements
The course has been designed for those with an appropriate Foundation Degree in Education or similar. Applications will be considered from students with at least 240 credits, of which a minimum of 120 must be at Level 5 from a relevant course.

Careers
You will be provided with opportunities to prepare you for employment.

Our graduates work in a range of careers in educational settings, children’s centres, care and family support, educational administration and management, play work and learning support. Many enter teaching through PGCE, Schools Direct, Schools Direct salaried and School-Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) routes.

Others have progressed to postgraduate study, such as Early Years Teacher, and Masters programmes.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching
We know that our students learn in different ways. To help everyone get the most out of their studies, we teach through a combination of lectures, workshops, and practical sessions. In addition, you will have timetabled meetings with your personal tutor (or equivalent) at least twice a year to help support you in your studies. You will be taught in high-quality learning spaces throughout your course, and of course will have access to virtual learning environments to enhance your learning opportunities. Many of our courses are accredited or recognised by professional, statutory or regulatory bodies.

Assessment
Your course will provide you with opportunities to test your understanding of your subject informally before you complete the formal assessments that count towards your final mark. Each module will give you a variety of opportunities to receive informal feedback from your tutor. These may include classroom discussions, discussions in the virtual learning environment, presentations, milestone assessments, and practice assessments. Informal feedback is developmental and any grades you may receive for these do not count towards your module mark. There is a formal or ‘summative’ assessment at the end of each module. This includes a range of coursework assessments, such as essays, reports, portfolios, performance, presentations, final year, independent project and written examinations. The grades from formal assessments count towards your module mark.

Feedback
You will normally receive feedback on formal coursework assessments within 20 working days following the date of submission. Examination feedback may take a variety of formats, including one-to-one discussions with your tutor. However, as a minimum, generic feedback will be made available to all students who take written examinations.
 
 
Fees
UK and Channel Island students: This tuition fee is agreed subject to UK government policy and parliamentary regulation. If the UK government passes appropriate legislation, the fee for subsequent years of study may increase in each academic year. But this increase will not exceed the rate of inflation as measured by RPIX**. Any change in fees will apply to both new and continuing students. The University will notify students of any change as early as possible. Further information about fee changes would be posted on the University’s website once this becomes available.

**RPIX is a measure of inflation equivalent to all the items in the Retail Price Index (RPI) excluding mortgage interest payments.