PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION
Bachelor of Education/Bachelor of Arts in Education Top Up Route
Awarding body: University College London
Teaching institution: University College London Institute of Education
Name of the final award:
Bachelor of Education (Honours) / Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Education
Programme title:
Bachelor of Education (Honours) degree / Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Education
Top Up Route
UCAS/admission code:
X301
Criteria for admission to the programme:
The Bachelor of Education (Honours) degree Top Up Route is open to
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students with an IOE Foundation Degree in Working with Children: Education
and Well-Being degree.
those with a similar (240 credit) Foundation Degree from other institutions.
those with another 240 credit, Level 5 qualification in a cognate area (at the
discretion of the programme leader)
Admission to the programme is determined by the following:
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completion of application form
completion of personal statement
satisfactory references
The Institute of Education is committed to admitting and supporting participants with
disabilities and welcomes applications from them. Participants do not need to be
“registered disabled” to draw on these services, though in order to provide services
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in the long-term we will need to ask for medical or other evidence, as appropriate.
Student Disability Services can also support people who have a temporary mobility /
dexterity impairment / other difficulty as a result of an accident, injury, illness or
surgery.
We aim to treat every person as an individual, with needs which may differ from
those of other people with a superficially similar disability. We do not therefore have
standard procedures for participants with dyslexia, nor standard procedures for
visually impaired participants: each person's needs are considered individually.
Aims of the programme:
The aims of the programme are to:
 encourage students to interrogate educational processes in a variety of
contexts
 show students how to use resources – theoretical ideas and writing, research
studies, policy and practice documents – along with their own practical
experience, to consider further and critically analyse educational processes
and contexts
 encourage students to engage with fundamental questions concerning the
aims and values of education and its relationship to society
 enable students to appreciate the diversity of educational theory, and how it
can be variously applied to policy and practice
 develop in students a broad and balanced understanding and knowledge of
educational processes and contexts
 provide students with a thorough grounding in selected specialist areas of
educational studies
 develop the ability of students to construct and sustain reasoned arguments,
written as well as oral, in a clear and coherent manner
 promote students’ intellectual independence and critical engagement with
evidence
 provide the initiation of students into the key principles and procedures of
educational research
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 build on and further extend students’ professional expertise
Relevant subject benchmark statements and other external and internal
reference points used to inform programme outcomes
The programme meets national standards for entry to accredited Qualified Teacher
Status courses. Holders of a BEd (Hons)/BA (Hons) degree are accepted on MA
courses at the Institute of Education.
Programme outcomes: knowledge and understanding; skills and other attributes
By the end of the programme, students should have the following knowledge,
intellectual and professional skills, capacities and values.
Knowledge, understanding and critical appreciation of:
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values, principles and discourses relevant to the study of education
the diversity of learners and the complexities of the education process
the complex interactions between learning, teaching, subject-knowledge and
contexts
the societal purposes and organisational structures of educational systems
key facts, interpretations and theories relating to the study of education,
including some specific understandings and arguments advanced by leading
scholars in the field
The intellectual skills and capacities to:
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select a range of relevant primary and secondary sources, including
theoretical and research-based evidence, to extend students’ knowledge and
understanding
analyse critically educational concepts, theories and issues of policy in a
systematic way
evaluate viewpoints discerningly and construct critical arguments and
syntheses
accommodate intellectually new principles and understandings and move
towards a personal intellectual stance which draws on this knowledge and
understanding
locate, interpret and critically contextualise educational research
begin to conduct some basic forms of educational research
retrieve information and conduct specialist searches of library catalogues,
electronic databases and Web-based materials
The professional skills and capacities to:
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apply theory to practice and practice to theory and negotiate disjunctions
between them with some success
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construct and communicate a considered justification of professional practice
to other stakeholders
make informed judgements about educational policies, proposals and
developments at various levels
suggest ways forward and possible changes in practice
conceive and undertake aspects of their own practice in a research spirit
Values to enable:
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a critical and self-critical clarification and development of their own values and
attitudes in relation to education
a habit of seeking out and appraising the value judgements and assumptions
embodied in educational practices, proposals and theories
an appreciation of scholarly enquiry and research in education
an appreciation of inter-professional, intercultural and international exchanges
in education
an enhanced concern for education and for teaching and learning
Transferable skills:
The skills identified above are transferable to many educational contexts beyond
students’ present classrooms, schools and other professional contexts. In addition,
students will:
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be able to organise, articulate and communicate opinions and arguments in
speech and writing, using relevant specialist vocabulary
be able to process and synthesise empirical evidence and theoretical
considerations
be competent users of ICT in their study and other appropriate situations
be able to interpret graphical and tabular presentations of data and to collect,
use and interpret numerical data as appropriate
be able to work and plan collaboratively
be able to articulate and manage their own learning strategies and organise
an effective work pattern, including working to deadlines
Teaching, learning and assessment strategies to enable outcomes to be
achieved and demonstrated
The following teaching/learning/assessing components are used:
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lectures (often interactive, sometimes shared)
tutor-led seminars
small group work
student presentations
reading groups
reflections on video extracts
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tutorial workshops,
research preparation workshops;
inputs from librarians
attendance at academic literacy workshops and IT training courses as needed
opportunities to attend special Institute of Education events
examination
essays
critical review of academic paper
assessed presentation
Most weekly sessions will contain a mixture of the first three components. All offer
important learning opportunities.
Formative assessment strategies are regarded as particularly significant for learning.
They include commenting on, and annotation of, students’ writing. Feedback is given
on ‘practice’ essays and presentations, as well as drafts of essays submitted for
‘summative’ (or final) assessment.
Programme structures and requirements, levels, modules, credits and awards
Each module is worth 30 credits. Students need to complete 120 credits. Together
with the 240 credits accruing from the Foundation Degree, the BEd (Hons)/BA
(Hons) is awarded to those holding 360 credits.
BEd (Hons) /BA (Hons) in Education:
Ethics and Research in Education (BBEEDU_10) (compulsory)
30 credits
Education, Values and Society (BBEEDU_10) (compulsory)
30 credits
The Enquiring Practitioner (BBEEDU_19) (compulsory)
Special and Inclusive Education (BBEEDU_16) (optional)
30 credits
Teaching & Learning in Classrooms (BBEEDU_07) (optional)
30 credits
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Mode of study
This programme can be studied full-time or part-time. Either mode requires face-toface attendance: Full-time for one whole day per week over one academic year;
Part-time for one half-day per week over four terms. The remaining time is spent in
the school (or other location) where the student already works.
Language of study
The UCL Institute of Education teaches and assesses students in English.
Competence in English language is required of all applicants. Programme
regulations may indicate the level of competence required of each applicant and may
make its achievement a condition of admission
Date at which the programme specification was written or revised. Initials of
author.
July 2015
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