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Education Studies

The Education Studies major and minor is offered by the Sydney School of Education and Social Work.

Education units can be taken as part of a major in the field, or as unit choices for students taking other majors. If you are interested in taking individual education units, check the necessary prerequisites listed in the unit of study table.

About the major and minor

Education is the means by which we learn about the world and our place within it. More than this, educational practices shape how we think and play an active role in determining the forms of knowledge, cultural practices and identities that come to matter in society. Education is a meaning making practice.

Education Studies is not only intended for students enrolled in initial teacher education programs. It offers an opportunity for all students to reflect upon their own experiences of learning, to develop a deeper understanding of how education institutions (eg early childhood centres, schools, universities, cultural and community organisations) function in society in ways that produce difference, inequality opportunity, and transformations.

A major in Education Studies supports you to apply knowledge from diverse fields of study such as Cultural Studies, Gender Studies, Psychology, Sociology, and History to problems in education. It will challenge you to become a more informed, critical and active citizen in a world where there are many competing claims to authority through knowledge. The development of these kinds of citizens is a primary goal of education in democratic societies.

The Education Studies major is a compulsory component for Bachelor of Education courses that commence in 2022 onwards. The Education Studies major is a structured three year program. 

Honours

Honours in Education Studies will be available from 2025.

Honours admission requirements

Admission to Honours is via the Bachelor of Advanced Studies or Bachelor of Arts (Honours) and requires the completion of a major in Education Studies with an average of 70% or above.

Prior to commencing honours, you will need to ensure you have completed all other requirements of the Bachelor of Education, Bachelor of Arts or other bachelor degree, including Open Learning Environment (OLE) units and, where undertaking the Bachelor of Advanced Studies, a second major.

Contacts and further information