Education

Education, the study of human development and transformation in all its forms and contexts, is one of the most powerful means for change and growth in the modern world.

Whether your interest is in the individual mind, the social and political processes taking place within communities, institutions and global networks, or the cultural encounters that shape ideas, beliefs and imaginations, our course allows you to explore these themes.

This rigorous and rewarding course is interdisciplinary and allows you to develop specialist knowledge in areas such as psychology, international development, literature and theatre. Creativity, contemporary research and a global perspective are key, and the programme has a particular focus on nurturing independent, reflexive inquiry through the development of critical research skills.

As an Education student at Magdalene you join a small band of enthusiastic and committed students, who meet regularly in College and at the Faculty of Education. Individual meetings with the Director of Studies (DoS) happen three times a term, or as the student requests. The Education DoS is keen to ensure that you are appropriately supported in your studies, will review your progress and make sure that the workload is challenging and manageable. Our Magdalene Education students report being very well looked after and they flourish academically!

Education students have benefited, not only from good library provision and College facilities in general, but have also enjoyed College financial support to explore a number of interesting course-related extra-curricular activities, such as visits to schools in South Africa to evaluate intervention programmes.

More details of the course and the optional papers available can be found on the University’s Undergraduate Study pages and the Faculty of Education website.

If you are a person with a wide-ranging set of intellectual interests and a commitment to the importance of education, then the Education Tripos may be ideally suited to you.

Perhaps your own schooling has led you to ask questions about the right way to educate young people. Perhaps you have started to wonder what education is like across the world and how it might be. As long as you wish to consider, both creatively and critically, why, how and about what we educate, then the course is for you.

The Education Tripos attracts students from all different backgrounds and many different parts of the world; there is no 'typical' Education student. Diversity is reflected equally in the Education course structure, where historical and philosophical themes complement the study of contemporary issues and ongoing debates. The course will suit you if you are interested in ideas and are enthusiastic about developing your critical literacy and research skills, such that you might understand how to generate the varieties of evidence used by educational researchers, policy-makers and other professionals.

Above all, we look for people who are excited by the prospect of learning about, thinking deeply about, writing and talking about how we do and should educate world citizens.

Magdalene does not require any specific subjects at A-level, but we do look for a strong and well-rounded academic portfolio, and strongly advise at least one essay-based subject, as well as clearly grounded motives for wishing to study Education.

Minimum Offer 

A-level: A*AA at A-level 

IB: 41-42 points overall, with 7,7,6 in Higher Level.

Other qualifications: Check which other qualifications we accept 

Candidates will normally have one interview of about 40-45 minutes. 

The interview process aims to assess your intellectual ability, potential, and commitment to the subject.

We also usually ask for two samples of written work (such as school essays) to be submitted with the application.

There is no admissions assessment for Education at Magdalene.

More information is available on the Interviews, Written Work and Assessments page.