Education
Award
BA (Hons)
Duration & study mode
4 years full-time
School
Education & Social Sciences
Location
Ayr
Additional information
Ucas code
X100
Course starting dates
-
Ayr: September
If you’ve got a calling to teach, UWS’s BA Education will help you establish a career as a primary school teacher.
This degree is designed to equip you with the skills to work effectively within a primary school setting and will provide you with a broad-based education in contemporary subjects.
UWS’s BA Education also offers the flexibility of combining your studies in education with a specialism. It provides valuable opportunities for school placement throughout each year of study, giving you the hands-on experience needed to complement your academic studies.
Alannah studies on our BA (Hons) Education programme at Ayr campus.
“I found Ayr campus really open and enjoyable, and the student accommodation very welcoming. I got to meet a variety of people from different courses and I was able to make friends from all different backgrounds.”
Alannah found her place at UWS - find yours!
School placement opportunities are embedded in each year of the programme, which will provide you with the hands-on experience to complement your academic studies.
You’ll spend 30 weeks of the programme on placement. You will also have the opportunity to undertake a placement in an additional support needs school.
We will provide opportunities to undertake additional voluntary placements in Additional Support Needs schools across Scotland. We currently have 26 partner schools across seven local authorities.
You can undertake optional short and medium-term placements in various countries, including France, Spain and Norway.
Students who have undertaken languages modules within the programme will be offered opportunities to gain academic credit in partner institutions as part of the Year 3 programme. One term would be spent abroad.
From early years to adult education, students gain rich experience from our innovative courses and graduate with unrivalled career prospects.
Our students gain vital skills and practical experience through work placements, preparing them for successful careers in pre-school, primary, secondary and community education.
We welcome Scottish, UK and international students and consider all applicants on an individual basis.
Please visit our Undergraduate Entry Requirements page for information on our different entry requirements, including country-specific details for EU and non-EU qualifications.
The range of subjects across your qualifications should reflect those taught in the primary curriculum.
An offer of a place on this programme is made on the basis of your application and successful interview.
Primary school teaching is challenging, exciting and rewarding. Our BA Hons Education is designed to equip you with the skills to become an effective primary school teacher and provide you with a broad-based education in contemporary subjects.
The BA Hons Education offers the flexibility of combining your studies in education with a specialism to enable selection from a range of qualifications, including:
Guest speakers also form part of the programme to further deepen your understanding of your subject. Recent speakers have addressed topics such as supporting learners with hearing impairments, learners on the autistic spectrum and sectarianism.
Eligible BA (Hons) Education graduates are guaranteed a one-year induction post that will enable you to achieve the standard required for full registration with the General Teaching Council for Scotland.
UWS graduates have gone on to teach throughout Scotland, the UK, Canada, New Zealand and in other Commonwealth and EU countries.
The BA (Hons) Education is highly-regarded by employers outside of education, recognising the strong personal transferable skills that our graduates have developed.
Some graduates choose further study, leading to an MSc, PhD or teaching qualification.
"The BA Hons Education programme at UWS was significant in shaping my career. The coursework was a perfect mix of theory and practical learning. The wide range of relevant modules gave me a strong foundation, while the continuous reflective practice helped me improve in my role. The placements were especially valuable, letting me apply what I’d learned in real classrooms and grow as a teacher in a range of environments and stages".
Gary Leitch, P7 Class Teacher, Auchinleck Primary School
£1,820 cost per year of study (usually paid by the Scottish Government via SAAS*)
£9,250 Cost per year of study, but not more than £27,750
£9,250 Cost per year of study, but not more than £27,750
£15,500 per year of study
£1,820 cost per year of study (usually paid by the Scottish Government via SAAS*)
£9,535 per year of study (4 years of study for the price of 3 years)
£9,535 per year of study (4 years of study for the price of 3 years)
£15,500 per year of study
Ready to apply? All UK & EU undergraduate applications should be made through UCAS. Further information for international, part-time and exchange applications can be found below.
UCASAll UK and EU applicants for undergraduate study, not applying through an agent or partner, should apply through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service)
The on-time application deadline for 2025/26 entry is 29 January 2025, 18:00 (UK time). For some courses it may still be possible to apply beyond this period, subject to suitable vacancies remaining. The final deadline for late applications via UCAS is 30 June 2025. Beyond this deadline, you may be able to apply via ‘UCAS Clearing’ if the course you are interested in has remaining places.
Please refer to our Undergraduate Application Guide for domestic & EU/EEA to find more information on when and how to apply to study at UWS.
You can find out more about applying for this undergraduate course on UCAS.
Students from non-EU/non-EEA countries can apply directly to UWS via our dedicated online application system. The latest we can process your application is 6 weeks before the course start date to allow for visa processing times. For more information on when and how to apply to study at UWS please refer to our International Undergraduate Application Guide.
For part-time & online study, you should apply directly to the University through our online application system, not through UCAS. Please select the part-time mode of study when submitting your application. Before you begin your application, it is important to read the part-time application step-by-step guide for a smooth process.
To come to UWS as a visiting student on a study abroad or exchange programme, you must apply entirely through our online system.
An ATAS certificate is not required for overseas students applying for this course.
Do you have a question about applying for this course? Get in touch. We are here to help!
We will always try to make sure that we publish accurate course information but we do not accept responsibility for any mistakes or omissions. We will also try to make sure that we deliver our courses in line with our published information. However, we may not always be able to do so and you can find further information about this in our enrolment terms and conditions.