Education is the study of human development at the individual, institutional, cultural, and sociopolitical levels. The course provides excellent preparation for postgraduate research, or for those who intend to teach, a strong foundation for teacher training in primary education.
Overview
The minimum offer level is A*AA at A-level, or 7 7 6 (42+ overall) from Higher Level subjects in the IB. For other qualifications, please see the University entrance requirements page.
None
A social science subject (e.g. Psychology, Sociology, Economics) and/or humanities subject (e.g. English Literature, History). For more details about the pathway, please visit the University subject website.
Written work required to apply
Two pieces of written work will be required. These should be in essay format (not science coursework or a timed exam) and can be extracted from an EPQ. The essay should not be written specially for the occasion and should have been marked by a member of your school/college staff, if possible.
Education at Clare
In joining the energetic and enthusiastic Education community at Clare you will encounter both undergraduate and graduate students engaged in learning about and developing education in a variety of contexts and cultures.
Education at Clare will introduce you to both policy and practice through the society of students and Fellows, and opportunity to explore ideas within one of the most beautiful of Cambridge Colleges.
The library is well stocked with Education texts and with the University library literally right next door to Clare College, you have access to thousands of resources in Education which will stimulate and support your exploration of one of the most significant subjects you can encounter.
Visit the University's subject page for more information.
Dr Sue Brindley's advice for prospective applicants: Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of Education as a discipline is that it draws on several subjects to inform its knowledge base: sociology, psychology, history, philosophy and increasingly, politics. It means Education is often a contested subject - that is, it can be understood differently from different intellectual standpoints. In thinking about Education in this way, what emerges is that knowledge is not built of discrete units but rather is a network where the inter-relationships of the subject disciplines are an exciting place to explore. Key names with distinctive positions and voices can be found in all subjects, and Education is no different. But what might be most useful is to start to hone some critical thinking skills so that, when you encounter these scholars, you are not overwhelmed by the persuasive arguments, but rather find yourself invited in to an energetic argument, where the strongly contested field about the purposes and place of Education is debated. We want you to take your place in these discussions, but with an informed voice. You could begin by identifying which areas you are most interested in, and start your explorations there. You might want to look at the Times Educational Supplement Tes - Education Jobs, Teaching Resources, School Software & Magazine as a background. You will find summaries of the latest debates, opinion pieces and recommended resources here.
