Intro

The University of Brighton is home to one of the UK's largest education departments, rated ‘outstanding’ in our last Ofsted inspection.

Professional Studies in Learning and Development (PSLD) is aimed at professional practitioners working in formal and informal education, learning, and development settings and who want to develop their academic and research skills.

The part-time design of this course allows you to study for a professional qualification while you are working. A range of optional modules allow you to tailor your degree according to your professional or personal aims.

You will be mentored by a successful teaching team with an outstanding national reputation and innovative research profile that informs the course's content.

Pursuing a PSLD specialism to degree standard means that you will be able to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to achieve your career goals.

Key facts

Location Brighton: Falmer

UCAS code Not applicable. Apply direct to the university.

Part-time 2 years

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Please review the entry requirements carefully and if you have any questions do get in touch with us.

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Course content

Course structure

This course is part-time and runs for two years but in exceptional circumstances, it may be possible to take the award over 12 months (July to the following June).

Taught sessions vary according to modules selected but typically include weekly daytime or evening sessions and occasional Saturdays.

You will normally be expected to work for two and a half days per week in a relevant context. You will also spend around one day per week on work-based activities, reflection and private study.

In year 1, you will study two modules from a range of generic and sector/role-specific subjects. All students undertake the interdisciplinary critical practice module alongside student practitioners from other disciplines.

In year 2, you will undertake an independent, small-scale research project. Expert individual support and supervision is provided along the way to support you in your selected subject.

Making sure that what you learn with us is relevant, up to date and what employers are looking for is our priority, so courses are reviewed and enhanced on an ongoing basis. When you have applied to us, you’ll be told about any new developments through our applicant portal.

Syllabus

Modules

Organisational Culture and Leadership in Children and Young People's Services
An Introduction to Critical Perspectives in Education, Learning and Development
Practitioners as Researchers
The Professional Enquiry: Education, Learning and Development

Options*

Foundations for the Future
PSHEE and Citizenship in Learning and Development Contexts
Understanding Participation and Community Development

*Option modules are indicative and may change, depending on timetabling and staff availability.

Careers

This course will give you a formal qualification to back up the practical skills and knowledge that you have already acquired through your previous work experiences.

In particular, this award offers foundation degree and diploma of higher education graduates an opportunity to progress to an honours degree course.

After successfully completing the course, you may be able to apply for Qualified Teacher Status via the Graduate Teacher programme or a PGCE, providing you meet government entry requirements for teaching.

secondary education student working on a computer

Entry criteria

Entry requirements

The entry requirements listed here are our typical offer for this course if you wish to begin studying with us in 2020. They should be used as a general guide.

Applicants are normally expected to have:

relevant previous study in higher education, amounting to at least 240 CATS points, of which at least 120 must be at level 5
evidence of current relevant practice, either in a professional or voluntary capacity, normally for at least 12 hours per week.

English language requirements
IELTS 6.0 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each element. Find out more about the other English qualifications that we accept.

Fees

Course fees

Year 1 4,625 GBP (60 credits)

Year 2 4,625 GBP (60 credits)

What's included

You may have to pay additional costs during your studies. The cost of optional activities is not included in your tuition fee and you will need to meet this cost in addition to your fees. A summary of the costs that you may be expected to pay, and what is included in your fees, while studying a course in the School of Education are listed here.

You will have access to computers and necessary software, however many students choose to buy their own hardware, software and accessories. The amount spent will depend on your individual choices but this expenditure is not essential to pass any of our courses.
In most cases coursework submissions are electronic but you may wish to print notes and should budget approximately £30 for printing.
For courses which require a placement, you’ll be expected to pay for your travel expenses but you may be able to claim some travel costs back from the university, depending on where your placement is in relation to where you live.
Course books are available from the university but you may wish to budget up to £150 to buy your own copies
You may wish to consider budgeting up to £25 for stationery/teaching materials

You can chat with our enquiries team through the Stay in touch panel at the end of this page if you require further information. Or check our finance pages for advice about funding and scholarships as well as more information about fees and advice on international and island fee-paying status.

Info

The fees listed here are for courses beginning in the academic year 2020–21. Further tuition fees are payable for each subsequent year of study and may be subject to small increases, in line with inflation.

Where UK/EU students are subject to regulated fees, the annual fee increase cannot exceed the UK government’s maximum regulated tuition fee limit set for the relevant year. For all other students, ie those not subject to regulated fees, tuition fees are subject to a maximum annual increase of the higher of 5% or RPI.

Visit our advice for part-time students page. If you have specific queries about the course fee, our fees team will be happy to help. Email them at fees@brighton.ac.uk.

You can find out more about our fees in the university's student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

Concerned about university fees?

You do not need to pay tuition fees upfront. If you are a UK or EU undergraduate student studying for the first time, you can apply for funding from the government to cover these. Once you leave university, you will only repay the loan if you earn above a certain amount. You may also be eligible for a maintenance loan for living costs. Find out more about student finance for part-time students.

Money Saving Expert take you through the system and explain what you’ll really pay to study as a part-time student.

Location

Local area

About Brighton

The University of Brighton is at the heart of our city's reputation as a welcoming, forward-thinking place which leads the way when it comes to the arts, music, sustainability and creative technology. Brighton is home to a thriving creative community and a digital sector worth £1bn a year to the local economy, as much as tourism.

Many of the work-based learning opportunities offered on our courses such as placements and guest lectures are provided by businesses and organisations based in the city.

You can also get involved with city festivals and events such as the Brighton Festival, the Fringe, Brighton Digital Festival, Brighton Science Festival, the London to Brighton bike ride, and the Great Escape festival of new music to name but a few. Other annual highlights include Pride, the Brighton Marathon, and Burning the Clocks which marks the winter solstice.

You'll find living in Brighton enriches your learning experience and by the end of your course you will still be finding new things to explore and inspire you.

It's only 50 minutes by train from Brighton to central London and less than 40 minutes to Eastbourne. There are also daily direct trains to Bristol, Bedford, Cambridge, Gatwick Airport, Portsmouth and Southampton.

Map showing distance to London from Brighton

Campus where this course is taught

Falmer campus

Set in the South Downs, our Falmer campus is around four miles from Brighton city centre. 7,000 students are based here taking subjects including criminology, English, education, nursing and medicine, paramedic science, psychology and sociology. Brighton and Hove Albion's Amex stadium and beautiful Stanmer Park are right next door.

Specialist learning facilities at Falmer include the curriculum centre used by teaching and education students, which houses over 30,000 teaching resources and clinical skills and simulation suites used by health students. Psychology students learn in our applied cognition and flexible creative method labs.

Falmer campus has two halls of residence on site, as well as a library, restaurant, cafes, and a students' union shop and bar.

The campus sports centre has a fitness suite, activity studios and a sports hall. There is also a floodlit astroturf football pitch, netball and tennis courts.

Cycle lanes link Falmer with our other campuses and the city centre and there is a BTN BikeShare hub on site. There are regular bus services to the city centre and other campuses. Falmer train station is right next to campus and a nine minute journey to central Brighton.

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Newly refurbished atrium in the Checkland Building

Accommodation

Brighton: Falmer

All eligible students applying for 2020 are guaranteed an offer of university halls of residence.

Halls of residence
We have halls of residence across Brighton in the city centre, Moulsecoomb, Varley Park and Falmer.

You'll be prioritised for accommodation in the halls that are linked to your teaching base, subject to availability.
Falmer campus is linked to the halls on Falmer campus and at Varley Park.
- Paddock Field and Great Wilkins halls are on Falmer campus and offer a range of room types and catering options
- Varley Park offers a mix of room and catering options. Varley Park is around two miles from Moulsecoomb campus and four miles from the city centre. Public transport in the city is excellent, and there's a shuttle bus between our Brighton campuses during term time.

Unihomes and unilets
Unihomes and unilets are student houses that we let to our students on behalf of private landlords. This option can work particularly well when you're balancing learning with placements and other commitments. We have unihomes and unilet properties across the city.

Private renting
There's plenty of support if you opt for private renting. This is an option which offers choice and flexibility – enabling you to choose where you live and who with. We manage our own studenthomes database of properties. This lists accommodation offered by landlords who have signed up to our code of standards. Every summer we provide online events and resources, as well as other advice services, for students looking for a place to live and people to share with.