Professional Studies in Learning and Development BA(Hons)

Course in brief

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

Entry requirements

The entry requirements listed here are our typical offer for this course if you wish to begin studying with us in 2017. They should be used as a general guide.

We operate a flexible admissions policy – this means that you could receive a lower conditional offer than the typical offer, informed by our assessment of your complementary non-academic achievements and experiences. For courses that require interview or portfolio review, this may also be considered in the level of any conditional offer that follows if your application is successful.

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.

For non-native speakers of English
IELTS 6.0 overall, with 6.0 in writing and a minimum of 5.5 in the other elements.

Course in detail

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 2 and a half days per week in a relevant context.You will also spend about 1 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 modules. All students undertake the inter-disciplinary 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.

Syllabus

Module topics include:

Professional Identity and Inter-professional Practice Development
Practitioners as Researchers
Professional Enquiry

Options*

An Introduction to Critical Perspectives in Education, Learning and Development
Developing Digital Literacy and Computational Thinking in the Primary Classroom
Information, Advice and Guidance in Secondary and Further Education
Foundations for the Future
Perspectives on Leadership
PSHEE and Citizenship in a Range of Learning and Development Contexts
Language and Learning across the Curriculum
Targeted Interventions with Vulnerable Individuals and Groups
Understanding Participation and Community Development
Quality Assurance in Services for Young People

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

Careers and employability

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.

Fees and funding

Your fees

Year 1 4,500 GBP (60 credits)

Year 2 4,500 GBP (60 credits)

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.

Universities UK and Money Saving Expert have produced a guide that takes you through the system and explains what you’ll really pay to study as a part-time student.

Download the brochure and find out more

Location and living here

Location

About Brighton

Forward-thinking and welcoming, the city of Brighton & Hove is a community of creative and diverse people who share values like sustainability and inclusivity – just like its university.

Miles of pebble beaches, hundreds of bars, restaurants and clubs, a packed calendar of culture, music and sport and great independent and high street shopping attract visitors from all over the world. By the end of your course you’ll still be finding new things to enjoy about the city.

The Brighton Festival, England’s largest arts festival, takes place every May – as does the Great Escape Europe’s leading industry showcase for new music, 300 bands perform over three days at venues across the city. Major events celebrate Pride, digital culture, cinema, photography, food and the winter solstice. Our own Brighton Graduate show is a highlight, turning the university into the largest exhibition space in the south east as we celebrate the outstanding creativity of our students.

As a student here you’ll have a unique opportunity to experience what the city has to offer. Volunteering and placement opportunities enable you to play your part in the events, organisations and communities that make Brighton such a compelling place to be.

Campus where this course is taught

Falmer campus

Surrounded by the South Downs National Park and just five miles from the centre of Brighton, our Falmer campus has benefited from over £60million of investment over the past 10 years. 7,000 students are based here, studying subjects including English, education, social science, nursing and medicine.

Recent developments include the Falmer Sports Centre – with its fitness suites and sports hall – and the innovative Checkland Building, which has natural ventilation systems and an insulating green roof.

Falmer has also recently installed more than 600 solar panels, which reduce the campus’s carbon emissions by more than 80 tonnes. The renovation has made us one of the top universities in the UK for on-site renewable energy production.

Accommodation

Brighton

Our Brighton halls of residence are located across the city in Grand Parade, Moulsecoomb, Varley Park and Falmer.

Grand Parade is in central Brighton and has one hall of residence, Phoenix Brewery, within walking distance.
Moulsecoomb is two miles from the city centre and also has one hall of residence, Moulsecoomb Place, on campus.
Varley Park offers the biggest choice of student accommodation with ten halls of residence.
Falmer campus has two halls of residence: Great Wilkins and Paddock Field.
Varley Park and Falmer are around four miles from Brighton centre; there are good public transport services nearby.

Aside from halls, you have the option of Unihomes, which we let out to our students on behalf of private landlords.

You can also choose to join the many students who live away from campus in private rented accommodation. We have a list of high-quality, university-endorsed private sector accommodation and can help you find housemates to move in with.

Find out more on our Brighton accommodation webpages and if you have any questions, our accommodation team will be happy to help. You can contact them by email at accommodation@brighton.ac.uk or by telephone on 01273 644100.

Paddock Field

Moulsecoomb Place

Maps

Accommodation

University building

Falmer campus and Brighton and Sussex Medical School map

Find out more

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