Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Education Studies with Foundation Year

at University of Wolverhampton - Walsall Campus United Kingdom

The BMus (Hons) Popular Music degree at the University of Wolverhampton prepares you for a career in the music industry. 

A popular music degree opens the door to a fulfilling and varied career that enables you to follow your interests and talents. Performing professionally as a solo artist, a member of a band or as a session player is a natural progression for many students. Careers as a songwriter, arranger, transcriber, programmer, instrumental teacher or musical director are other pathways you can pursue as a graduate. A sustained career in popular music however, will most often be a portfolio of these roles and a degree in popular music from the University of Wolverhampton will provide you with the range of skills you need for an established career in a field that you already love.

You will engage with a range of workshops, lectures and seminars that develop instrumental skills, performance and stagecraft, songwriting and music production. An experienced staff of performers, composers and producers will encourage and stimulate your interest and passion for popular music and will help sharpen your musical development over three years of study.

The BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy course enables you to develop the knowledge and skills to become a safe, competent and effective physiotherapy practitioner. Upon successful completion of the course you can apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council to practice as a physiotherapist.

What happens on the course?

• Our physiotherapy programme will allow you to study a range of subjects that provide the foundations of effective physiotherapy practice.
• At its core are the biological, physical, clinical and behavioural sciences. Together with the fundamentals of the therapeutic process such as physical assessment skills and clinical reasoning, and a repertoire of safe, effective prevention and treatment skills, you will be trained to meet the needs of people of all ages.
• You will also explore multifaceted aspects of public health, as well as develop vital research and clinical skills.
• During the course you will have the opportunity to participate in physiotherapy practice, under the supervision of a physiotherapist, in a variety of settings.
• All theory is delivered at our friendly Walsall Campus for classroom study.

The MA in Education is designed for teachers, lecturers and educational managers in primary, secondary and further and higher education, and for other professionals working in education, both in their early careers and with substantial experience in education. The course is concerned with the development of critical enquiry and reflection in the field of education, and the development of professional knowledge and expertise. This course also offers opportunity for those interested in research to progress onto doctoral study.

Ideal for  those working in education across a range of contexts, and for those wishing to study and research in education the MA Education is designed to provide an excellent opportunity to develop career  and employability skills. For those students with previous study at Level 7 such as PGCE, there is opportunity to build on your previous experience and qualifications. This course also allows you to customise your learning  experience through  flexible and varied assessment approaches. Our MA Education programme includes opportunity to develop your skills, knowledge and understandings and apply what you learn to your current or future role, responsibilities or career aspirations. As well as provide a high-quality learning experience in a collaborative and supportive environment.

Previous participants on the course have told us that the MA Education has developed  skills in flexibly thinking with the ability to underpin change with theory.

Our three year Undergraduate course in Primary Education provides a high standard of training for those preparing to take up a teaching post in the primary school sector.  The course complies with the statutory guidance from the Department for Education for Initial Teacher Training courses.

The BA (Hons) in Primary Education is specifically designed to ensure that those who are successful will be recommended for the award of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) - the professional award required by all those who wish to teach in a maintained school.

You will focus on the teaching of the National Curriculum for primary schools and specialise in teaching Key Stages 1 and 2 whilst also having valuable opportunities to experience alternative educational settings such as Early Years, Secondary, SEND and transition.

The BA (Hons) in Physical Education and School Sport with Foundation Year is an innovative course designed to provide you with rich learning experiences to equip you with the tools to teach and coach. Starting degree level study can be a daunting prospect, so the Foundation Year is designed to help you develop the skills, knowledge and confidence to succeed in your studies at degree level and beyond. 

During your Foundation Year you will develop skills such as finding and using information, working collaboratively with others, challenging and debating ideas and expressing yourself with greater confidence. You will also be introduced to a range of key concepts and skills that underpin the study of sport in Higher Education.

The BA Musical Theatre course at Wolverhampton offers a unique opportunity to develop performance skills in a department at the cutting edge of international musical theatre research. Our staff members have professional industry experience as musical directors, choreographers, performers, dramaturgs and writers, and this is reflected in the breadth of the course. 

The course is vocationally-led and aims to enhance your future employability so that by the end of the course, you will have the know-how to develop your professional skills further.  The balance of practical and academic work in the programme allows for a wide range of career choices upon graduation.

The BMus (Hons) Music degree at the University of Wolverhampton aims to develop your musical creativity, and help you to acquire the skills needed to become a versatile and practical musician. This course stimulates your innate love of music, explores and identifies what music is, what music does, and what music means and provides a structured approach to your career progression as a performer, technologist, teacher or academic.

This degree offers a unique balance of scholarly research and practical musicianship to produce an all-round teacher, musician or practitioner. Our aim is to facilitate and stimulate your personal musical growth and to help you to develop confidence in your ability through both practical and theoretical elements of the course.

You will study practical performance modules where you will develop your skills as both a soloist and an ensemble performer, as well as community music leadership, composition and arranging. You will also have the opportunity to study music in the community by exploring pedagogical processes and undertaking a series of placements in community venues. You will use the latest technology and software for scoring, recording and engineering live music.

Members of staff are all actively involved in research, music education, performance and composition at a regional, national and international level and their expertise and enthusiasm will assist you in becoming a professional musician or community practitioner.

The course incorporates a variety of learning and teaching experiences including seminars, discussion groups, lectures, presentations, guest speakers and performers, visits to sites of musical importance and concert attendances. Placement opportunities are available within modules in the second and third year of this degree.

This innovative, hands-on sport and exercise therapy course is accredited by the Society of Sports Therapists. The course involves the prevention of injury and rehabilitation back to optimum levels of functional, occupational and sports specific fitness for a wide range of patients. The course uses the principles of sport and exercise sciences, and the study of health, injury, and disease, to prepare patients for training, competition, or work.

The course is endorsed by the Charted Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMPSA), ensuring that you meet the requirements of potential employers. Course content aligns with the employer-set proffesional standards of a gym instructor, and will equip you with all the skills and comptencies you'll need to stand out from the crowd.

Throughout the course, you will develop the skills required to provide the immediate care of injuries and basic life support in recreational, training and competitive environments. You will learn how to assess and treat musculoskeletal injuries, and, where appropriate, refer on for specialist advice and intervention. Working as part of a professional team in a real-world environment, you will gain applied practical skills in sport and remedial massage, and plan and implement appropriate rehabilitation programmes.

You will have opportunities to work with some of our key partners such as British Judo, Wolverhampton Wanderers FC and Walsall FC, to develop industry skills relevant to a career in sport and exercise therapy.

Placement and employability modules allow you to gain hands-on experience in an applied context, including a clinical placement at Level 6. Employability modules enable you to explore sport and exercise therapy career pathways and engage in career development planning that prepares you for graduate-level employment in a competitive industry.

What happens on the course?
The course is accredited by the leading professional body for this subject in the UK, The Society of Sports Therapists (SST), with the course being built upon the society’s five pillars of competency:

• Prevention
• Recognition & Evaluation
• Management, Treatment and Referral
• Rehabilitation
• Education and Professional Issues.

Upon successful completion of the course, graduates will be eligible to apply for full insured membership with The Society of Sports Therapists.

You will have access to our sport therapy/physiotherapy suite, sport and exercise science laboratories that include cutting edge technology such as our 3D motion capture system, and our environment chamber.
You will have opportunities to work with some of our key partners such as British Judo, Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. and Walsall F.C, as well as university sports teams to develop industry skills relevant to a career in sport and exercise therapy. In addition we have close links with local organisations such as cardiac rehabilitation centres.
Our ‘Career Development Week’ will allow you to gain additional employment-related skills and qualifications as you progress through the course.

Our employability modules enable you to explore Sport and Exercise Therapy related career pathways and engage in career development planning that prepares you for graduate-level employment in a competitive industry.
A placement module will provide the opportunity to gain hands-on experience and mentoring in an applied sports and exercise therapy context.
You will also have the opportunity to transfer to an optional sandwich placement year. Our sandwich placement option allows you to take a full-year work placement, which can be undertaken abroad. A number of students in our department have been successful in securing places on these schemes in countries such as Spain, France, Canada and the US.

The BA (Hons) Education Studies provides you with the knowledge and skills to work in a range of educational settings, either as a teacher or if you also want to have other career options open to you. The course is suitable for people new to this area or experienced staff searching for career development. If you are considering becoming a teacher, we offer the guarantee of a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) in Primary Education interview upon completion of this degree (providing you are on track to achieve a 2:2 or above and meet the course entry requirements). We also have excellent progression opportunities on to our Master’s in Education.

During your course, you, as an Education Studies student, will have opportunities to consider a range of issues and perspectives relevant to educational contexts. You will consider contemporary issues in relation to education and children’s lives, including exploring issues around climate change, Black Lives Matter, mental health, social media, the impact of Covid-19 on education, and LBGT student experiences. You will also explore the role of education in relation to social justice, education policy, curriculum, and the types of education provided in the UK and internationally, as well as much more. You will draw upon a range of perspectives and disciplines to develop your familiarity with the complex and varied nature of teaching and learning and will examine diversity and inclusion in relation to education. We work with our students to explore and challenge a wide range of educational ideas and developments, and we value learners’ own perspectives and diverse experiences of education. We encourage independent thought and curiosity, and a belief in the potential of education as a tool for improving people’s lives.

Work experience placements are an integral part of the course and can be negotiated in a variety of settings such as schools, colleges, children’s centres, charities, pupil referral units, prisons, youth centres, and other relevant settings.

We recognise that you will have a unique learning journey and we will maximise your potential through a wide variety of optional assessment choices such as presentations, written assessments, reflective journals, report writing, peer mentoring and written plans. Our course does not include any exams and we work hard to make our assessments inclusive and relevant to your career goals.  We usually teach in smaller classroom-based student groups, as opposed to larger lecture theatres, to give you a supportive and personalised learning experience, and our staff work hard to help develop the confidence of our students.

This exciting and applied course has been endorsed through the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences Undergraduate Endorsement Scheme (BUES), which awards endorsement to sport and exercise science degree courses that provide undergraduates with the opportunity to develop the knowledge and skills essential to enter into the profession. 

The course covers the physiological, biomechanical and psychological influences on human performance and health. You will examine how individuals respond and adapt to sport and exercise in a variety of settings, and learn how to design interventions to maximise performance and promote health for a range of people. This may include elite athletes or clinical populations such as those with obesity or cardiac rehabilitation patients.

You will also explore local, national and international public health and sport initiatives that aim to encourage a physically active population. This course is therefore ideal if you wish to work in applied settings such as professional sport, exercise referral schemes, community physical activity programmes and professional environments that promote active lifestyles and well-being.

What happens on the course? 

• You will have access to our sport and exercise science laboratories that include cutting edge technology such as our 3D motion capture system, and our environment chamber.
• Throughout the course you will have the opportunity to work with a range professional sport organisations, clubs and university sports teams to develop industry skills relevant to a career in sport and exercise science. Including opportunities with some of our partners such as Wolverhampton Wanders, Walsall FC and GB Judo.
• Our employability modules enable you to explore sport and exercise science related career pathways and engage in career development planning that prepares you for graduate-level employment in a competitive industry
• You will also have the opportunity to transfer to an optional sandwich placement year. Our sandwich placement option allows you to take a full-year work placement, which can be undertaken abroad. A number of students in our department have been successful in securing places on these schemes in countries such as Spain, France, Canada and the US
• Teaching staff bring their internationally rated research expertise into their teaching. The department has research links across the world and students can progress to postgraduate study with these collaborators