Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Education Studies

at University of Wolverhampton - Walsall Campus United Kingdom

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 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.

Many of our music education degree graduates progress to careers in teaching or community music. Our music education 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.

We are partners with the Associated Board of the Royal School of Music (ABRSM) who help to inform our curriculum. As part of this music education degree, you will also be awarded the ABRSM’s prestigious Certificate for Music Educators.

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

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.

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.

What happens on the course?
You will experience a wide variety of learning activities in our music education degree and they will contribute to the development of your graduate attributes.

Teaching and learning will normally take place in a variety of continually evolving contexts, including an appropriate balance of the following kinds of activity:

• Workshops, rehearsals, productions, practical classes, laboratory or studio-based practice, screenings, lectures, discussions (both online and in class), seminars, and tutorials. You will be encouraged to apply your knowledge and understanding of critical theory to case studies within regional, national and international contexts;
• Group and individual learning;
• Professional placements of varying types (which will be of especial relevance in enhancing your employability and ability to be enterprising);
• Tutor-led, (peer-group) student-led, and self-directed study;
• Use of subject-specific and generic technologies (these will be particularly helpful in the development of your digital literacy);
• Resource-based learning, including library work and attendance at performances.

The BSc (Hons.) Football Coaching and Performance degree will give you the skills and experience to help gain employment in the football industry as a coach within an academy, performance, community or grassroots setting, as a football performance specialist. You will also be well prepared for a range of coaching and related roles within the wider sport and physical activity sector. 
The course has been designed through consultation with West Bromwich Albion, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Walsall FC, as well as The Football Association (FA) Coach Educators to identify the skills and qualities needed to work in the football industry. Our unique coaching course combines a football specific degree with the opportunity to apply your knowledge in industry through our excellent placements with our partner clubs, at home or abroad. 

You will study all disciplines of football coaching, covering modules in; pedagogy, coaching science, and performance analysis, all of which are taught both theoretically and in a range of practical contexts.

What happens on the course?

• Placement modules allow you to gain hand on experience and receive mentorship within professional environments, including opportunities with some of our key partners such as Wolverhampton Wanderers, Walsall FC, West Bromwich Albion and WLV Sport FC.
• The first two years of our football coaching degree will prepare you to complete the Football Association (FA) Level 1 and Level 2 qualifications (although completion of these qualifications will require additional tasks outside of the degree programme).
• This degree is delivered by academic staff who are Union of European Football Association (UEFA) qualified coaches, coach educators, and who have extensive applied knowledge and experience from grassroots to international level.
• Our employability modules enable you to explore careers in football coaching and engage in career development planning that prepares you for graduate-level employment in the football industry or elsewhere.
• Each year you will have opportunities to participate in career development activities and network with employers from sports businesses, sport development and performance sport.
• The course has been designed in line with The International Council for Coaching Excellence (ICCE) coaching degree standards. On completion of this course you should, therefore, have the knowledge and skills required to meet the sector standards for employment in certain specific roles, as well as a range of other related roles.
• You will have the opportunity to transfer to a sandwich placement year in a coaching or football related context, with a partner club or organisation. 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 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.

This course aims to combine the intellectual exploration of acting and the practical development of skills. It will develop the actor as collaborator – able to exercise his/ her craft and to contribute to the creation of work.

The course will equip you to work with explorative companies such as Stan’s Café, Talking Birds, Knee High, Forced Entertainment as well as in more conventional performance environments such as repertory theatre, film and television. You will also be equipped to seek employment in applied drama contexts, directing, writing and arts marketing.

What happens on the course?

You will complete actor training in vocal and physical skills. In addition you will work on the skills that will make you a creative actor and collaborator.

You will have a unique opportunity to work on production modules during the degree which are taught full time and exclusively to other modules for a 3 week intensive period.

As part of your studies you will form companies to negotiate appropriate marketing strategies to promote your work to a public audience as well as prepare your audition portfolio, cv and showreel.  

You will develop your acting skills for the stage, screen and radio and apply a range of skills, techniques and new technologies to enable creative engagement with different performance/acting contexts.

You will develop your knowledge and understanding of forms, practices, traditions, texts, theories and histories of drama, performance and theatre in their cultural, historical and contemporary contexts

You will complete a substantial final year project in an area of your choice which will enhance your future employability.

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 Sport Business Management programme has been developed alongside industry partners and endorsed by the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA).

The course has been mapped against the Professional Standards of a General Manager, meaning that you will be equipped with the competencies and skills needed to meet the requirements of potential employers.

The programme will provide opportunities to explore different strands of sport business management including marketing, strategy, policy, finance, economics, and sport event management. Studying these key areas will prepare you to enter a range of careers including sport development management, governing body management, insight and data management, facility management and business management.

As a dance student at the University of Wolverhampton, you will develop your technical and performance skills, explore your creativity, and deepen you understanding of dance in a wider cultural context.  We offer one of the most varied dance degree courses in the UK and you will have unique opportunities to enrich and expand your experience in dance.

Reasons to study with us:

• You will have daily technique classes, training in contemporary, jazz, ballet, musical theatre, street, body conditioning and improvisation throughout the course
• All our staff are practitioners with international performance and research experience
• Our Performance Hub offers outstanding facilities with Harlequin floors and lighting rigs in the dance studios, a fully equipped theatre, recording studios, and a superb library
• We have excellent links with national and international dance organisations in nearby Birmingham and this will enhance your employability and experience in the current industry
• Our world-leading research in dance science informs our teaching and supports your health and well-being as a dancer

The course content includes dance technique and repertoire, choreography, film-making, dance science, dance history, cultural studies, dance education and workshop leadership, work placements, and research projects. You will have the following practical opportunities: performances in our theatres (Walsall and Wolverhampton), performing in local and national arts events, joining Le Loup Dance Company (our student company), front of house and backstage training, and participating in work placements of your choice.

National Student Survey 2018: We achieved an outstanding 100% for overall satisfaction for the course, and 100% for good teaching, 100% for academic support, and 100% for learning opportunities. These excellent results are well above the sector wide scores.

Can't decide which course you love the most? Why not look at our joint option... BA (Hons) Dance and Drama.

This exciting Sport Business Management programme has been developed alongside industry partners and endorsed by the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA). The course has been mapped against the Professional Standards of a General Manager, meaning that you will be equipped with the competencies and skills needed to meet the requirements of potential employers.

The programme will provide opportunities to explore different strands of sport business management including marketing, strategy, policy, finance, economics, and sport event management. Studying these key areas will prepare you to enter a range of careers including sport development management, governing body management, insight and data management, facility management and business management.