Your School of Education Offer-Holder Hub

Welcome to the School of Education Offer-Holder Hub. This page will provide you with all the information you need to make an informed decision about where to study your undergraduate degree in Education.

Activate your future

We are absolutely thrilled you have decided to make the University of Birmingham one of your choices. Our Offer-holder Hub is designed to provide you with information to help you make an informed decision on where you wish to study.

Reading lists

You will be given reading lists at the start of the term however in the meantime, feel free to browse some of the reading and other content suggestions for your Social Policy, Sociology and Criminology degree below.

Keep in mind that these are just suggestions. You might find more options at your local library, as free downloads online, or at affordable prices in a second-hand bookshop.

Beyond the books

Explore other mediums and engage with different content about Education produced in and outside the University of Birmingham.

  • Campus-three-female-students-arts-building

    Blog: Transitioning from Sixth Form to university

    "The college to university transition seemed so daunting sat in our welcome lecture on fresher’s week. After years spent in classrooms crammed with tables the lecture style rows seemed bizarre! However, it soon became normal alongside classroom comfort still existing in seminar group sessions allowing me to engage and work with my peers while making friends!"

    Read more of Holly's blog

  • The Evidence Based Education Podcast cover

    The Evidence Based Education Podcast

    A podcast that discusses some key issues within Education, looking at how policy, research, and practice can have a positive impact on pupil outcomes both in the UK and worldwide.

    Listen now

  • The Creative Classroom with John Spencer podcast cover

    The Creative Classroom with John Spencer

    This podcast explores how to transform the classroom into a creative and imaginative space.

    Discover this podcast

  • The Edtech Podcast with Professor Rose Luckin podcast cover

    The Edtech Podcast with Professor Rose Luckin

    How to make teaching innovative and impactful through the use of technology, speaking to education leaders from across the globe.

    Explore more

Blog: Clubs and societies at Birmingham

  • Three students sat down looking at a laptop.

    Student Societies

    The Education Society is for absolutely everyone and anyone! They want to bring together those with a common interest in Education and work alongside different departments at the University of Birmingham to share this interest!

    Explore the Education Society

  • 4 students walking on campus and smiling whilst having a chat together

    Unibuddy Communities

    Join a group chat for all students studying your subject, including Joint Honours programmes and find your coursemates.

    Join now

The second city, your second home

Throughout your time in the School of Education, employability is a key area of focus.

When you graduate, an array of possibilities opens up for you to take your career where you want it to be.

During your degree, you will gain a number of transferrable skills, including:

  • Written communication
  • Oral communication
  • Ability to work in a team
  • Research and analytical skills
  • Time management
  • Negotiation and influence skills
  • Problem solving

Our students go into roles such as: Primary School Teacher, Special Educational Needs, Educational Psychologist, Child Psychotherapist, Counsellor, Social Worker, Careers Adviser/Personal Adviser.

For employers such as: Nurseries, Primary Schools, Academy Trusts, NHS, British Army, Local Government, Human Resources.

Whilst other students decide to take their studies further with courses such as:

  • PGCE Teaching
  • MA Education (Leadership; Social Justice; Comparative and International Perspectives)
  • MA Social Work
  • MA Inclusion
  • Educational Leadership

Visit our School of Education's postgraduate teacher training hub and taught master's and professional development programme page for more information.

We are ranked #1 as most targeted university by the UK’s leading graduate employers (High Fliers Research 2024).

Where can Education take you?

We help to make sure that you are employable through a range of department-led and university-wide initiatives which include:

Careers Network

Careers Network is the University of Birmingham careers and employability team offering: career fairs, employer events with top firms across the UK, start-up and entrepreneurial activities, and support. Internships and bursaries are also available exclusively to University of Birmingham students.

Gain practical experience

During your degree, you will get the opportunity to gain invaluable practical experience by completing a placement in your second year of study. This placement can be based in the UK or overseas, taking place in a variety of settings such as voluntary teaching assistants in schools; shadowing an education professional; working on an educational research project; leading educational activities on a summer camp or language school; shadowing a prison educator; working in a tutorial school, and; helping in an outdoor education centre.

  • A smiling student with a red brick building in the backdrop

    Holly Parkes, BSc Psychology in Education

    "Placement was a third-year module, and I did mine in the summer prior to starting second year. It could be a paid job if it fit into the criteria of being related to education to some extent. I applied for a salaried Nike Euro sports camp where I successfully got the position of camp leader! The five weeks I spent at camp were some of the best weeks of my life making me definite in the dream to teach while taking on significant responsibilities, building team and communication skills, learning important safeguarding procedure while earning money. Placement was one of the many opportunities presented with this course expanding my skills and helped confirm my dream of working with children!"

    Learn more about our Alumni

  • A student stands in front of the Arts Building

    Accept your offer

    If you haven't already, in order to accept and secure your place at Birmingham, you must respond to your offer by the date stated in your offer letter. This deadline refers to your acceptance of the offer, not the fulfilment of conditions. To respond to the offer, click on the ‘Respond to Offer’ link within your applicant portal.

    What you need to do next