About the course

The BA (Hons) Learning, Teaching and Assessment in Professional Practice (Top-up) provides a valuable way to use your existing qualifications and knowledge to obtain a degree. You’ll have the chance to study a balanced combination of current educational policy and issues, and draw in relevant aspects of sociology, philosophy and psychology. It’s a great opportunity to explore in-depth some of the key current issues affecting education in the UK and abroad.

By thinking about how we learn, we’ll guide you in an exploration of how formal learning, alongside acquired knowledge, shapes our lives, interests and value structures. We’ll also encourage you to research and analyse a range of educational practices, reflecting on your own and others’ experiences of education. This will help you think critically about teaching, learning and assessing and how education is perceived and received. Our expert team will guide you as you top-up your subject or education-related Level 5 qualification to achieve an honours degree, opening the door to postgraduate-level study and career advancement.

Start Date/s

01/08/2025

Cost Information

Years 1, 2 and 3 (delivered at Burnley College): The standard full time tuition fee rate per year for this course in 2023/24 for UK students is £9000

Entry Requirements

You’re normally expected to have successfully completed a relevant qualification at Level HE5, such as a foundation degree or HND, or a professional qualification at an equivalent level.

• You must have current relevant employment teaching in your area of professional practice.
• You’ll be required to attend an interview and provide a portfolio of work evidence.
• You will also need to have GCE or equivalent maths and English at Grade 4 and above.

You are also required to get an Enhanced Disclosure certificate from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) beforehand. Charges are payable to cover the cost of the DBS Enhanced Disclosure application and annual registration with the online Update Service.

Modules

The modules listed below may be a mixture of compulsory and optional. You may not have the opportunity to study all the modules shown as part of the course.

• The Illusion of Inclusion
• Psychology of Education
• Professional Practice in Education
• Developing Professional Practice and Promoting Wellbeing

Assessment

This course is taught face to face two days per week in both the day time and evening. We’ll help you develop your research skills while you mould your own approach to individual learning and independent research. You’ll also have lectures, seminars and group work to help you progress successfully. One-to-one tutorial support will also be made available to you as appropriate. All activities are designed to offer you a great learning opportunity.

Assessment tasks will be linked to the learning outcomes for each module. All assignments will be based on course work and will vary from academic essays to e-discussions, portfolios, presentations and seminars. The assessment tasks will involve research exercises, and possibly the use of reflective journals and case studies. Reflective activities, including using relevant theories and reflective tools, will help you to relate theory to practice. Formative assessment feedback on written assignment preparation will be given orally in tutorials and immediately following presentations, with practice presentations encouraged in some modules.

Careers & Progression

As a graduate of this top-up course, you may pursue higher-level roles in your current field of teaching. You may also choose to develop a deeper understanding by studying a master’s degree in in education or a related social science.

You will not be limited to working in education, however. Possessing an honours degree opens new doors and offers the possibility of changing your career completely. For instance, as a graduate of this course, you would be able to apply for postgraduate study allowing you to qualify as a Social Worker. Completing an honours degree is an investment in your future that can unleash your potential.

Alternative career options

Graduates can also use the qualification as a stepping-stone into a range of other careers where entry may require relevant experience and/or postgraduate study. Some of these careers include:

• Education officer
• Family liaison
• Educational psychology
• Educational administration
• Educational writing
• Careers guidance
• Training and development
• Quality standards
• Community engagement
• Youth work
• Social work
• Play therapy
• Human resources