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BA (Hons) Learning, Teaching and Assessment in Professional Practice top-up Online

BA (Hons) Learning, Teaching and Assessment in Professional Practice top-up Online

Award

BA (Hons)

Start Date

27/01/2025

Duration

2 years

Mode

Part-time Distance Learning

Location

University of Bolton

If you're currently employed in a teaching or student-facing role where a bachelor's degree is not available or required for the sector (such as a vocational subject or professional practice), this online course will allow you to enhance your knowledge and skills. 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.

Apply Now Download Prospectus Programme Specification

Course Overview

The online 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 at the University of Bolton. You'll have the chance to study a balanced combination of current educational policy and issues, drawing in relevant aspects of sociology, philosophy and psychology. It's an excellent 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 help you explore how formal learning and 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, assessing, and how education is perceived and received.

Highlights

Key Features

Entry Requirements
  • Normally, you should have successfully completed a relevant qualification with 120 credits at Level HE5, such as a foundation degree or HND, or a professional qualification at an equivalent level. We'll also require evidence that you've achieved 120 credits at Level HE4 if this isn't part of your Level HE5 qualification. We'll be happy to consider evidence of recognised prior experiential learning (RPEL).
  • You must have current relevant employment, which includes teaching in your area of professional practice.
  • You'll be required to attend an online interview and provide a digital portfolio of work evidence and academic work at level HE5.
  • As this is an online course, you'll need access to a computer with the appropriate software and accessories, including a webcam, microphone and a sufficient broadband connection. You'll also need basic IT skills. In particular, you'll need to be able to access and use the University of Bolton's virtual learning environment, Moodle. Please contact the programme leader for details if you are uncertain that you'll be able to meet these requirements.
  • If English isn’t your first language, you’ll also need IELTS 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in any band (or equivalent). We also accept a range of other English language qualifications – please visit our English Language Requirements web page for more details.

Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.

Career Opportunities

The University of Bolton's online BA (Hons) Learning, Teaching and Assessment in Professional Practice (top-up) course offers you the opportunity to top-up your existing Level 5 qualification, such as a foundation degree or HND, to the honours degree level. Gaining honours-level skills and knowledge in education and research can help you advance your teaching career or widen your career horizons.

What can I do with this qualification?

As a graduate of this top-up course, you may pursue higher-level roles in your current field of teaching. Completing this top-up course will also prepare you for postgraduate study. You could develop a deeper understanding by studying for a master's degree in education or social science; for instance, the University of Bolton offers postgraduate courses such as MA Educational Leadership and MA Inclusive Education that may be of interest. Ultimately, you might consider a PhD in an education-related subject.

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 entirely. For instance, as a graduate of this course, you could apply for postgraduate study to qualify as a Social Worker, undertake an MSc in Entrepreneurship and Innovation or pursue conversion courses in subjects subject as psychology or law. 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. Some of these roles may require relevant experience and/or postgraduate study. Some possibilities include:

  • Education officer
  • Family liaison
  • Educational psychology
  • Educational administration
  • Educational writing
  • Careers guidance
  • Training and development
  • Quality standards
  • Community engagement
  • Youth work
  • Social work
  • Market and policy research
  • Achieving Teacher Status
  • Cover supervisor
  • Educational management
  • EYFS roles
Fees & Funding

Home/EU Fees

No fee information is currently available, please contact the University of Bolton’s Academic Fees team by emailing AcademicFees@bolton.ac.uk for more information.

International Fees

No fee information is currently available, please contact the University of Bolton’s Academic Fees team by emailing AcademicFees@bolton.ac.uk for more information.

Bursaries

Click here for more information about the scholarships and bursaries available to University of Bolton students.

Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2024-25 academic year: EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for 'Home' fee status. If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for 'Home' fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement. Please read the student finance for EU students web page on www.gov.uk for information.

The fees for a student's course of study will be set for the normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.

How to apply

Home Applicants

You may apply directly to the University using the University's online application form. Please select your chosen start date from the list below:

You should have to hand:

  • Details of the educational establishments you attended and dates

  • Your certificates for the qualifications you are using to gain entry to the course – you will need to enter the completion date and upload copies

  • Details of any employment history including name, address, dates and role

  • Personal statement – this can be either input into the relevant field or uploaded separately

  • Details including e-mail addresses of two referees, at least one of which should be someone who can provide an academic reference

Please make sure any documents you wish to upload in support of your application are in pdf or jpeg format. Personal statements may be word documents.

Please ensure your data is correct at each stage of the application before you proceed to the next page. If you use the back button at any time during the application, you should check the validity of the data you have already input.

If you experience difficulties during the application process, contact the Admissions Team on 01204 903394 or admissions-team@bolton.ac.uk

International Applicants

Thank you for your interest

In order to determine your suitability for this course as an international student and also to confirm you meet any initial eligibility criteria, we need you to answer a few short questions.

Continue

Teaching & Assessment

This course is taught online through live tutor-led online sessions and access to online resources. 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 coursework 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 online tutorials and immediately following presentations, with practice presentations encouraged in some modules.

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.

  • Developing Professional Practice and Promoting Wellbeing
  • Research in Professional Practice
  • Psychology of Education in Professional Practice
  • Educational Leadership in Professional Practice
  • Illusion of Inclusion in Professional Practice
  • Philosophy of Education in Professional Practice
  • Professionalism and Qualified Status in Education
  • Supervising Research

Assessment methods

Level Assessment method
Level 1 Coursework 100%
Level 2 Coursework 100%

Learning Activities

Level Activity
Level 1 Guided independent study 55%
Placement/study abroad 30%
Scheduled learning and teaching activities 15%
Level 2 Guided independent study 75%
Placement/study abroad 2%
Scheduled learning and teaching activities 23%

The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.

Postgraduate Options

Programme Contacts

Help Centre

We have the answers to your questions, find all the advice and support in one place.

Part of the University of Bolton Group

Bolton college
Alliance learning
Anderton centre2
QQA Scheme Participant

Help Centre

We have the answers to your questions, find all the advice and support in one place.

Part of the University of Bolton Group

Bolton college
Alliance learning
Anderton centre2
QQA Scheme Participant