Education Studies with Mandarin BA (Hons)

Discuss, debate and question educational structures, policy, practice and theory, while combining your studies with beginner or post-GCSE level Mandarin.

You deserve a positive teaching and learning experience, where you feel part of a supportive and nurturing community. That’s why most students will enjoy an innovative approach to learning using block teaching, where you will study one module at a time. You’ll benefit from regular assessments - rather than lots of exams at the end of the year - and a simple timetable that allows you to engage with your subject and enjoy other aspects of university life such as sports, societies, meeting friends and discovering your new city. By studying with the same peers and tutor for each block, you’ll build friendships and a sense of belonging.

Overview

Did you know that Mandarin Chinese is currently the language with the greatest number of speakers in the world?

Competence in another language is fast become an essential skill for success in the global job market. By combining your study of Education Studies with Mandarin, you can develop your employability with a second language that helps distinguish you from other graduates. The skills acquired when learning a language are valued by employers and are transferable into many sectors.

You can start your study of languages at DMU in Mandarin at beginner, GCSE (intermediate) or advanced level and learn at a grade and pace that suits you and your needs.

Learning a new language not only helps to provide you with linguistic skills but can also enhance your skills in your native language and develop your presentation, written and critical skills.

You will cover Education Studies modules including Perspectives on Education, Inclusion and Diversity, Understanding Learning and Wellbeing, and Special Educational Needs, Disability and Neurodiversity. You will also take part in weekly language practice and conversation sessions, and intensive workshops, where you will develop your language skills through the study of the country and its society, culture and people.

Key features

Learn a Mandarin while studying how people learn and perspectives on education, with the flexibility to specialise in your areas of interest through optional modules. Modules you can choose from include Creativity in Education, Radical Education and Music in the Life of the Primary School.

Successful completion of the course provides a foundation to progress onto ITT, enabling you to become a teacher in the UK.
Engage with the local community and boost your CV through placements and volunteering opportunities at schools, art and learning centres or museums.
Delivered by experienced academics and developed with input from sector professionals, ensuring learning is up to date with current practices and challenges in the sector.
Placement opportunities offer you the chance to undertake work experience in local schools, where you can put your learning into practice and gain valuable real-world experiences.
Our students have gained international experience related to their studies through our DMU Global programme. Education Studies students have previously explored museum education in Amsterdam, considered inequality and segregation in New York, and supported refugees in Berlin.

Benefit from block teaching, where most students study one subject at a time. A simple timetable will allow you to really engage with your learning, receive regular feedback and assessments, get to know your course mates and enjoy a better study-life balance.

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UK
EU/International

Institution code: D26

UCAS course code: XR40 (apply directly at DMU for part-time route)

Start date: September

Duration: Three years full-time, or six years part-time

Option to undertake a one year Erasmus study abroad programme between years two and three

Location: De Montfort University Leicester UK

Fees and funding:

2025/26 tuition fees for UK students: £9,250

Additional costs: You may incur additional costs for this programme, including the cost of travelling to and from project/placement locations.

How to apply

Submit a study-related enquiry

Institution code: D26

UCAS course code: XR40 (apply directly at DMU for part-time route)

Duration: Three years full-time

Location: De Montfort University Leicester UK

Fees and funding:

2024/25 tuition fees for international students: £15,750

Find out more about available funding for international students.

Additional costs: You may incur additional costs for this programme, including the cost of travelling to and from project/placement locations.

How to apply

Application guidance document

Submit a study-related enquiry

Entry criteria

GCSEs

Five GCSEs at grade C/4 or above including English Language or Literature

Plus one of the following:

A levels

A minimum of 104 UCAS points from at least two A levels

T Levels

Merit

BTEC

BTEC National Diploma - Distinction/Merit/Merit
BTEC Extended Diploma - Distinction/Merit/Merit

Access to HE Diploma

Pass in QAA accredited Access to HE overall 104 UCAS tariff with at least 30 Level 3 credits at Merit. We will normally require students to have had a break from full-time education before undertaking the Access course.

International Baccalaureate: 24+

Interview: No

Work experience: No

Personal statement selection criteria

Clear communication skills, including good grammar and spelling
Information relevant to the course applied for
Interest in the course demonstrated with explanation and evidence
If relevant for the course - work and life experience

English language requirements

If English is not your first language an IELTS score of 6.5 overall with 5.5 in each band (or equivalent) when you start the course is essential.

English Language tuition, delivered by our British Council-accredited Centre for English Language Learning, is available both before and throughout the course if you need it.

DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check: Yes

You must submit an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service disclosure application form before starting the course (if you are overseas you will also need to submit a criminal records certificate from your home country), which needs to be cleared in accordance with DMU’s admissions policy. Contact us for up-to-date information.

We strongly advise that you opt for the DBS update service as it is possible that future placement providers may request a recent DBS and not one from the start of the programme. If you decide not to opt for this service then you will have to pay for the DBS again if requested by your placement provided – the university will not cover this cost.

UCAS Tariff changes

Students applying for courses starting in September will be made offers based on the latest UCAS Tariff.

Structure and assessment

First Year

Block 1: An Introduction to Education: History and Academic Discipline

Block 2: Perspectives on Education

Block 3: Beginner or Post-Beginner Mandarin

Block 4: Contemporary and Evidence-Based Issues in Education

In Block 1 and 2, you will also have one hour (two hours for Beginners) of language conversation weekly.

Second Year

Block 1: Ways of Learning and Wellbeing

Block 2: Research Methods in Education

Block 3: Post-Beginner or Intermediate Mandarin

Block 4: Inclusion and Diversity

In Block 1 and 2, you will also have one hour (two hours for Post-Beginners) of language conversation weekly.

Third Year

Block 1 Select one of:

Creativity in Education
Radical Education
Global and Comparative Education
Music in the Life of the Primary School

Block 2 Select one of:

The Practice and Policies of Primary Education
Special Educational Needs, Disability and Neurodiversity
Education and Equality: Class, Race and Ethnicity

Block 3: Intermediate or Advanced Mandarin

Block 4: Dissertation

In Block 1 and 2, you will also have one hour (two hours for Intermediate) of language conversation weekly.

See detailed module information

Note: All modules are indicative and based on the current academic session. Course information is correct at the time of publication and is subject to review. Exact modules may, therefore, vary for your intake in order to keep content current. If there are changes to your course we will, where reasonable, take steps to inform you as appropriate.

This is a full-time course. Each module is worth 30 credits. You will be taught through a combination of lectures, seminars, workshops, independent research and self-directed study. In your first year you will normally attend around 9 hours of timetabled taught sessions (workshops and seminars) each week, and we expect you to undertake at least 30 further hours of independent study each week to complete preparation tasks, assessments and research.

Assessment may include, but is not limited to:

Presentations
Micro-teaching sessions
Contributions to electronic discussion boards
Creating wikis and lesson planning
Blogs
Essays
Negotiated assignment
Research project
Portfolio
Co-production activities

Education Studies staff have professional experience across all stages of learning and education from primary schooling through to adult learning, nationally and internationally.

Staff are members of a number of professional associations including the British Education Research Association and British Sociological Association, and are affiliated with research groups including the Centre for Critical Education Policy Studies at the Institute of Education; the Centre for Narrative Research at the University of East London, DMU Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development and DMU Institute of Research in Criminology, Community, Education and Social Justice.

The teaching team includes professors, associate professors, doctoral and post-doctoral researchers. The team have a number of notable awards and accolades including the Vice Chancellor's Distinguished Teaching Award and Director of the Institute for Research in Criminology, Education and Social Justice.

Staff are currently engaged in leading, internally and externally funded research projects relating to their areas of expertise, including:

A Germ’s Journey: co-creation of resources for addressing UN Sustainable Development Goals in education & health in low-and-middle-income countries. This participatory research project evaluates whether specifically developed resources (‘A Germ’s Journey’) aid children in India’s understanding of hand-hygiene principles and discusses how the findings can inform the future development of culturally relevant resources for developing countries.
Awarding of an Advance HE Good Practice Grant to re-develop our SEND module through co-production with students and practitioners who are disabled, neurodivergent and/or have special educational needs.
Race, education and decolonisjng the curriculum
Gender and education
SEND
Creativity and education
Sustainability, the environment and wellbeing
Technology and education
Alternative education
Social justice, childhood, youth and education
Gypsy/Traveller education
Music education and vocal pedagogy
Global comparative education
Educational transitions and transferable learning

Facilities and features

Health and Life Sciences facilities

Substantial investment in Health and Life Sciences has developed our teaching and learning facilities to help you develop your practical experience and theoretical knowledge beyond the classroom.

The 19th century Hawthorn Building has facilities designed to replicate current practice in health and life sciences, including contemporary analytical chemistry and formulation laboratories, audiology booths and nursing and midwifery clinical skills suites.

Purpose-built clinical skills areas allow you to apply theory to practice in a safe environment. You will receive guidance and support from staff, to ensure that your practical ability in the clinical skills suites is accurate.

Library and learning zones

On campus, the main Kimberlin Library offers a space where you can work, study and access a vast range of print materials, with computer stations, laptops, plasma screens and assistive technology also available.

As well as providing a physical space in which to work, we offer online tools to support your studies, and our extensive online collection of resources accessible from our Library website, e-books, specialised databases and electronic journals and films which can be remotely accessed from anywhere you choose.

We will support you to confidently use a huge range of learning technologies, including the Virtual Learning Environment, Collaborate Ultra, DMU Replay, MS Teams, Turnitin and more. Alongside this, you can access LinkedIn Learning and learn how to use Microsoft 365, and study support software such as mind mapping and note-taking through our new Digital Student Skills Hub.

The library staff offer additional support to students, including help with academic writing, research strategies, literature searching, reference management and assistive technology. There is also a ‘Just Ask’ service for help and advice, live LibChat, online workshops, tutorials and drop-ins available from our Learning Services, and weekly library live chat sessions that give you the chance to ask the library teams for help.

More flexible ways to learn

You'll benefit from Education 2030 DMU’s new way of delivering courses, focusing on ensuring the best possible experience for our students. You will study in a ‘block’ mode, focusing on one subject at a time instead of several at once. A focused block approach allows you to better manage your studies around your other life commitments, whether that is work, caring responsibilities, sport, or hobbies and socialising. The streamlined approach supports your study/life balance.

Block learning and teaching benefits include:

Achieving better outcomes/grades
Focused learning
Dedicated teacher contact time
Regular assessment and quicker feedback
A stronger learning community
Supports study life balance and wellbeing needs
More opportunities to develop your skills

We offer an equitable and inclusive approach to learning and teaching for all our students. Known as the Universal Design for Learning (UDL), our teaching approach has been recognised as sector leading. UDL means we offer a wide variety of support, facilities and technology to all students, including those with disabilities and specific learning differences.

Just one of the ways we do this is by using ‘DMU Replay’ – a technology providing all students with anytime access to audio and/or visual material of lectures. This means students can revise taught material in a way that suits them best, whether it's replaying a recording of a class or adapting written material shared in class using specialist software.

Opportunities and careers

Placements

During this course you will have the option to complete a paid placement year, an invaluable opportunity to put the skills developed during your degree into practice. This insight into the professional world will build on your knowledge in a real-world setting, preparing you to progress onto your chosen career.

Previous students have taken up placements in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors, including some international posts, with leading companies such as

Our award-winning Careers Team can help to hone your professional skills with mock interviews and practice aptitude tests, and an assigned personal tutor will support you throughout your placement.

Graduate careers

This course helps develop skills that are invaluable for graduates who want to build a career working with young people and children. While this can open up opportunities for employment in primary schools, it can also include nurseries as well as other pre and after-school settings.

Many of our recent graduates have started their careers in teaching, education practice, nurseries, youth work, educational publishing and the creative industries. Graduates can also build on their knowledge with postgraduate opportunities, including an Education Practice MA, which opens up opportunities to work in a number of wider educational environments, including youth and community work, local authority employment, social and educational research and early years settings.

DMU Global

Our innovative international experience programme DMU Global aims to enrich your studies and expand your cultural horizons, helping you to become a global graduate, equipped to meet the needs of employers across the world.

Through DMU Global, we offer a wide range of opportunities including on-campus and UK-based activities, overseas study, internships, faculty-led field trips and volunteering, as well as Erasmus+ and international exchanges.

DMU Global has enabled our students to teach English language to children in Thailand and explore diversity and inequalities in Florida.

Take your next steps

Nine halls of residence and around 2,300 rooms, all of which are within easy walking distance of the campus.

Run by students for students, DSU offers more than 150 societies and almost 40 different sports clubs for you to get involved in.

Education Studies with Mandarin BA (Hons)

Block teaching designed around you

Overview

Entry criteria

Structure and assessment

Course modules

Teaching and assessments

Academic expertise