Department of Education and Professional Studies

Our department has an international reputation for the quality of its research, curriculum development and teaching. We pursue a broad base of work on education and professional development in a range of settings from schools to higher education, from health services to the training of members of the ministry and from traditional learning contexts to virtual learning environments.

Fundamental to our activities is a strong and dynamic research culture with over 40 academic staff and 10 full professors. Departmental research programmes, many of which are funded by major agencies such as the ESRC, are undertaken in the learning of mathematics and science, the educational use of information and communication technologies, public policy, religion, ministry and theology, assessment, and language and literacies. Our interests are fundamentally in researching and teaching about learning and the construction of knowledge. We also have a strong interest in the evolving practices and policy contexts of work in the public, private and other sectors and professional development.

Professors Sharon Gewirtz, Ben Rampton and Alister McGrath are just some of the scholars with an international reputation who work here. All teaching programmes, from undergraduate to doctoral, are informed by this research and we run a wide variety of graduate taught programmes for both full and part-time students.

All graduate students are offered a full induction programme which includes an introductory tour of the library and a description of all the facilities available to them. We also carry out an extensive research training programme in the department which is compulsory for all research students.

The department is based in the Franklin-Wilkins Building, Waterloo Bridge Wing with all the facilities offered by the College easily available. The on-site library and computing facilities are readily accessible together with the opportunity to use the University of London library at Senate House. Research students have the use of their own work room with computers as well as a common room.

Sources of funding include the UK funding councils (eg AHRC and ESRC), the major charities, eg Wellcome and Leverhulme and the European Union. Some overseas students are supported by British Council scholarships or their home governments. Each year the department submits applications from outstanding students for the Overseas Research Studentship scheme. The School of Social Science & Public Policy offers some studentships every year. Funding may also be available through the Graduate School.