COMMUNITY EDUCATION at University of West of Scotland

BECOME A COMMUNITY EDUCATION PRACTITIONER

The BA Community Education is perfect for those already involved or interested in working with people in communities to facilitate their critical and social education. 

Community education is an expanding professional area that contributes to youth and community practices. This course is aimed at current or aspiring community education practitioners.

Community educators work with people of all ages and abilities to facilitate individual and social change that enhances the chances  for making a good life. The programme is underpinned by theories and practices in equality and social justice, human flourishing, engagement and participation.

This course is approved by the Community Learning and Development Standards Council for Scotland and is recognised as a lead practitioner qualification. 

COURSE DETAILS

The BA Community Education provides a range of social theories and practices that help students take a critical stance in contemporary policy, economics and in the transformative capabilities of communities.

It prepares you to work in Community Education (CEd) and Community Learning and Development (CLD) at local, national and international levels.

The values and principles of CLD: self-determination, inclusion, empowerment, working collaboratively and promotion of learning as a lifelong activity, underpin the overall ethos of this course.

There are three themes running through the course:

• The dynamic nature of theory and practice and the importance of critical reflection and research in relation to community education, formal and informal practices and educational perspectives.
• The development of emancipatory professional practice in the context of changing cultural, social, political and economic conditions
• The concept of ‘community’ and how this links to processes of globalisation and new communication practices and social relationships

Jobs

Graduates of this course will find opportunities as a lead practitioner/manager within the areas of adult education, community development and youth work.

You will also find work across a range of disciplinary areas and in voluntary and statutory sectors.

Previous graduate destinations have included working in peer education, Scottish Prison Service, faith-based and rural youth work, employability, community development and regeneration, issue based practice and charitable trusts.

Further Study

Students who successfully complete their degree can, for example, progress to our MSc in Critical Youth and Community Studies as well as to a range of other UWS programmes .