Bachelor of Arts - Education Major/Minor

The processes and outcomes of education are central to life in a modern society. If you are interested in education but not necessarily wanting to teach you can study education as either a major, minor or elective subject within a Bachelor of Arts. Choose from a wide range of courses dealing with varied aspects of education.

Quick Facts

Full-time: 3 years (part-time study options also available)
Major/minor: Education
Taught at: City Campus
Points per degree: 360

Programme Highlights

Choose from courses covering areas such as gender and education, child and adolescent development and the sociology, philosophy, politics and psychology of education.
Course material is informed by the latest research in education. Learn from lecturers who are specialists in their field.
Opens doors into a wide variety of career opportunities.
Opportunity to complete part of your BA overseas at one of more than 90 universities in 25 different countries (360o Auckland Abroad).

2009 Education in the Bachelor of Arts (3MB)


Keen to find out more? » Student Support Services » How do you get in? » Money Matters » Where to from here? Contact the Faculty of Art for more information on the Bachelor of Arts degreee and how you can include Education in your study. Phone: +64 9 373 7599 ext. 85060 Email: arts@auckland.ac.nz

What you'll be studying

In the first year you will:

take a total of eight courses: six from the three subjects which interest you most eg, you could take two courses in Education, two in English and two in Sociology. You could take your remaining two courses in a combination of a fourth subject and General Education. This pattern prepares you to take at least two subjects at a more advanced level later, while keeping your options open. Visit www.arts.auckland.ac.nz/BAstudyareas for a list of the subjects available.

In subsequent years, courses include:

you choose at least two subjects from your first year to study at a higher level
one of these becomes your primary interest (your "major"), which you take to the most advanced stage. The other subject will be your secondary focus (your "minor"), or you can make this subject a second major
if you chose Education as your major or minor you may choose to specialise in a specific area of education or simply select courses of interest
there's lots of opportunity to take more courses from other subjects. You also take a second General Education course.

View the full list of courses

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Choose your career...

A BA in Education can take you along a variety of career paths. You might work in management and administration, government, the diplomatic service, tourism, the arts, media, the film industry, advertising, writing, editing and publishing, human resources, policy analysis, research, information management, social services and translation.

With postgraduate study, graduates in Education have gained employment helping with the planning and servicing of education in New Zealand and overseas; as educational psychologists; in human resource and personnel work; in marae-based training; and in polytechnics and universities doing research and helping others study aspects of education.

This qualification will give you an in-depth knowledge of education but will not qualify you as a teacher. If you decide that teaching is the right career for you, then on successful completion of the BA you can apply to do a further year of graduate diploma study to qualify as a teacher. Secondary teaching will require your BA to include subject choices that link to secondary school subjects.

Interested in further study?

If you want to take your studies further, our programmes can lead you all the way to masters and doctorate level to optimise your career and salary prospects.

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"I’m studying for a double major in education and psychology because I want to become a registered psychologist and work with children and young people. Because I’m interested in the education and development area of psychology rather than the clinical side, the
education papers have tied in really well and have given me an insight into the empathy, understanding and awareness of other cultures that is important in dealing with young people. I plan to continue with postgraduate study."

Melanie Palmer is a third year Bachelor of Arts student. She is bonded to work in New Zealand for two years when she finishes her study under the StudyLink Bonded Merit programme, where students receive assistance with their fees after the first year of study.