Education Major - Bachelor of Arts
Interested in learning and how it relates to culture, community, social media and social justice? We’ve all been to school and probably all have a view on education. The Bachelor of Arts in Education re-examines these views.
It’s a great pathway for a number of careers in fields involved in education policy or strategic development, or for further study to become a teacher. Because this major is part of the Bachelor of Arts, it’s easy to combine it with many other aspects of society and culture. Choose from subjects in areas as diverse as social sciences, psychology, business or Māori development to include as part of your degree.
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This is part of the Bachelor of Arts.
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Throughout your three years of studies you develop a sound understanding of education, as well as effective communication, critical thinking and other transferable skills you'll need for your future career.
Apart from the courses below you also need to complete courses from your second major, your chosen minor(s) or electives.
Core courses
All Bachelor of Arts students need to complete core courses that help you develop transferable skills and support your work in all other courses in the degree.
Complete one course from each of the following clusters. Each cluster aligns with one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Partnerships and Reduced Inequalities
Choose one of:
- ENGL502 Reading New Zealand
- ENGL503 A Pacific Reader
- JAPA511 Speak Japanese I
- MAOR505 Te Mānutanga Beginners Māori Language 1
- MAOR506 Te Ekenga Waka Beginners Māori Language 2
- NZSL502 Deaf Community and Culture I
- NZSL510 New Zealand Sign Language I
- NZSL520 New Zealand Sign Language II
- SPAN501 Spanish 1A
- SPAN502 Spanish 1B
Peace and Justice, Climate Action and Economic World
Choose one of:
- CRIM580 Criminology and Criminal Justice
- EVNT500 Introduction to Event Management
- HIST500 Introduction to New Zealand History
- HIST501 The Holocaust: Its Causes, Character, and Legacy
- PSYC580 Introduction to Psychology A
- SOSC582 Social Thinking
- SOSC583 Social Institutions
- SOSC585 Climate Action
- TOUR511 Global Issues in Tourism
Sustainability, Health and Wellbeing
Choose one of:
- FOOD501 Food and the Senses
- CLSY513 Organisation and Human Behaviour Perspectives
- HOSP509 Hospitality Social Enterprise
- TOUR512 Tourism and Sustainability
Quality Education, Gender Equality and Reduced Poverty
Workplace experience is an important part of your degree, and the Work Integrated Learning course is the final part of your degree. This is a supervised work placement related to your major(s), for an organisation of your choice. It's a great way to get industry experience while still being able to get feedback from AUT lecturers, and for many of our students this workplace experience also leads to a job offer.
You could also take the Foundations in Research course if you’re considering continuing into postgraduate study.
Want more info about work integrated learning at AUT?
Read more about workplace experience in AUT programmes, how it works and why it’s so beneficial when you start your career.
Education major courses
If you're majoring in education, this is the main subject area you specialise in. It makes up one third of your degree and consists of eight education-related courses you study throughout your degree.
Year 1 courses
Complete the following courses:
- EDUC503 Critical Questions in Education
- EDUC504 Places and Learning
Year 2 courses
Complete three of:
- EDUC606 Learning and Social Media
- EDUC607 Education, Resistance and Social Justice
- EDUC608 Gender, Sexualities and Education
- EDUC616 Exploring Global Citizenship
- EDUC621 Education and Popular Culture
Or any other level 6 course with the approval of the programme leader
Year 3 courses
Complete three of:
- EDUC710 Futures Thinking in Education
- EDUC711 Education, Globalisation, and International Development
- EDUC712 Alternatives in Education
- EDUC722 Pacific Talanoa: People, Places & Education
The education courses are organised into two strands:
Sociological focus
- EDUC503 considers aspects of education in the past and how this explains issues in education today
- EDUC607 focuses on concepts related to educational questions and issues of today, such as social justice
- EDUC710 considers futures education and how the way we learn in and for a future world might be very different from today
Cultural focus
- EDUC504 considers how place affects who we are and what we learn
- EDUC621 takes a look at how popular culture can be a site of social learning
- EDUC711 and EDUC712 assume a more 'big picture' of view of education
Ready to enrol in your courses?
Find out how you can enrol in the courses and classes for your programme, whether you’ve just joined AUT as a new student or you’re already studying with us. If you’re looking for more info on a specific course use our course search.
Build your degree
Use our online tool to build your own degree and see what your three years of study could look like.
https://www.aut.ac.nz/courses/bachelor-of-arts/education-major
Studying education can prepare you for a range of careers. There's a direct pathway into teaching as you will qualify for the one-year Master of Teaching and Learning (Primary Teaching) which leads to teacher registration. If you have teaching subjects to the appropriate level in your BA (Education is not a teaching subject), you can apply for the Graduate Diploma in Secondary Teaching.
The skills you develop in this major are valuable for a range of careers, including:
- Social development work
- Youth and community work
- Marketing
- Communications
- Human resources
- Advertising
- The arts
- Training and mentoring
It’s also good preparation for further study, which could lead to teacher registration.
Find out more about industry trends, job descriptions and what employers may be looking for.
Minor study option
Other majors in the Bachelor of Arts
- Creative Writing
- Criminology and Criminal Justice
- Culinary Arts
- Economics (not open to new students from 2025)
- Event Management
- Global Tourism
- History
- International Studies
- Interpreting
- Māori Development
- Māori Media
- New Zealand Sign Language & Deaf Studies
- New Zealand Sign Language - English Interpreting*
- Psychology
- Social Sciences
*This major focuses on New Zealand Sign Language and developing the skills to become a Sign Language interpreter. It doesn’t include the option to include courses from different subjects.
Postgraduate study
- A great choice if you’re interested in education but not sure you want to be a teacher
- Includes workplace experience in Year 3
- Option to include subjects from across AUT in your degree
- Interested in the potential of education
- Someone who wants to think for themselves
- Engaged, curious and inquiring
The information on this page was correct at time of publication. For a comprehensive overview of AUT qualifications, please refer to the Academic Calendar.