Program Overview

Special Educational Needs, Disabilities and Inclusion (Top-up) BA(Hons)

Overview

The course will equip you with the knowledge, understanding and skills that are essential for planning and delivering education to meet the needs of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) within special and inclusive education settings. You’ll develop an academic understanding of special and inclusive education. You’ll also develop your knowledge and understanding of inclusive educational theory related to pedagogy and practice, including knowledge of specific areas of SEND. You’ll have the opportunity to analyse and evaluate the impact of national and international policy on special and inclusive education.

Key Information

Entry Requirements

• Entry requirements for this course are normally one of the following:
  • A Higher National Diploma (or equivalent).
  • An initial teaching qualification from a recognised teacher education institution.
  • Successful completion of a Higher Education qualification with 120 European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credits (or equivalent).
• Your qualification should be in an area related to education, for example the study of special educational needs and disabilities, children’s learning and development (including atypical development).
• In addition, you must also have GCSE English Language at grade 4 or above, or grade C or above if awarded under the previous GCSE grading scheme.
• If your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum requirements of an English Language qualification. The minimum of IELTS 6.0 overall with no element lower than 5.5, or equivalent.

Start Dates

• 22 September 2025

Duration

• 1 year full-time

Course Detail

Core Modules

• Planning Your Final Year Project: This module will help you to learn how to design and conduct a final year project. It does this by exploring a range of research and design approaches, strategies and methods.
• Final Year Project: This module allows you to pursue your academic and work-related interests and to demonstrate the breadth of knowledge, understanding, and strengths that you have developed during your degree studies.
• Critical Approaches to Inclusive Education: You will examine definitions and different understandings of inclusion and models of disability, considering a national and global context.

Option Modules

• Health and Wellbeing: Through this module you’ll explore different aspects of the health and well-being of children and young people and become equipped to evaluate the wider public health agenda, national trends and supporting legislation.
• Supporting Social, Emotional and Mental Health in Education: This module explores the context of and responses to a range of social, emotional and mental health needs in educational settings.

Teaching and Assessment

• You’ll be taught through a series of lectures, seminars, tutorials and interactive workshops.
• Assessment takes place through a variety of seminars, essays, presentations, independent research, discussions and delivering teaching/training using digital technologies.

Career Support

• If you aspire to work with children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, this top-up degree will help you develop the professional knowledge and skills you need.
• The course will prepare you to work in a range of special and inclusive educational contexts.

Fees and Finance

• The maximum fees we will charge for UK based students on undergraduate courses in 2025/26 will be £9,535 per year for full-time students (subject to parliamentary approval).
• Tuition fees will cover the cost of your study at the University as well as charges for registration, tuition, supervision and examinations.

Research Excellence

• Our researchers carry out work that makes a real difference to people's lives.
• We are in the top 50 UK universities for Research Power.
• Three quarters of all our research is world leading and internationally excellent.