School of Education - Undergraduate & Postgraduate Module Choice Guide

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Module Choice Guide - 2026/27

Many School of Education undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) students make option module choices as part of their degrees. You'll be asked to make your choices during phase 2 of the registration process. 

The online module choice system does not always make it clear which modules you can choose, so here is a guide to make things clearer. We'll also go through this with you at your welcome events and staff will be on hand to answer any questions.   

To help you decide whether an option module is right for you, click on the link below for your programme. You can also enter your course code into the Programme Regulations Finder which will list all of your available modules, including descriptions. You can find your course code in My Record in MUSE and it's also listed below on the course specific optional module choice guide next to the course name. Please note that option modules can be subject to change and may not appear on the online module choice system.  

You can also contact us if you need any help making decisions:

UG students: edcug@sheffield.ac.uk

 PG students: edcpg@sheffield.ac.uk

Your core modules (compulsory modules) should already be loaded, please check this and add them if not. You must make sure you have the correct number of credits for this year. For undergraduates this is 120 and for postgraduates it is 180. If you're studying part-time, please contact us and we will advise you on which modules to take in which year.

 Subject Area Codes

It's not always easy to tell from codes which subject areas modules belong to. This list should help:  

EDC: School of Education (including SMI and Foundation Year)

SPR: School of Sociological Studies, Politics and International Relations

GPL: School of Geography and Planning

HPH: School of History, Philosophy and Digital Humanities

SLW: School of Law

Some module codes cover more than one subject area, eg SPR is both Politics and Sociology.  

Credit Splits

In order to keep your workload even across the year, credits should be split evenly across the 2 semesters, so ideally 60 credits in semester 1 (Autumn) and 60 in semester 2 (Spring). If you choose an academic year module (which means it runs for the whole year), the credit value should be divided equally between semesters e.g. a 20 credit Academic year module would count as 10 credits for the Autumn semester and 10 credits for the Spring semester.

Timetable Clashes

Timetabling for your approved module choices cannot clash with your core module teaching. The best way to check is to follow the instructions for 'other timetables' here. We try our best to avoid clashes with the most popular modules, but it’s important that you look through your timetable (via the iSheffield app or via My Timetable in MUSE) from early September (and definitely before teaching starts on Monday 28th September), and if you spot any clashes contact us as soon as possible. It's a good idea to look through the whole semester, as some modules start in later weeks . We’ll help you resolve any problems. 

Changing your mind & how to access help

Please make your choices as soon as you can - modules do fill up and getting requests in early gives you the best chance of getting on to the modules you want to study. If you change your mind, either before you arrive in Sheffield or once you have attended the first week of a class, you'll be able to make changes using the Module Add/Drop system which  opens at 9am on 21st September and closes at 5pm on 9th October.  

If you need any help at all you can:

Email - UG students: edcug@sheffield.ac.uk / PG students: edcpg@sheffield.ac.uk on 

Call - 0114 222 7000

Visit - our reception on Level D in The Wave (Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm), we'd be pleased to see you!

Course Specific Module Choice Guide

BA Social Sciences (EDCU004)

Your core modules should already be loaded onto your student record, please check this and add them if not. You must make sure you have the correct number of credits for this year. For undergraduates this is 120.

Note: Some of the module titles are abbreviated, please click the corresponding link for the full title.

Core modules

EDC114                 Foundations of Social Science 1                AUT SEM        20 credits

EDC116                 Reading Social Science                                  AUT SEM        20 credits

EDC115                 Foundations of Social Science 2                SPR SEM        20 credits

EDC118                 Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics               SPR SEM        20 credits

Optional modules

Choose 40 credits (2 modules) from this group.

EDC117                   Data Visualisation: Coding and Design       AUT SEM        20 credits

GPL115                   Cities, People and Urban Design                   AUT SEM        20 credits

GPL126                   Global Challenges                                                AUT SEM        20 credits

SLW115                 Crime in Global Context                                    AUT SEM        20 credits

SLW123                 Foundations of Criminology                           AUT SEM        20 credits

SPR122                 Thinking Politically: Key Concepts                AUT SEM        20 credits

SPR127                 Social divisions and inequalities                   AUT SEM        20 credits

GPL117                 Exploring Human Geographies                    SPR SEM        20 credits

GPL127                 Environment in Action                                     SPR SEM        20 credits

SPR114                 British Politics                                                     SPR SEM        20 credits

SPR117                World Politics                                                      SPR SEM        20 credits

SPR131                 Sociology of hope                                             SPR SEM        20 credits

MA Social Research (EDCT022 & ECT023)

Your core modules should already be loaded onto your student record, please check this and add them if not. You must make sure you have the correct number of credits for this year. For postgraduates this is 180. If you're studying part-time please get in touch with us to discuss which modules you will take in which year.

Note: Some of the module titles are abbreviated, please click the corresponding link for the full title.

Core Modules

EDC459                 Introduction to Quantitative Research       AUT SEM        15 credits

EDC473                 Introduction to Qualitative Research          AUT SEM        15 credits

EDC442                 Principles of Research Design                         ACAD YR        30 credits

Optional Modules - Research Methods

You can choose one or both of these modules up to 30 credits from this group.

EDC460                  Advanced Qualitative Methods                   SPR SEM        15 credits

EDC466                  Advanced Quantitative Methods                SPR SEM        15 credits

Optional Modules - Research Project

You must take ONE of these research project modules.  If you know you are going to go onto study a PhD choose EDC454.

EDC453                 Independent Res Project by Dissertation  ACAD YR       60 credits

EDC454                 Independent Res Project by  Proposal       ACAD YR       60 credits

Optional Modules - Subjects

You should choose a minimum of 30 and a maximum of 45 credits from this group - remember you must have 180 credits in total.

Autumn Semester

ALA437                       Theory and Research in Design                           AUT SEM        15 credits

ECN6510                   Microeconomic Analysis                                         AUT SEM        15 credits

ECN6520                   Macroeconomic Analysis                                        AUT SEM        15 credits

ECN6540                   Econometric Methods                                              AUT SEM        15 credits

EDC476                      Developmental Psychology                                   AUT SEM        30 credits

EDC494                      Critical Perspectives on Early Chldhd Ed         AUT SEM        30 credits

EDC497                     Imagining Education Futures.                               AUT SEM         30 credits

IJC414                       Data and Society                                                         AUT SEM        15 credits

IJC418                       Information & Knwldge Mngmnt                        AUT SEM        15 credits

IJC423                      Information Literacy                                                  AUT SEM        15 credits

IJC424                      Information Systems in Orgnistns                       AUT SEM        15 credits

IJC435                      Information Systems Modelling                           AUT SEM        15 credits

IJC437                      Introduction to Data Science                                AUT SEM        15 credits

IJC440                      Libraries, Information and Society                    AUT SEM        15 credits

IJC452                      Journalism in Britain                                               AUT SEM        15 credits

LAS4125                 Japan in Intl Pol & the Gbl Ecn                             AUT SEM        30 credits

LAS461                    Work and Organisation in East Asia                   AUT SEM        15 credits

LAS497                    Media, State and Society in China                     AUT SEM        15 credits

MGT6043               Accounting and Financial Mngment                AUT SEM        15 credits

MGT6045               Marketing                                                                     AUT SEM        15 credits

MGT6046                Operations & Sply Chain Mngment                 AUT SEM        15 credits

MGT6127                Mngment & Organisational Theory                AUT SEM        15 credits

MGT6163                Ldrshp, Engagement and Motivation             AUT SEM        15 credits

MGT6182                International Consumer Behaviour                AUT SEM        15 credits

MGT650                 Managing People in Organisations                   AUT SEM        15 credits

MGT659                 Ind Relations: An Intl Perspective                     AUT SEM        15 credits

SLW417                 Comp Criminology & Crim Justice                   AUT SEM        15 credits

SLW454                 Principles of International Law                         AUT SEM        15 credits

SPR407                Contemporary Global Security                         AUT SEM        30 credits

SPR423                Digital Cultures and Visual Methods               AUT SEM        15 credits

SPR433                 Platforms, Identities, Algorithms                     AUT SEM        15 credits

SPR434                 Digital Methods                                                        AUT SEM        15 credits

SPR449                 Development and the State                                AUT SEM        30 credits

Spring Semester

ALA428                  Histories and Theories of Urban Design       SPR SEM        15 credits

ECN606                  Public Economics                                                  SPR SEM        15 credits

ECN6620                 International Money and Finance                SPR SEM        15 credits

ECN6650                 Industrial Organisation                                    SPR SEM        15 credits

 ECN6660               Monetary Economics                                         SPR SEM        15 credits

EDC460                  Advanced Qualitative Methods                       SPR SEM        15 credits

EDC466                 Advanced Quantitative Methods                     SPR SEM        15 credits

EDC482                 Critical Psychology and Education                SPR SEM        30 credits

EDC495                 Language, Society and Education                 SPR SEM        30 credits

EDC496                 Teaching for Neurodiversity                             SPR SEM        30 credits

GPL425                 Climate change: Science and Impacts        SPR SEM        15 credits

GPL446                 GIS for Built Environment Profnals              SPR SEM        15 credits

GPL451                 Issues in Housing                                               SPR SEM        15 credits

GPL454                 Planning Law                                                       SPR SEM        15 credits

GPL469                  Managing Climate Change                             SPR SEM        15 credits

GPL472                 Theor & Deb in Food Sec & Justice              SPR SEM        15 credits

IJC413                    Business Intelligence                                       SPR SEM        15 credits

IJC420                    Info Governance and Ethics                         SPR SEM        15 credits

IJC427                   Big Data Analytics                                              SPR SEM        15 credits

IJC436                   Project Management                                        SPR SEM        15 credits

IJC467                  Database Design                                                  SPR SEM        15 credits

IJC469                  Acad & Wrkplce Lib, Info & Know Serv       SPR SEM        15 credits

LAS4107               Chinese Cities in Transition                           SPR SEM        15 credits

MGT6104              European Business                                           SPR SEM        15 credits

MGT6149              Marketing in Society                                        SPR SEM        15 credits

MGT6168              Well-being and Work                                       SPR SEM        15 credits

SPR408                Dem Gvrnnce in the 21st  Century             SPR SEM        30 credits

SPR411               Political Ecn of Glbl Envir Change              SPR SEM        30 credits

SPR422                 Digital Media in a Datafied Society            SPR SEM        15 credits

SPR425                Mobile Media and Digital Futures                SPR SEM        15 credits

SPR427                Sociology of Genders                                        SPR SEM        15 credits

SPR432                Digital Health                                                       SPR SEM        15 credits

SPR448                 Capitalism and Crisis                                       SPR SEM        30 credits

SPR450                 Freedom                                                                SPR SEM        30 credits

SPR451               Terrorism and Political Violence                SPR SEM        30 credits

Full Academic Year 

ALA434                 Reflections on Architectural Design                ACAD YR        15 credits

MGT6162             Applying Psychology to Wrk & Orgnstions   ACAD YR        15 credits

PSY6231              Professional Skills for Psychologists               ACAD YR        30 credits

MA Education (EDCT003)

Your core modules should already be loaded onto your student record, please check this and add them if not. You must make sure you have 180 credits for this year.

Note: Some of the module titles are abbreviated, please click the corresponding link for the full title.

Core Modules 

EDC435                  Research Project                                       GRAD YR        60 credits

EDC475                  Critical Perspectives on Edu                AUT SEM        30 credits

EDC483                  Interdiscip Appr to Knowl & Ed Res  SPR SEM        30 credits

Optional Modules 

You will choose 60 credits from this group, one from Autumn and one from Spring: 

EDC476                   Developmental Psychology                             AUT SEM        30 credits

EDC494                  Critical Perspectives on Early Chldhd Ed    AUT SEM        30 credits

EDC497                  Imagining Education Futures                           AUT SEM        30 credits                      

EDC482                  Critical Psychology and Education                SPR SEM        30 credits

EDC495                  Language, Society and Education                 SPR SEM        30 credits

EDC496                  Teaching for Neurodiversity                            SPR SEM        30 credits

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