A*AA, or 41–42 IB points with 776 at Higher Level
The minimum offer is A*AA at A level, or 41 to 42 IB points with 776 at Higher Level. Cambridge's listed requirements are for entry in 2027 or deferred entry in 2028.
Undergraduate · Cambridge Education
Cambridge Education BA: choosing the academic study of education
Cambridge's Education degree is an interdisciplinary study of how education shapes individuals and society. It asks for A*AA or the IB equivalent, names no required subjects, sets no admission assessment and asks for two pieces of marked written work. Its own page lists primary teacher training as one destination among several but does not describe the degree as a teaching qualification, so the useful question is whether you want to study education as a subject. Everything cycle-specific here is Cambridge's wording for 2027 entry; nothing below is a confirmed 2028 requirement.
Official information · last verified for 2027 entry
What Cambridge asks for in Education
Taken from Cambridge's Education course page and its written-work and interviews pages and read on 31 October 2026. For a normal 2028-entry application, made in 2027, every requirement below is last verified for the previous cycle and may change; Cambridge's 2028-entry requirements and dates are awaiting publication.
No specific subjects; some recommended
Cambridge does not ask for specific subjects. It recommends English (language or literature), History, languages (ancient or modern) and social science subjects for a strong application.
No admission assessment; two pieces of written work
There is no admission assessment for this course. You need to submit two pieces of written work, which your assessing College will tell you how to send.
Interviews are academic conversations
Interviews may be online or in person depending on the College. Some applicants also have a general academic interview exploring other interests, future plans and suitability for the course.
An interdisciplinary course with a dissertation
You study education through disciplines such as psychology, sociology, politics, philosophy, literature and drama. The third year includes a compulsory dissertation of 8,000 to 10,000 words.
Official sources
- University of Cambridge: Education, BA (Hons) (undergraduate course page)undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk
- University of Cambridge: Written work and portfoliosundergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk
- University of Cambridge: What to expect at your Cambridge interviewundergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk
Read on 31 October 2026 on Cambridge's Education course page and its written-work and interviews pages, which describes 2027 entry. Individual Colleges' written-work instructions and deadlines, the College-by-College interview formats, the Faculty of Education's own pages and the 2028-entry values were not read and are not stated.
The course
Education as a subject of study, from several disciplines
Cambridge says the course lets you study the meaning, purpose and effects of education and learning, and that it examines how education shapes individuals and society through psychology, sociology, politics, philosophy, literature and drama. The first year has four compulsory papers: Introduction to Education Systems and Disciplines, Learning and Human Development, Education, Creativity and Culture, and Education and Social Justice. In the second year there are two compulsory papers, Designing Educational Research and a Literature Review, plus two papers you choose. The third year has a compulsory dissertation of 8,000 to 10,000 words and three more optional papers. You can follow a pathway such as education and psychology or education and philosophy, or choose a spread of papers, and you can borrow one paper from another department in each of the second and third years.
Is it the right kind of course?
Studying education is not the same as training to teach
Cambridge lists teacher training in primary education, a wide range of graduate jobs inside and outside the education sector and Master's and doctoral research among the things the course will prepare you for. The page read does not describe the degree as a teaching qualification, so if qualified teacher status is your goal, check with Cambridge and with the teacher-training route you intend to follow.
Choose Education if
you want to ask big questions about learning, schooling, policy and culture, draw on several disciplines, and write a research dissertation.
Look elsewhere if
your aim is a degree that includes classroom training. That is a different kind of programme, and this guide does not cover it.
Cambridge PhD Education is different
The postgraduate research degree in this series is a separate topic with separate requirements.
Reading the offer
A*AA, with no required subject and a set of recommended ones
The offer is A*AA, or 41 to 42 IB points with 776 at Higher Level. Cambridge says it does not ask for any specific subjects, and recommends English, History, languages and social science subjects for a strong application. It also reports that most past entrants had studied at least one of the recommended subjects, and that the rest usually had other humanities, sciences or social sciences. Cambridge adds that common subject combinations among past entrants do not mean those combinations are favoured.
Written work and interviews
Two marked pieces, no assessment, and a conversation about ideas
You need to submit two pieces of written work, and the College assessing your application will tell you how and when. Cambridge's general guidance is that work should be marked by your teacher, with comments, and should be something you are happy to discuss in an interview. There is no admission assessment for this course. Interviews are academic conversations, online or in person depending on the College, and some applicants also have a general academic interview. Because the subject itself is unfamiliar to many applicants, choose pieces that show how you think about a question, whatever the subject.
A note on preparation
What Cambridge says about commercial interview services
Cambridge says some companies offer interview preparation for a fee, that these services are not endorsed by the University and have no exclusive information, and that all official guidance is free on its website. Avandy's support is independent and limited to helping a student choose and understand a course and plan their reading and writing.
A decision framework
Three questions before you commit
This is Avandy's own framework, not Cambridge's.
What question about education would you like to answer?
Choose something specific, such as why some interventions work for some pupils, and see whether you can already name two disciplines that could help.
Are you comfortable with research methods?
The course includes designing educational research and a dissertation. Look at a piece of educational research and see whether the method interests you.
Is your reason academic?
If your goal is classroom training, check the teacher-training routes separately from this degree.
Planning for 2028 entry
Planning for 2028 entry: what carries over and what is awaiting publication
Applying for 2028 entry means applying in 2027, under rules Cambridge has not yet published for that cycle. Each item below carries one of two labels. Last verified for 2027 entry means Cambridge published it for the previous cycle and it may change. Awaiting publication for 2028 entry means Cambridge has not yet published it.
Grades, the absence of required subjects, the absence of an assessment and the two pieces of written work: last verified for 2027 entry
These are the best guide to what to prepare. Cambridge has not confirmed them for 2028 entry.
UCAS deadline, written-work deadlines, interview dates and any change to selection arrangements: awaiting publication for 2028 entry
Check Cambridge's Education course page and its written-work and interviews pages for the 2028-entry values when they appear.
What to do now
Keep two marked pieces in different subjects, read a piece of educational research, and decide whether you want the subject or a teaching qualification.
Support
Independent support with course choice and preparation
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with the University of Cambridge or any of its colleges or departments. Preparation sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant, a PhD-level Academic Mentor and a Subject-specific Tutor, working to the actual requirements of each course. Support here helps a student understand the course, plan reading and choose marked work; it does not write, edit or rewrite any submitted piece, and Avandy has no access to exclusive Cambridge information. No outcome is promised.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
What are the Cambridge Education entry requirements?
A*AA at A level, or 41 to 42 IB points with 776 at Higher Level, with no specific subjects required. This is Cambridge's wording for entry in 2027 or deferred entry in 2028.
Which subjects do I need?
None are required. Cambridge recommends English (language or literature), History, languages (ancient or modern) and social science subjects for a strong application.
Is there an admissions test?
No. Cambridge says there is no admission assessment for this course. You need to submit two pieces of written work.
Does the degree qualify me to teach?
The page read does not describe it as a teaching qualification. Cambridge lists teacher training in primary education as one thing the course prepares you for, so check the route you intend to follow.
Is there a dissertation?
Yes. The third year includes a compulsory dissertation of 8,000 to 10,000 words.
Are these the rules for 2028 entry?
No. They are Cambridge's wording for the 2027 application cycle. Check the course page again when Cambridge publishes its 2028-entry requirements.
Students and families
Talk to us about Cambridge Education
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their subjects and the two pieces of written work they might submit, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.