MA in Education

Why this MA in Education?

Now more than ever it is important to be involved in education. Whether you’re a nursery nurse or a policymaker, a teacher or a museum education officer, your role is vital in shaping our future world.

We live in a time of swift change, and education is at the heart of it. We all face common challenges set by climate change, economic crises, and sustainability, etc. Additional, the Coronavirus pandemic has forced all of us – in a relatively strenuous amount of time – to completely re-examine how we teach and learn.

However, in view of these trials, it’s important to remember that educators have the ability to influence and develop our society for the better.

With this Masters course, you will be able to rise to the demands of our time. It is updated with evidence of best practice and is based on strong theoretical perspectives and the latest innovations in education.

As a student, you can draw from your own experiences to supplement your studies, and then transfer your learnings directly back into your career.

You’ll be encouraged to think creatively and learn how to approach your practice from an international perspective that continues to support your local context and its needs.

Find out what life’s like as a part-time distance learning student during our Virtual Open Evening.

With this course you can expect to:

• Study the purpose of education and its place within a complex system of histories, politics, geographies, economies, and potential futures.
• Understand the potential of education in promoting and enabling social justice, sustainable development, and lifelong learning.
• Adopt and refine a systematic, critical, and rigorous approach to being an educator in your specific context, informed from a global education mindset.
• Examine the opportunities created for teachers and learners within an ever-evolving landscape of educational technologies and learning spaces.
• Learn about the interdependent, cyclical nature of education and research as a social process, where translational research exists at the heart of the best practice.

With an MA in Education, exciting new routes will open to you for career progression, especially leadership or management positions, while helping you innovate in your existing role.

You’ll be able to understand how people think, act, and react when faced with challenges and opportunities.

Upon graduation, your newly found approach to education will help you manoeuvre all this with confidence.

By developing a research spirit and lifelong learning mindset, you’ll be able to continue to upgrade and improve your practice as your field evolves.

Career opportunities in:

• Schools and universities
• Youth and community work
• Training and development
• Museums and galleries
• Non-governmental organisations
• Charities with education roles

With this Masters, you can also further your study in a PhD programme.

Our modules will equip you with the theoretical and practical know-how needed to take on your role with confidence and professionalism. They were created to support a wide range of educators from all corners of the world.

The Education Explorer (30 credits)

This introductory module will enable you to visualise and locate your work within the wider field of education. We’ll take you on a journey from the past through the present, and to possible futures of education, highlighting key themes and including the evolving significance of education across cultures and sectors.

You can also expect to critically and systematically evaluate the different opportunities and challenges presented in various global settings. Near the end of the module, you’ll use the knowledge gained to create an action plan that will support your efforts throughout the rest of the programme, ensuring that your learning is focused on your specific needs and context.

The Digital Educator (30 credits)

During this module, you’ll develop a detailed understanding of educational technologies and how to use digital tools pedagogically within the appropriate settings. You’ll also learn how to keep abreast of the latest innovations in this ever-changing field.

Additionally, your coursework will help you hone your problem-solving skills and learn how to overcome resistance to change. You’ll delve into the ways you can actively and consistently engage colleagues to embrace useful technologies and related innovative teaching processes for the benefit of learners.

The Transformative Educator (30 credits)

Through exploring evidence-based research, you’ll develop an in-depth knowledge of how education intersects with social justice, diversity, equality, and sustainability.

Your coursework will enable you to analyse and evaluate arguments about how inclusive practices might be developed in a range of educational settings, along with how the Sustainable Development Goals can be integrated into your own place of work.

The Education Research Practitioner (30 credits)

With this module, you’ll gain a practical and ethical understanding of participatory research methods to support your progress into becoming an education-led researcher and a research-informed educator.

The concept of translational research will be central to your studies. You’ll develop your understanding of research integrity and enhance your ability to clearly communicate research and insights to different audiences.

Challenge Based Project (60 credits)

The final stage before achieving your full Masters, your Challenge Based Project will allow you to take all of your studies and apply them to a current professional challenge. You’ll be able to work on this project over the duration of your entire programme.

You’ll be encouraged to supplement your course learnings with more self-research in your area of choice, and effectively interweave both theory and evidence to showcase your newly developed capabilities as an educational change maker.

How you're assessed

All assessment for the course is based on coursework and submitted online. There are no exams.

Your performance on the course will be assessed through a range of methods, such as:

• Guided online discussions
• Practical work such as presentations and debates
• Written work such as reports and essays
• Visual work such as infographics and posters
• Critiques and feedback from your tutor