Education, Health Promotion and International Development (MA)

The MA offers students the opportunity to extend and deepen their understanding of concepts, theories and issues related to international development, education and sustainable ways of promoting health, wellbeing and social justice.

About this degree

Students will:

• build on their existing knowledge to develop new understandings of key concepts and issues in education, health promotion and international development
• appraise and evaluate current policy and practice through evidence-informed analysis
• draw connections between distinct academic disciplines with regard to the promotion of wellbeing and social justice
• investigate and propose sustainable ways of working and
• through conducting a small-scale research study, apply what they have learned to create personally and professionally relevant new knowledge of the field.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.

The programme consists of two core modules (60 credits), two optional modules (60 credits) and a dissertation (60 credits), or three optional modules (90 credits) and a report (30 credits).

Core modules

• Education and International Development: Concepts, Theories and Issues
• Promoting Health and Wellbeing: Planning, Practice and Participation

Optional modules

A range of optional modules from across UCL Institute of Education (IOE) Master's-level offering are available, including:

• Education, Conflict and Fragility
• Education and Development in Asia
• Education and Muslim Communities
• Planning for Education and Development
• Gender, Education and Development
• Gender, Sexuality and Education
• Learners, Learning and Teaching in the Context of Education for All
• Children's Rights in Practice
• Theories of Childhood and Society
• Understanding Education Research
• Understanding Research

We are keen to encourage students to select modules from across the Institute of Education - including those related to education technology, effective learning, social policy, art education (although please note that some modules attached to programmes with external accreditation are not available). Please discuss your optional module choices with your personal tutor so that you can build a modular programme relevant to your professional development in the field

Dissertation/report

All students undertake an independent research project which culminates in a dissertation of up to 20,000 words or a report of 10,000 words

Teaching and learning

The programme is taught through a combination of lectures, participatory and interactive groupwork, online learning and individual tutorials. Assessment is through coursework, taking the form of 5,000 word assignments or equivalent, such as a 3,500-word project proposal + 1,500 word conceptual framework. The small-scale research study is assessed by way of a 20,000-word dissertation or 10,000-word report

Fieldwork

Fieldwork is not a compulsory part of the programme. However, students are encouraged to draw from their professional or voluntary experience as well as the ideas encountered during the programme to write critically and cogently for different audiences. The small-scale research study usually takes the form of a combination of desk-based research (a literature review) and fieldwork.

Placement

Placements are not routinely part of the programme. But good links have been established between the programme and UCL’s Volunteering Services Unit (http://uclu.org/services/volunteering-at-uclu). Some students have also taken part in the UCL ChangeMakers programme (https://www.ucl.ac.uk/changemakers). Taking part in these programmes can provide those studying in London with valuable international development-related experience. That said, both on-campus and distance learning students are encouraged to bring their own interests and concerns into their programme, helping to make it personally relevant and professionally significant.

Further information on modules and degree structure is available on the department website: Education, Health Promotion and International Development MA

Careers

Graduates of this Master's degree have been engaged:

• as policy-makers and advisers in government ministries and departments
• as policy advocates and programme managers in international NGOs and development agencies
• as social research consultants
• as teachers and lecturers in schools, colleges and universities
• as international development consultants
• in doctoral study (either on PhD or EdD programmes).

Employability

Graduates of this Master's degree have used the academic and professional expertise gained through the programme to:

• set up and manage an NGO or consultancy
• prepare successful project and research proposals
• develop new reporting procedures adopted throughout their organisation
• gain employment as consultants
• take on new roles and responsibilities within an organisation
• transfer their expertise into international development
• engage policymakers, practitioners and members of the public through research-informed practice.

Why study this degree at UCL?

This unique Master's programme provides students with opportunities to explore and examine the links between three academic and professional fields - education, health promotion and international development. It encourages a consideration of the ways that these fields are both distinctive, yet inter-related, and how evidence-informed practice might best contribute to working across professional boundaries, enhancing wellbeing and advocating for social justice

Students learn alongside tutors who hold a breadth and depth of expertise in education, health promotion, social research and international development and who have professional experience in national and international contexts. Tutors are active in research on areas related to physical and emotional health and wellbeing, international development, refugees, young people, gender and sexuality, teaching and pedagogy and curriculum development.

The Department of Education, Practice and Society at UCL IOE is home to the Centre for Education and International Development (CEID), which comprises a team of internationally recognised experts in international development and education and which has nurtured world leaders in educational practice and research for over 85 years. 

The department has extensive experience and expertise in education-related research and practice in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Themes addressed include equality and human rights; gender, migration, race, health and wellbeing, sexuality, disability, social class, conflict and peacebuilding.

Linking research, policy and practice, the result is an extraordinarily powerful learning community.

Research Excellence Framework (REF)

The Research Excellence Framework, or REF, is the system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. The 2014 REF was carried out by the UK's higher education funding bodies, and the results used to allocate research funding from 2015/16.

The following REF score was awarded to the department: Education, Practice & Society

78% rated 4* (‘world-leading’) or 3* (‘internationally excellent’)

Visit the Education, Health Promotion and International Development (MA) page on the University College London website for more details!