Education (MA)

The MA Education is a unique modular and flexible programme designed to reflect the needs of individuals or organisational cohorts.

While each module has its own particular focus, all are concerned with investigating contemporary educational issues in the light of economic and social contexts, appropriate literature and the shared experience of course members.

The overall purpose of the Masters programmes is to deepen and refine your capacity for critical reflection on your practice as well as on the mental models which inform your work. Systematic inquiry is therefore an organising principle that underpins all modules on the programme, and you will be encouraged to identify issues that are significant to you and your organisation.

A hallmark of the MA Education is its commitment to equity and diversity, and its flexibility to meet the needs of individuals and organisations. Flexibility is evident in terms of offering students:

-a range of exit points en-route to a full Masters programme
-a range of module options to create a personally and professionally meaningful qualification
-a range of modes of delivery to take account of individual needs and professional contexts

Course Content

Enhancing your capacity for systematic inquiry is fundamental to the MA in Education. There is therefore one core module which
enables you to develop the confidence and competence to embed inquiry in your everyday practice as an educator. This 30- credit module is Planning Practice Based Inquiry and it is compulsory for all course members.

To achieve an MA Education you need to successfully complete four 30-credit modules and a dissertation.

As well as general teaching modules, students are able to study a range of specialist themes including:

• Educational Leadership and Management
• Higher Education
• Human Relations
• Learning, Technology and Education
• Special Needs

Please note that all module details are subject to change.

The School of Education welcomes approaches from educational organisations looking for a bespoke programme for their own staff, perhaps in collaboration with other local organisations (e.g. feeder schools, special schools, PRU, FE colleges, integrated services) to create or develop a local network of educators learning together.

Assessment

Each 30-credit module is assessed by a written assignment of 5,000-6,000 words or equivalent.

The dissertation is an original piece of work and should be 12,000 – 15,000 words (or their equivalent) in one of the selected modules or an approved topic.

Course Structure

The MA in Education can be completed over 1 year of full-time study or part-time over 2 to 4 years.

For individuals
The MA Education offers a flexible approach to planning your study. As an individual there are different modes of study available to you:

• Ten weekday twilight sessions over the course of a semester or academic year;
• Five weekend days over the course of a semester;
• Summer School *
• Available as an online programme

*Summer School takes place annually over a two week period commencing the last week in July. Summer School offers the opportunity to study one or two 30-credit modules in intensive teaching blocks, with continued academic support available during the subsequent period of self-guided study. Summer School modules can be combined with modules provided during other semesters. It is also possible to study four modules over two Summer School periods.

For cohorts
Staff from the School of Education will deliver the modules on your own premises or in a local community setting for a group of 10 or more staff, and sessions will be scheduled by negotiation with group members. These may take place in any of the following formats or a combination of all three:

• during twilight sessions after school;
• on Inset days;
• weekend or holiday day.

We also offer a Postgraduate Diploma and Postgraduate Certificate in Education.