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Education - MA

Currently viewing course to start in 2025/26 Entry.

Are you a teacher, lecturer or trainer? Are you keen to boost your professional qualifications and knowledge? Or are you simply interested in the field of education? If so, this MA Education course is for you.

  • Level Postgraduate Taught
  • Study mode Full Time/Part Time

This course is:

Overview

Are you a teacher, lecturer or trainer? Are you keen to boost your professional qualifications and knowledge? Or are you simply interested in the field of education? If so, this MA Education course is for you.

This course is not open to International students.

What's covered in this course?

Highly flexible, this course can be studied alongside your job through our part-time route. Our Education Master’s framework allows you to choose your own path by selecting the core modules, area of specialisation and optional modules, that way you can tailor your study to suit your needs and areas of interest.

The award you receive upon graduating depends on both your existing qualifications, and the combination of modules that you choose to study. You'll do this by studying some core modules and others which you negotiate with your tutor and the programme leader for your pathway.

The modules available explore current issues in education, leadership and management, change and improvement, as well as a flexible portfolio, reflection and research opportunities, leading to a final dissertation. Depending on the modules you take, you may be able to graduate with a specific pathway named on your degree.

The qualifications available are:

We can also facilitate an award in Conductive Education (in collaboration with the National Institute for Conductive Education)

Why Choose Us?

  • This recognised qualification will help you to meet a variety of Continuing Professional Development requirements, such as senior/executive leadership in schools

  • If you're thinking of changing your career for a move into teaching please be aware that this course doesn't lead to qualified teacher status.

  • You can use evidence of previous study or relevant experience to claim Accreditation of Prior Certificated Learning (APCL) or Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL).

  • You'll be able to develop professional knowledge, skills and understanding in your practice, which will support you to offer consistently excellent teaching.

  • You can use this course to put you at the forefront of professional practice in your specialist field or subject. This will enable you to help your students to succeed.

OPEN DAY

Join us for an on-campus Open Day where you'll be able to learn about this course in detail, chat to students, explore our campus and tour accommodation.

Next Event: 24 November 2024

Book now

Entry Requirements

Essential requirements

UK students
Essential

Applicants must have English Language and Mathematics GCSEs at grade C/4 or above. Equivalent level 2 qualifications can be accepted, these must have been achieved at the point of enrolment

Applicants should have a degree or equivalent qualification, or professional experience that equates to degree level.

All suitably-qualified candidates will normally be interviewed and selection will be based on ability to benefit from and contribute to the course of study.

Exemption from some modules may be granted for appropriate prior learning, including credits gained on a PGCE course.

We welcome applications from mature students and from members of communities traditionally under-represented in higher education.

International students
Essential

If you are an international applicant you must provide us with a copy of your Good Conduct certificate as you may undertake supervised visits during the course.

If you have a qualification that is not listed, please contact us.

Fees & How to Apply

Please select your student status to view fees and apply
  • UK Student
  • International Student

UK students

Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament. View fees for continuing students.

Award: MA

Starting: Sep 2025

  • Mode
  • Duration
  • Fees
  • Full Time
  • 1 year
  • £9,190 in 2025/26
  • Part Time
  • 2-4 years
  • £1,022 per 20 credit module

International students

Sorry, this course is not available to International students.

Access to computer equipment

You will require use of a laptop, and most students do prefer to have their own. However, you can borrow a laptop from the university or use one of our shared computer rooms.

Printing

You will receive £5 print credit in each year of your course, available after enrolment.

Field trips

All essential field trips and associated travel costs will be included in your course fees.

Access to Microsoft Office 365

Every student at the University can download a free copy of Microsoft Office 365 to use whilst at university and for 18 months after graduation.

Key software

You will be able to download SPSS and Nvivo to your home computer to support with your studies and research.

Key subscriptions

Subscriptions to key journals and websites are available through our library.

Excess printing (optional)

Once you have spent your £5 credit, additional printing on campus costs from 5p per sheet.

Personal stationery and study materials (optional)

Based on the past experience of our students, you might find it helpful to set aside about £30 for each year of your studies for your personal stationery and study materials.

Accommodation and living costs (optional)

The cost of accommodation and other living costs are not included within your course fees. More information on the cost of accommodation can be found in our accommodation pages.

Personal statement

You’ll need to submit a personal statement as part of your application for this course. This will need to highlight your passion for postgraduate study – and your chosen course – as well as your personal skills and experience, academic success, and any other factors that will support your application for further study.

If you are applying for a stand alone module, please include the title of the module you want to study in your Personal Statement.

Not sure what to include? We’re here to help – take a look at our top tips for writing personal statements and download our free postgraduate personal statement guide for further advice and examples from real students.

Course in Depth

Core Modules

In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 100 credits):

Optional Modules

In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete at least 80 credits from the following list of OPTIONAL modules:

While all core modules are guaranteed to run. Optional modules will vary from year to year and the published list is indicative only. If you are interested in a specific module please contact the Course Director, Louise Lambert

Download course specification

Download now

We'll offer you a structured route tailored to your professional needs. During your studies you'll gain valuable skills, knowledge and understanding relevant to the educational context you chose to study.

Your pattern of attendance will be determined by the pathway you chose and whether your course is full-time or part-time. However, a 20 credit modules typically involve at total of 200 study hours, made up of:

  • Tutor contact: 20 hours
  • Faculty-based directed tasks: 50 hours
  • Independent study time (student-led): 130 hours

Again, these hours may vary between modules and pathways and the number of participants choosing to study particular modules.

Employability

Enhanced Employability Skills

This course will give you a foundation for a career in many different educational settings, both public and private, in the UK or abroad.

It's also suitable if you want to change career direction. This is because it provides a comprehensive international overview of teaching, learning and educational systems - although it doesn't give you Qualified Teaching Status (QTS).

You'll develop important transferable skills in scholarly studies, research skills and practice. These will prove useful when you find yourself working as part of a team, or having to handle lots of data.

The master’s programmes within this framework aim to prepare you to become a creative, confident, technologically-competent and forward-looking individual who has developed the skills of research, reflection and critical evaluation and is aware of the local, national and global themes, issues, policies, ideology and philosophy that effect professional practice within your chosen field.

The development of autonomous professionals is central and participants should be in a position to analyse, synthesise and evaluate information from diverse sources in order to inform their professional development. They should also be able to evaluate critically current research and advanced scholarship in their discipline and be able to evaluate methodologies and develop critiques of them and, where appropriate, propose new hypotheses. These programmes provide a safe space where you can engage in critical academic enquiry and risk taking. 

In addition to this, you'll develop the qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment requiring the exercise of initiative and personal responsibility, decision-making in complex and unpredictable situations, the ability to deal with complex issues both systematically and creatively, make sound judgements in the absence of incomplete data, and communicate their conclusions clearly to specialist and non-specialist audiences.

Facilities & Staff

University House

Our Facilities

We are constantly investing in our estate and have spent £400 million on new learning facilities.

From January 2025, this course will be based at our City Centre Campus in a newly refurbished building.

Our staff

Dr Tina Collins

Senior Lecturer in Education

Tina is a Senior Lecturer in Education. She is joint course lead of the Master’s in Education (taught) programme. Tina’s experience also includes teacher training and she is Academic Lead for the PGCE(I)/PGDE(i) working with the Indus Training and Research Institute in India (ITARI).

More about Tina

Dr Amanda French

Reader

Amanda has worked in higher, further, adult education and the voluntary sector for 30 years as a lecturer, writing developer and researcher. Her research interests include academic writing, learner development in higher education, participatory research, transition experiences in education, employment literacies, widening participation and social...

More about Amanda

Dr Louise Lambert

Associate Professor

Dr Lou Lambert has a background in schools’ education, initial teacher education and postgraduate education leadership. She is currently an Associate Professor at BCU where she teaches, researches, and writes about pedagogical practices across educational sectors and the use of arts-based, participatory and creative methodologies for both research...

More about Louise