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Education - MA
Currently viewing course to start in 2024/25 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
- Location City Centre / City South
- Award MA
- Start date September 2024
- Fees View course fees
- School School of Education and Social Work
- Faculty Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences
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.
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:
- Education
- Education (International Education)
- Education (Special Needs Education) (in collaboration with the National Institute for Conductive Education)
However, we can facilitate awards in other specialist areas of study including:
- Childhood Studies
- Conductive Education (in collaboration with the National Institute for Conductive Education)
- Early Years Leadership
- Leadership and Management
- Mentoring and Coaching
- Youth and Community Education
If you are interested in these awards please email Tina.Collins@bcu.ac.uk (full-time queries) or Stephen.Griffin@bcu.ac.uk (part-time queries)
Why Choose Us?
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This recognised qualification will help you to meet a variety of Continuing Professional Development requirements, such as senior/executive leadership in schools
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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.
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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).
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You'll be able to develop professional knowledge, skills and understanding in your practice, which will support you to offer consistently excellent teaching.
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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. Booking isn't open yet for this event, register your interest and we’ll email you as soon as booking goes live.
Next Event: 24 November 2024
Entry Requirements
Essential requirements
UK students
Essential |
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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 |
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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
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 2024
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Full Time
- 1 year
- £8,925 in 2024/25
- Part Time
- 2-4 years
- £992 per 20 credit module
International students
Sorry, this course is not available to International students.
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.
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):
This module focuses on your transition to level 7 work. This focus on transition is important because although at first glance a typical taught Masters programme can look very similar to its undergraduate equivalent there are a number of important differences, such as the greater emphasis on your ability to undertake independent, self-directed study. This is not just true of the dissertation project that concludes a typical Masters programme; it is also the case for all taught units, which will expect you to prepare for assignments by independently researching your particular areas of interest and experience for summative assignments.
Doing a Master’s degree involves many skills, which will be familiar from an undergraduate programme of study; however, there are some crucial differences. This core module is designed to introduce you to the principles of educational research at Masters level encouraging you to build on your experiences of conducting independent research.
The module covers everything you need to know in order to conduct research at Masters Level effectively. This includes ensuring that you can plan research that complies with HELS ethical considerations create a literature review, complete with a comprehensive and accurately cited reference list and demonstrate a critical understanding of methodologies.
The Dissertation module is the culmination of your Masters programme. It provides you with the opportunity to develop a systematic understanding of research in relation to your chosen area, and to develop your professional practice through the processes of educational research. You will be encouraged to use self-direction and originality in pursuing your development focus through this independent piece of independent research.
The module provides you with opportunities to act autonomously in designing and planning a Masters level enquiry; to investigate the relationships between theoretical, practical and research knowledge; and to consider the actual and potential impact on educational practice.
Your chosen development focus for the module will be based on your personal, professional and/or organisational needs and priorities. It may build on work carried out in earlier modules, or address an entirely different or new aspect of professional practice.
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.
This module aims to support you to become an ethical and critically reflexive practitioner, able to operate effectively as a coach or mentor in a range of different educational settings.
In this module you will be encouraged to think critically and increase your awareness of issues in adult learning and development that impact directly on coaching and mentoring practices. You will be encouraged to integrate your prior work and life experiences with the theoretical concepts underpinning coaching and mentoring discussed on the module. You will use relevant theories effectively to relate your understanding to the skills and approaches necessary to develop professionally as a coach or mentor in a variety of working contexts.
This module is can also be taken as a standalone credit-bearing course.
For this module you will examine the societal issues of class, gender, race, sexuality, age and disability, with an emphasis on the equality, diversity and Inclusion agenda in educational policy and practice. You will engage in a critical and challenging exploration of the principles informing equality, diversity and inclusion across the education sector in the UK and internationally.
The module will cover topics such as historical perspectives on inclusion and diversity, equality rights movements, social/historical origins of inequality and innovative inclusive practices in education. You will consider how social constructions and policy trajectories around equality, diversity and inclusion can lead to potential educational barriers for many groups in society. The module will also focus on legal rights and obligations with regard to equality, diversity and inclusion in professional educational practice, as well as organising effective inclusive learning environments and how to personalise learning for different groups of learners with diverse needs and backgrounds.
This module provides an opportunity to explore and understand the contributions of key thinkers in critical pedagogy. It will also provide an opportunity to explore and debate critical pedagogical issues such as critical literacies, -, issues of identity, agency and power, critical discourse analysis and dialogical teaching.
You will examine the relationship between these theories and teaching and learning practices across a variety of educational settings and contexts.
It is very important that educational professionals are able to critique their practice in terms of the historical traditions of their subject and the curricula that support it. This module is designed to equip students with a critical perspective, informed by knowledge, understanding and skills to analyse critically the ways in which curricula is led and managed across educational settings. To this end it explores how curriculum design influences the processes of learning and teaching, as well as educational outcomes for learners.
This module offers a critical and interdisciplinary, integrated practice approach to childhood and youth studies. During the module you will cover childhood and youth issues relating to your own practice, which could include family; law; children’s rights; childhood as a social construct; children’s participation in society and the issue of children’s voice and multi-cultural childhoods, within a national and worldwide context.
In this module approaches to institutional effectiveness and improvement in education and how they are reflected in national educational policy agendas will be discussed. Cross-national education models for institutional effectiveness and change management used in schools, further and higher Education institutions will be critiqued and evaluated.
This module will enhance your awareness of education systems, traditions and issues in a number of countries, helping you to understand the relationships between education and other social phenomena by introducing the concepts and skills needed for systematic comparison. This programme will help you to gain a rigorous multidisciplinary grounding in the comparative analysis of education and society, deepening their understanding of contemporary issues in education in many parts of the world.
This module explores the politics and historical trajectories of education and education policy. It draws on concepts from the social sciences such as the state, globalisation, neo-liberalism, discourse, policy cycle, convergence, policy learning and policy borrowing and considers the ways in which they impact on education practices (including assessment, teaching and learning etc.) across the different sectors.
The place and role of assessment in education today is highly significant. Assessment is not only concerned with grading and marking learners, it also serves an evaluative function for ways in which schools, colleges, universities, and other learning sites can be evaluated. This module is designed to equip students with a critical perspective, informed by knowledge, understanding and skills to analyse critically the ways in which uses and purposes of assessment function across a range of educational settings.
This module considers how, in order to be a successful pedagogue an understanding of self is as crucial as an understanding of the learner. This module will move you into a deeper level of professional self-reflection and provide a framework to help you to challenge your daily work practices to support transforming special needs pupils/students towards their full potential for learning.
There will be a strong theory-practice link serving to guide you towards a critical understanding of your daily classroom practice and skills as a transformative teacher.
This module will consider leadership and management definitions, values, theories, strategies and styles and their impact on the performance of others and on teaching and learning; the relationships and differences between leadership and management.
It will examine the role of legislation, policy, guidance and local/national frameworks in relation to educational leadership across a range of setting.
This module looks at the identification, assessment and provision for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
You will be introduced to a range of issues related to social, emotional and behavioural difficulties as we examine national and local policies in relation to definitions, legislation and guidance documents. You will develop your understanding of the concept SEND.
This module forms an introduction to the processes and importance of active reflection around educators’ and educational managers’ professional practices in the workplace. It promotes the importance of reflexivity for educational professionals by asking you to reflect upon how key critical incidents in your working life can be illustrative of wider educational practices and principles.
In-line with the TMF framework philosophy this module is a level 7 optional module, situated within a flexible framework that aims to meet the specific academic needs of individual practitioners. A blended learning approach is taken in accord with the University’s learning and teaching strategy and the programme’s philosophy and aims.
Education is profoundly affected by the opportunities and challenges of a digital age which has brought about radical shifts in popular culture, in teaching and learning cultures, communities, and in educational practices, challenging established (formal and informal) education practices and their underpinning theories. In this module you will critically explore this fast-moving and diverse field to consider how the digital intersects with multiple aspects of education and the consequences of what happens at these intersections for access, social justice, equality, and inclusion.
Download course specification
Download nowWe'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](https://cphfcrflaa.cloudimg.io/_bcuimages/rbuniversity-house7975-esw-133537757094436296.jpg?auto=format&fm=jpg)
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 TinaDr 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 AmandaDr 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