Courses

Study with us 

• Graduate taught
• Graduate research
• Leadership Development programmes
• National Professional Qualifications
• Early Career Framework 

Graduate taught

Our postgraduate degrees draw on the extensive knowledge and research base of the UCL Centre for Educational Leadership and are taught by leading experts in the field.

They enable established and aspiring leaders and managers from education and wider sectors to reflect on educational leadership theory and evidence and to relate this to their own practice, helping them become effective leaders of learning and change.

Participants have opportunities to network with and learn from other professionals from a variety of settings at the world’s leading education department, IOE.

Courses

• Applied Educational Leadership MA
• Educational Leadership (In-service) MA and Educational Leadership (Pre-service) MA
• Educational Leadership (International) MBA 

Graduate research

IOE was ranked number one in the world for Education for the twelfth year running in the World QS University Rankings 2025, so it is the perfect place to study for a PhD or EdD in educational leadership. 

Doctoral students based in the centre study various aspects of leadership and gain an excellent grounding in research design and methodology, selecting from IOE's wide range of specialist programmes. They receive supervision from our academic team to support their personal research. 

Further info:

• Learning and Leadership MPhil/PhD

 Leadership Development programmes

Our cutting-edge research, together with our close collaboration with schools, ensures that our programmes keep pace with current policy and practice. Programmes are delivered at IOE or on-site for schools, groups of schools, local authorities and multi-academy trusts.

The programmes described below complement the National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) which are delivered by UCL Centre for Educational Leadership under license from the DfE.

Developing your leadership career

Our offer includes:

• Early Leadership - for new or aspiring leaders.
• Developing Middle Leaders - for those with some experience as middle leaders.
• Widening Leadership - for those aspiring to or in a senior leadership role. 

National Professional Qualifications

The Specialist and Leadership National Professional Qualifications are accredited by the Department for Education (DfE). The qualifications are delivered in collaborative partnership between UCL and a nation-wide network of partnerships with newly established Teaching School Hubs, Multi Academy Trusts and other delivery partners.

• NPQ National Professional Qualification for Leading Primary Mathematics (NPQLPM) - created for teachers who have, or aspires to have responsibility for leading maths in a primary setting.
• NPQ Leading Literacy (NPQLL) - this programme will develop participants’ expertise in leading literacy by developing a deep understanding of evidence-based practice in language reading and writing. 
• NPQ Leading Teaching (NPQLT) - designed for teachers who have, or are aspiring to have, responsibilities for leading teaching in a subject, year group, key stage or phase.
• NPQ Leading Teacher Development (NPQLTD) - designed for teachers who have, or are aspiring to have, responsibilities for leading the development of other teachers in their school. They may have responsibilities for the development of all teachers across a school or specifically trainees or teachers who are early in their career. 
• NPQ Leading Behaviour and Culture (NPQLBC) - designed for teachers who have, or are aspiring to have, responsibilities for leading behaviour and/or supporting pupil wellbeing in their school. 
• NPQ Senior Leadership (NPQSL) - designed for school leaders who are, or are aspiring to be, a senior leader with cross-school responsibilities. 
• NPQ Early Years Leadership (NPQEYL) - designed for early years leaders qualified to at least Level 3 with full and relevant qualifications working in a wide range of Early Years (EY) settings including Private, Voluntary or Independent (PVI) with leadership responsibilities. 
• NPQ Headship (NPQH) - designed for school leaders who are, or are aspiring to be, a headteacher or head of school with responsibility for leading a school. 
• Early Headship Coaching Offer - this bespoke programme consists of tailored resources, coaching and peer networking opportunities to support ongoing professional development and wellbeing. The additional support offer is designed for those in their first five years of headship. 
• NPQ Executive Leadership (NPQEL) - designed for school leaders who are, or are aspiring to be, an executive headteacher or a school trust CEO with responsibility for leading several schools.
• NPQ for Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (NPQSENCO)

Our blended learning model builds on knowledge and evidence-based principles our programme is designed to challenge thinking and extend practice. Our inquiry-based, spiral model of knowledge acquisition and leadership development embeds learning in practice whilst taking account of workload pressures.

• See more information on National Professional Qualifications. 

Early Career Framework

IOE, appointed by The Department for Education as a National Lead Provider of The Early Career Framework (ECF), will play a vital role in supporting the development of Early Career Teachers (ECTs) and their mentors across the country working in partnership with Teaching School Hubs and other delivery partners. 

Our programme, commencing September 2021, is drawn from expert theory and current practice, and informed by a deep understanding of the development needs of Early Career Teachers. It offers a robust professional learning pathway for ECTs based on The Early Career Framework.

This programme is led by The UCL Centre for Educational Leadership recognising the critical importance of leadership in the development of early career teachers.

• See more information on our Early Career Teacher Programme.