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Q&A with Mark Balaam

Mark studied Early Years Education MA (2020), and now works in a primary school as an early years phase leader.

Man smiling while sitting in a restaurant

Hello, Mark!

What did you enjoy most about your MA programme?

The MA in Early Years Education was an amazing opportunity to develop my knowledge of early years education at an institution that leads globally in research in this field. The programme of study for the course was superb.

What was postgraduate study like?

There was an engaging weekly schedule with research to undertake, lectures to watch, and a reflective journal to update, which ensured that I stayed on top of the workload.

The learning and research that I undertook on this course has been of immense benefit in my professional career. Children at my school enjoy a learning culture that has been widely influenced by the research undertaken as part of my studies at IOE.

How did the programme support you?

The course tutors were outstanding. They challenged my thinking and provided useful feedback to enable me to develop as I worked through the programme of study. I will always be thankful to them for their guidance at every step of the course, but particularly my dissertation tutor, who provided first-rate support as I worked through the research study. My degree result is largely due to their support, encouragement and belief in my potential.

I have nothing but happy memories of my time at UCL. I encourage every potential applicant to seriously consider UCL and I am confident you will never look back.