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Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment with integrated research methods training MPhil/PhD

London, Bloomsbury

This is the programme information for 2025 entry

If you require details of the previous year's programme, Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment with integrated research methods training MPhil/PhD (2024), click here

IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society offers world-leading doctoral programmes in education and related social sciences. Students will be taking four training modules in social science relating to methodologies and research in the social sciences alongside supervised research. Our MPhil/PhD students undertake research projects, working closely with their supervisors to develop each stage of their research, and undertake a tailored programme of training courses and activities. This programme is available to study face-to-face.

UK students International students

Study mode

UK tuition fees (2025/26)

£7,580

£3,790

Overseas tuition fees (2025/26)

£24,100

£12,050

Duration

4 calendar years

8 academic years

Programme starts

October 2025

Applications accepted

All applicants: 14 Oct 2024 – 27 Jun 2025

Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

The normal minimum requirement is an upper second-class UK Bachelor's degree or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 4

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

The Department of Curriculum, Pedagogy & Assessment has specialist, research active staff able to supervise postgraduate research in the areas described below. We also work with local schools, as well as national and international educational publishers. We have strong links with overseas institutions, including ones based in the USA, Egypt, Sweden, Lebanon, Kazakhstan and Singapore, as well as national organisations such as the National College for Teaching and Leadership and the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority.

The programme is based upon successful completion of the four research training modules attached to the MRes in Social Science Research Methods.

Who this course is for

The MPhil/PhD is for applicants with a strong interest in an aspect of educational and social research, which may be understood broadly across the life course, in relation to other subject areas and wider social, economic, political and cultural changes. You should normally have completed an MA to merit level and want to develop a specific area of research. You may have a background in education or a cognate area of study. It is suitable for both recent graduates and those progressed in a career.

Read about what it takes to become a UCL graduate research student

What this course will give you

IOE is a world-leading centre for research in education and related social science. We host the UK's largest doctoral cohort in these areas. In the QS World University Rankings by Subject (2024), the institute was ranked first for education for the eleventh year running, ahead of Harvard, Stanford, Oxford and Cambridge. In the UK's recent Research Excellence Framework (2021), we were ranked first for research strength and research power in Education, according to the Elsevier REF 2021 Results Analysis Tool. We attract extensive research funding each year and host many prestigious research centres and projects.

Doctoral students at IOE have access to the wider UCL community as well as the education cluster constituting the UBEL Doctoral Training Partnership. The Institute's programme has been designed to provide comprehensive and broadly based research training and to meet the requirements of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the UK Researcher Development Framework.

Students work closely with their supervisor(s) to develop each stage of research; supervisors also help put together a programme of additional courses and activities to support progress towards completion of the final thesis. Doctoral students at the Department of Education, Practice and Society can participate in departmental seminars and research groups which further enriches learning.

Students are able to engage in a unique area of research and make an 'original contribution to knowledge'. As part of a vibrant research culture, they work with supervisors and peers, helping to develop new responses to local, national and global challenges.

Find out how your research could have an impact

The foundation of your career

IOE doctoral graduates progress to careers in education, university teaching, educational research, and policy and curriculum development.

Employability

You will have opportunities to gain experience of planning and implementing research methodologies, as well as academic writing and presentation, and management of your own research projects. You may also be able to engage with a range of researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and other groups relevant to your chosen topic.

Networking

The Department of Curriculum, Pedagogy & Assessment comprises five thriving research centres, as well as a collection of other special interest groups. There is a wide range of seminars which provide networking opportunities. Students within the department are encouraged to present at the two annual conferences for IOE doctoral students, host reading groups in their subject specialism and go to conferences outside the university.

Teaching and learning

A wide range of teaching and learning strategies are deployed across the four modules and students are expected to engage in the wider research culture of their area of work.

The first part of the programme consists of four taught modules, taken alongside supervised research. The taught modules are assessed by written assignments of 5,000 words.

The summative written assessments for the taught modules may include:

Writing research proposals
Analysing data
Critiquing published research papers
Contributions to online forums

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) consists of a piece of supervised research, normally undertaken over a period of three years full-time or five years part-time. Assessment is by means of a thesis (up to 100,000 words), which should demonstrate your capacity to pursue original research based upon a good understanding of the research techniques and concepts appropriate to the discipline. It must also represent a distinct and significant contribution to the subject, whether through the discovery of new knowledge, the connection of previously unrelated facts, the development of new theory, or the revision of older views. It should reflect the exercise of critical judgement with regard to both your own work and that of other scholars in the field.

For those who decide not to pursue the full PhD, or are unable to do so, the degree of Master of Philosophy (MPhil) consists of a piece of supervised research, normally undertaken over a period of three years full-time or five years part-time. Assessment is by means of a thesis, which should represent a contribution to the subject, either through a record of your original work or a critical and ordered exposition of existing knowledge.

You must ensure you have adequate time to devote to this research, at least six hours a day (2-3 days a week part time).

Research areas and structure

The department can provide postgraduate supervision in mathematics, science, geography, business, history and RE education, as well as assessment issues, educational assessment, the impact of testing in schools and international assessment, education policy and politics, qualifications development, accreditation and regulation and comparative studies), initial teacher education, curriculum development and general secondary teaching.

The department has a number of research centres:

The Centre for Teachers and Teaching Research is a specialist research centre offering world-leading research and scholarship in the areas of teachers’ work, teaching and teacher education.

The Centre for Holocaust Education aims to increase the effectiveness of teaching and learning about the Holocaust in the classroom. The Centre for Teacher and Early Years Education working in partnership to improve quality in early years teacher education in China.

The Centre for the Study of Education in Muslim Contexts (CEMC) - addressing the need for critical, academically sound research and debate about education in Muslim contexts

The Development Education Research Centre (DERC) is recognised as one of the world's leading research centres for development education, global learning and global citizenship.

Research environment

As a research student in the Department of Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment, you can participate in the seminars organised by department research centres or according to interest groups.

Initially, students undertake four taught modules alongside supervised research.

Students are expected to pass 120 credits from the MRes in Social Research before upgrading to the PhD pathway.

Upgrade is expected no less than 21 months after initial registration for full-time, giving an extra 12/18 months more than normally provided for the MPhil/PhD in order to complete the taught component.

Following the taught component, the IOE Centre for Doctoral Education provides an extensive Research Training Programme. Full-time MPhil/PhD students are required to fulfil at least 20 units of training activity each year, which may be met by participating in training courses, seminars, conference and related activities. This training can be selected from the IOE Research Training Programme, each unit being worth approximately half a day of face-to-face training, or an online equivalent.

In addition to the taught modules, all students on this programme are expected to take a mandatory core course during their first year, which has been designed to meet the needs of early stage doctoral students. There is also a wide range of introductory, advanced methods, advanced theoretical, and generic academic skills courses, as well as student led workshops and reading groups. Processes aimed at assisting you during your course of study include the Research Student Log (an online project management tool), and periodic reviews of students’ progress.

Upon successful completion of your approved period of registration you may, if necessary, register as a completing research status (CRS) student while you finish writing your thesis.

Initially, students undertake four taught modules alongside supervised research.

Students are expected to pass 120 credits from the MRes in Social Research before upgrading to the PhD pathway.

Upgrade is expected no less than 33 months for part-time students, giving an extra 12/18 months more than normally provided for the MPhil/PhD in order to complete the taught component.

Following the taught component, the IOE Centre for Doctoral Education provides an extensive Research Training Programme. Part-time students fulfil at least 12 units of training activity a year, which may be met by participating in training courses, seminars, conference and related activities.. Students may also take additional training courses from the Programme, as relevant to their research and agreed with their supervisor.

Upon successful completion of your approved period of registration you may, if necessary, register as a completing research status (CRS) student while you finish writing your thesis.

Optional modules

Understanding Research Practice

Undertaking and Disseminating Research

Analysing Research Data

Advanced Research Theory and Practice

Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services team.

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IOE Research programmes: MPhil/PhD including Integrated Research Methods routes

IOE's impactful research leads the world in education and related social science. It informs our doctoral programmes, supporting the largest cohort of education students in the UK. We welcome you to book your place at our Virtual Open Event. You will meet our Programme Leaders, hear about the programmes you are interested in and have the chance to ask any questions you might have. These sessions are free and open to all.

Watch on demand event

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students

Fee description	Full-time	Part-time
Tuition fees (2025/26)	£7,580	£3,790
Tuition fees (2025/26)	£24,100	£12,050

Additional costs

Students are responsible for covering any travel, accommodation, and other expenses involved in conducting research for their thesis and should account for these costs when planning their finances.

UCL’s main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1-2 is £114.50. This price was published by TfL in 2024. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide.

Funding your studies

UCL's Research Excellence Scholarships (RES) are available annually to prospective and existing UCL research students from any country: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/scholarships/research-excellence-scholarship. The UCL, Bloomsbury and East London Doctoral Training Partnership offers studentships annually. More information is found here: https://ubel-dtp.ac.uk/

UBEL, RES and other funding programmes are not available to online and non-resident students.

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

: IOE Centenary Doctoral Scholarships

Deadline: 5 May 2025

Value: Full tuition fees, stipend, and accommodation at International Students House (Up to 4 years)

Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need

Eligibility: EU, Overseas

Next steps

After choosing a programme to apply for, you should develop a research proposal and identify a potential supervisor. For more information, visit our website to find a supervisor and get in touch with departmental graduate tutors.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

This programme requires two references. Further information regarding references can be found on this Selecting your references page.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.