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Education (Advanced Practice) MA

Distance learning programme

The Advanced Practice route enables participants working in educational settings to reflect on their own practice, taking a professional academic approach. It has been developed to help educational practitioners in both UK and international settings respond to professional needs they identify.  Study on this fully online programme therefore supports participants to develop the everyday educational practices they are involved in and in promotion applications towards leadership.

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2024/25)
£12,700
£6,350
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Overseas tuition fees (2024/25)
£31,100
£15,550
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Duration
1 calendar year
2 calendar years
5 calendar years
Programme starts
September 2024
Applications accepted
All applicants: 16 Oct 2023 – 30 Aug 2024

Applications closed

Find similar courses still open

Entry requirements

Normally a minimum of a second-class Bachelor’s degree from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard, or a teaching qualification (Qualified Teacher Status or equivalent) with two years’ practical experience is required. Applicants with alternative qualifications may wish to consider the Graduate Diploma route.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 2

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 route has been developed to respond to the needs of educational practitioners in both UK and international settings. Its field of study is pedagogical practice examined through the different lenses of learning, assessment, the curriculum and action research. Learning is presented through using the community of practice as a tool to share and enhance understanding.

Participants in the programme may study their modules in any order. There are compulsory or core modules. The 'common core' modules (i.e. those linked to the MA Education programme) are only available in published terms but all the Advanced Practice route modules are available online in each term including the Advanced Practice core module. This means that participants in the Advanced Practice route can create their own pathway through the programme. Further advice is available in the Programme Handbook.

Who this course is for

The award has been developed for teachers, teaching assistants, educational administrators, lecturers, tutors, educational psychologists, and other professionals such as those in medicine, the police force, librarians, and support staff working in educational settings.

Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

Through an established virtual learning environment, participants follow directed tasks including reading, video and audio clips, as well as full lectures presented by IOE academics. Responses are then shared with the online community and participants are encouraged to respond to each other, thereby enriching their understanding of practice in different educational settings globally, from the perspective of practitioners or learners.

Participants are supported in exploring educational practice through engagement with international research, academic and professional literature, so examining updated knowledge about theories and practices in education.

Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme

The foundation of your career

The programme, and this route in particular, is designed to empower participants as education practitioners through development of transferable academic skills in practitioner research and engagement with literature.

Successful participants in this programme have become leads in their settings and some choose to continue to doctoral study (PhD or the EdD).

Employability

The majority of participants on this programme are already in employment, normally in educational settings. It is expected that study on the programme will open up opportunities either for promotion within the participants' current place of employment, or enable them to apply for new roles within an educational setting.

Networking

Studying on the Advanced Practice route means that you will meet virtually with others who are working in the same or similar areas both in UK and in international settings. As the programme is mainly taught online, this networking will be through module forums and opportunities for synchronous engagement, for example live discussion groups. However, as a registered student at IOE, you are able to join face-to-face open seminars or Special Interest Groups (SIGs) which are advertised through your UCL email.

Teaching and learning

The pedagogical approach to the programme is situated in an Assessment for Learning approach. The experienced programme team uses both distance learning and online learning strategies to ensure that all participants are supported to achieve their MA. Distance learning involves engagement with texts written by the team, readings accessible through the library and engagement with online forums. It can also include links to videos and other online resources. Distance learning is distinctive in that it tends to be 'self-study' and uses less interactive activity. Online learning is subtlety different and involves both synchronous and asynchronous teaching including lectures, seminars and opportunities for tutorials. Both modes use a range of tools to support learning and teaching, such as 'Padlet' or 'Zoom'.

Modules within this route are normally taught fully online through our VLE, Moodle. Attendance is measured through access to the material and activities, responses in forums and completion of tasks shared online.

The research element conducted as the Report or Dissertation is not considered a 'taught' module, but is fully supported with activities and distance learning materials. Additionally, each participant is supervised by a member of the Advanced Practice team which includes up to 3 or 5 supervisions during the academic year. These can be through virtual face-to-face or via written feedback to a submitted chapter. All participants are offered feedback on a full draft of their thesis in July, so that they can work on it during the summer break for final submission in the September.

The Advanced Practice route is situated in a formative assessment approach to learning so throughout module teaching there are opportunities for feedback from tutors and peers. Participants are also encouraged to engage in self-assessment, using Assessment for Learning tools such as 'audits' and quizzes introduced through Moodle. The formative assessment activities can be used to help complete the summative assessments which occur at the end of each module.

All modules have an essay (usually 5000 words) as the standard summative assessment. In addition, two modules offer alternative assessments of presentation (Teacher as Author) and portfolio (Independent Study Module). There are no examinations in this programme.

Please note, that currently the Advanced Practice route is only available fully online. Online teaching is mainly asynchronous, with some synchronous 'virtual' face-to-face sessions which are recorded to accommodate those wishing to study asynchronously. All modules offer virtual face-to-face tutorials to groups or individuals and the dissertation/report modules include virtual supervision opportunities using Zoom or Teams.

Modules

All participants on the programme take What is Education? and Understanding Research as common compulsory modules. The compulsory elements of the Advanced Practice route, along with the optional elements, follows:

  • The Action Researcher: Exploring Issues and Contexts (compulsory)
  • What is Education? (compulsory)
  • Dissertation on Advanced Educational Practice (compulsory)
  • Understanding Research (compulsory)
  • Optional module

OR

  • The Action Researcher: Exploring Issues and Contexts (compulsory)
  • What is Education? (compulsory)
  • Report on Advanced Educational Practice (compulsory)
  • Understanding Research (compulsory)
  • Optional module 1
  • Optional module 2

As most applicants to the Advanced Practice route are full-time teachers it is unlikely and not recommended that the programme can be studied full-time. Only those applicants who are working part-time in any educational setting may be able to study full-time. In that case you will be advised to follow this pattern of study:

Autumn term: What is Education? and The Action Researcher

Spring term: Understanding Research and Option 1

Summer term: Option 2 (if studying a 30-credit report)

Full-time participants will normally begin the thesis (a 30-credit report or 60 credit dissertation) during the autumn term, with supervisions during spring and summer terms.

All participants usually study the Advanced Practice route online where attendance is recorded through responses to Keep In Touch (KIT) tasks.

All participants on the programme take What is Education? and Understanding Research as common compulsory modules. The compulsory elements of the Advanced Practice route, along with the optional elements, follows:

  • The Action Researcher: Exploring Issues and Contexts (compulsory)
  • What is Education? (compulsory)
  • Dissertation on Advanced Educational Practice (compulsory)
  • Understanding Research (compulsory)
  • Optional module

OR

  • The Action Researcher: Exploring Issues and Contexts (compulsory)
  • What is Education? (compulsory)
  • Report on Advanced Educational Practice (compulsory)
  • Understanding Research (compulsory)
  • Optional module 1
  • Optional module 2

NB On the part-time route, participants are expected to study 90 credits in each year. We recommend that in the first year participants study the three core modules with The Action Researcher in the summer term; and in the second year, participants study any option modules and complete their thesis (dissertation or report modules).

All participants on the programme take What is Education? and Understanding Research as common compulsory modules. The compulsory elements of the Advanced Practice route, along with the optional elements, follows:

  • The Action Researcher: Exploring Issues and Contexts (compulsory)
  • What is Education? (compulsory)
  • Dissertation on Advanced Educational Practice (compulsory)
  • Understanding Research (compulsory)
  • Optional module

OR

  • The Action Researcher: Exploring Issues and Contexts (compulsory)
  • What is Education? (compulsory)
  • Report on Advanced Educational Practice (compulsory)
  • Understanding Research (compulsory)
  • Optional module 1
  • Optional module 2

The flexible/modular option allows participants to structure study to suit their own needs. Each module will be studied for the same amount of time but during a five-year period participants can study 0 to 180 credits in any year. This is the most popular option for those who are working full-time.

Compulsory modules







Optional modules




Developing the Role of the Higher or Further Education Tutor



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.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MA in Education (Advanced Practice).

Fieldwork

Participants are expected to be working in educational settings, or have access to educational settings as a volunteer.  Some modules have an expectation that participants will carry out an inquiry or project in their educational setting.  This can be as a volunteer but the team do not make placements or arrange field opportunities. Those studying full-time may volunteer in a local setting or reflect on previous experiences if necessary.

Placement

All participants should normally have access to an educational setting either as paid work, or as a volunteer. Placements are not arranged by the programme team.

Accessibility

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

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time Part-time
Tuition fees (2024/25) £12,700 £6,350
Tuition fees (2024/25) £31,100 £15,550

Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees.

Additional costs

Participants should take into account any travel, accommodation and expenses involved in their report or dissertation.

Participants need to have access to an appropriate device with good access to the internet. Whilst a smart phone may be appropriate, it does not accommodate typing long essays or documents.

For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at Accommodation and living costs.

Funding your studies

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-Clarke Scholarships

Deadline: 3 May 2024
Value: Tuition fees, return flights and stipend (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: EU, Overseas

IOE-ISH Centenary Masters Scholarships

Deadline: 3 May 2024
Value: Tuition fees and accommodation (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: EU, Overseas

Next steps

There is an application processing fee for this programme of £90 for online applications and £115 for paper applications. Further information can be found at Application fees.

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

  • why you want to study Education (Advanced Practice) at post graduate level
  • why you want to study Education (Advanced Practice) at UCL
  • what particularly attracts you to the chosen programme
  • how your academic and professional background meets the demands of this challenging programme
  • where you would like to go professionally with your degree

Together with essential academic requirements, the personal statement is your opportunity to illustrate whether your reasons for applying to this programme match what the programme will deliver.

Normally applicants for the Advanced Practice route are working in educational settings. This may be full-time, part-time, or as a volunteer.

Most applicants are teachers or tutors, but we welcome applicants from other professions who support learning in their settings. Currently we have medical doctors, nurses and physiotherapists studying alongside teachers and 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.

Got questions? Get in touch

Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment
Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment

ioe.aep@ucl.ac.uk

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