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In the MA Education (History), you will explore educational, political and philosophical debates that have influenced curriculum and the learning and teaching of history in schools, colleges and related settings. You will be encouraged to critically reflect on principles, practices and issues that shape and relate to policy and professional practice in history education and to develop theorized and evidence-informed perspectives on policy and practice.
Key information
Programme starts
September 2021
Modes and duration
Application dates
Tuition fees (2021/22)
Note on fees:
The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees. Fees for flexible, modular study are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session.
Entry requirements
A minimum of a second-class UK Bachelor's degree in a relevant subject or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard and a developed interest in history education (usually evidenced by teaching experience or by experience related to education).
English language requirements
If your education has not been conducted in the English language, you will be expected to demonstrate evidence of an adequate level of English proficiency.
The English language level for this programme is: Good
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. International Preparation Courses
Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.
International students
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.
Select your country:
About this degree
You will explore the key concepts involved in understanding history education. You will develop an understanding of contemporary issues and key research findings in history education and related areas, and you will be supported to apply this knowledge in your practice in educational settings and related contexts.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.
The programme consists of three compulsory modules (90 credits), and either one optional module (30 credits) and a compulsory dissertation (60 credits), or two optional modules (60 credits) and a report (30 credits). The dissertation or report must be taken with an ‘Integrated Research Methods’ element.
Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded a MA in Education (History).
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 is subject to change.
Compulsory modules
- What is Education?
- Effective Learning in History
- Understanding Research
Optional modules
Students choose either one or two optional modules from a range available in the wider UCL Institute of Education offering.
The following list indicates the kinds of modules we have on offer. Please be aware that we cannot guarantee that every module will run every year.
Please contact the Programme Leader for further information.
- Education and Identities: Citizenship, Rights, Narratives
- The Holocaust in the Curriculum
- Teaching Controversial Issues
- Debates in the History of Education
- Issues and Debates in Religious Education
- Comparative Education: Theories and Methods
- Contemporary Issues in English Education
- Critical Perspectives on Learning and Teaching
- Curriculum, Policy and Practice
- Development Education in the Era of Globalisation
- Transforming the Geography Curriculum
- Global Citizenship Education: Research, Policy and Practice
- Education and Muslim Communities
- Education, Ethics and Imagination in a Globalising World
- Gender, Education and Development
- Philosophy of Education: Knowledge, Mind and Understanding
- Philosophy of Education: Values, Aims and Society
- Assessment: Issues and Practice
- Minorities, Migrants and Refugees in National Education Systems
- Sociology of Education
Visit the UCL Institute of Education website for more information, including module descriptions, which can be seen by clicking on the module title.
Dissertation/report
You will undertake a Dissertation with Integrated Research Methods (2,000-word proposal and a 17,000-word dissertation - 60 credits) or a Report with Integrated Research Methods (1,500-word proposal and 8,000-word report - 30 credits). In all cases, your focus in the dissertation or report must be history education.
Teaching and learning
The dissertation/report module includes an online ‘Integrated Research Methods’ course in term 1 of the module.
You will be allocated a dissertation/report supervisor. For most of the module, teaching and learning takes place through regular one-to-one research supervision meetings with your supervisor. You can take part in these supervisions face-to-face and/or via distance learning.
Each 30-credit module has 300 nominal learning hours. This is made up of formal learning and teaching events such as lectures, seminars, tutorials as well independent study.
During term time you will be expected to study between 15-20 hours per module, per week, including personal time. Learning hours continue outside term and full-time study on the MA and would amount to 40 hours a week over 45 weeks.
Additional costs
For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at Accommodation and living costs.
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 & Wellbeing team.
Funding
Scholarships relevant to this department are displayed below.
IOE Centenary Masters Scholarships
- Value:
- Full tuition fees and accommodation (1 year)
- Eligibility:
- Overseas
- Criteria:
- Based on both academic merit and financial need
IOE-Clarke Scholarships
- Value:
- Tuition fees, stipend, flights (1 year)
- Eligibility:
- Overseas
- Criteria:
- Based on both academic merit and financial need
IOE Windle Trust Scholarship
- Note:
- Deadline: 31 December 2020
- Value:
- Full tuition fees and some allowances (Up to 3yrs)
- Eligibility:
- Overseas
- Criteria:
- Based on both academic merit and financial need
For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.
Careers
Graduates of this programme are currently working across a broad range of areas. Some are working as teachers, senior leaders in schools in the UK and internationally, while others work in a range of other educational settings and for governments in curriculum design and related areas.
Employability
The programme develops your ability to think critically and analytically about theory and practice in educational settings and your ability to organise and evaluate empirical and theoretical claims and arguments about educational aims and practices. You will learn to organise, evaluate and present data and argument in robust and critically informed ways and to read, design, conduct and evaluate educational research, taking account of relevant practical, theoretical and ethical issues.
Why study this degree at UCL?
The MA Education is located in the Department of Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment, a world-leading centre for subject-specialist education. By studying the history education route, you will have the opportunity to reflect on practice in history education and, through assignments focused on contemporary subject-specific teaching and learning, you will have opportunities to develop and evaluate interventions to enhance the quality of teaching and learning in history in educational settings and related contexts.
You will be encouraged to read widely in specialist literature and be introduced to world-leading theory and research in history education and in education studies more broadly. You will be encouraged to innovate and test ideas and to contribute to ongoing discussions about improving history education.
Our programme offers you the opportunity to study face-to-face, to combine online study with face-to-face sessions, or to pursue your studies entirely by online learning. Online learning and blended learning provide access to our courses for if you are studying at a distance.
Department: Curriculum, Pedagogy & Assessment
Application and next steps
Applications
Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.
This programme only requires one reference in support of your application. Your reference should be academic unless you have been out of university education for more than four years. Further information regarding references can be found in our How to apply section.
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: ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/graduate/taught/application.
Who can apply?
You will be well suited to this programme if you are a teacher of history, a policy-maker working in history education, a museum educator, or someone interested in history education working in NGOs and other organisations with educational remits.
Application deadlines
- Visa nationals
- 22 April 2021
- UK nationals and Republic of Ireland nationals
- 31 May 2021
- Citizens of Crown Dependencies and those with Pre-settled or Settled status
- 31 May 2021
For more information see our Applications page.
Apply nowWhat are we looking for?
When we assess your application we would like to learn:
- why you want to study Education (History) at graduate level
- why you want to study Education (History) 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.
UCL is regulated by the Office for Students.
Page last modified on 28 August 2021
