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The MA Education encourages and enables students to think deeply and critically about education. This stimulating programme supports students in the process of beginning to articulate, explain and justify their own position within the complex and diverse field of education studies.
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 Bachelor's degree from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. (Please note: one or two optional modules may have additional, specific entry requirements).
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.
Visa information
For students starting in October, this programme is suitable for international students on a Tier 4 visa - study must be full-time, face-to-face, starting October only.
For students applying through the University of London International Programmes: international students can apply for a Student Visitor Visa to study the face-to-face parts of this programme if required.
International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below.
Select your country:
About this degree
This programme supports those starting out as educational researchers and practitioners to make a contribution to the field of education studies based on a grounded understanding of their own position. To do this it introduces such themes as curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, relationships between education and society, and the importance of education research, whilst encouraging students to relate these to their own contexts.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.
The programme consists of two compulsory modules (60 credits), two optional modules (60 credits) and a dissertation (60 credits).
Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded a MA in Education.
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?
- Understanding Research
Optional modules
Students are able to choose from a wide range of optional modules. The list below indicates the kinds of modules we are usually able to offer. Please be aware that we cannot guarantee that every module will be available in any given year.
- Critical Perspectives on Learning and Teaching
- Curriculum, Policy and Practice
- Communicating Knowledge: Possibilities and Opportunities
- Debates in the History of Education
- Assessment: Issues and Practice
- Education and Development in Asia
- Curriculum Development: Issues and Principles
- Education, Ethics and Imagination in a Globalising World
- International Perspectives on Education Reform: Curriculum and Assessment
- Gender, Sexuality and Education
- Assessment for Learning
- Development Education in the Era of Globalisation
- Teaching Controversial Issues
- Educational Traditions and Systems in Europe
- Shakespeare in Education
- Contemporary Issues in English Education
- Education, Values and Identities
- Early Childhood Education
- Philosophy of Education: Knowledge, Mind and Understanding
- Education and Identities: Citizenship, Rights, Narratives
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
All students complete a written dissertation of 16,000 words and a poster presentation based on their research.
Teaching and learning
Modules are available as distance learning, face-to-face or mixed-mode (please note that some modules are not available in all modes). The programme is also offered flexibly, allowing students to take one or two modules a year and spread their studies out as they see fit.
Each 30 M-level credit module has 300 nominal learning hours. This is made up of formal learning and teaching events such as lectures, seminars, tutorials, as well as a significant amount of independent study.
Additional 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: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees-and-funding.
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
- Eligibility:
- Overseas
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 from the MA Education have gone on to be successful in a wide variety of contexts related to education. Those already teaching have often been promoted, sometimes to senior leadership positions. Others have found new opportunities in a different educational phase (from early years through to higher education) or in education policy or research. Some graduates go on to work internationally on education and development projects, whilst others have developed plans to open their own schools. A good number of graduates undertake further research on PhD programmes.
Employability
MA Education students develop a wide range of skills including the ability to:
- Think critically
- Apply principles from one context to another
- Build logical and balanced arguments based on careful consideration of evidence
- Offer creative solutions to complex problems
- Frame research questions, gather evidence and analyse it
- Express ideas clearly in both writing and speaking
Why study this degree at UCL?
The MA Education is based in the UCL Institute of Education (IOE), and draws on the breath of expertise available in this world-leading centre for education research.
The MA Education's uniquely diverse student body comes together in compulsory modules for town-hall style lectures and debate and divides into smaller groups to study optional modules alongside students from other programmes.
The MA Education team is deeply committed to the aims of the programme and passionate about the development of their students’ understanding.
Department: Curriculum, Pedagogy & Assessment
What our students and staff say
"It has been a wonderful experience studying as a postgraduate student at the IOE. The best thing about the Education MA programme is that it provides a wide variety of disciplines for you to choose from. As a Chinese student who comes from a different context and was introduced for the first time to this complex and diverse field, it was for sure a new challenge. Excitingly, the Education MA was designed to leave space for student autonomy and self-directed learning, therefore it is essential find out one’s own motivation. Being a postgraduate student may not always be enjoyable, but it is definitely a great experience to learn how to justify my own position and find my voice."
Zixi Zuo
Education MA
"The best things about my course were:
"
- The quality of teaching – many professors and lecturers are the leading scholars in their own fields.
- The flexibility of the course – there is both face to face and online learning as well as a wide choice of selective modules which I could choose to serve my own learning purpose.
- The learning environment – you meet people from different parts of the world and with different backgrounds.
- The learning support – the IOE has the largest library for education studies in Europe and offers workshops for improving different academic learning skills.
- Meeting like-minded new friends at UCL.
Vivian Wu
Education MA
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 requires two references. 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?
The MA Education is a broad based, generalist programme appropriate for those with a serious interest in education practice, policy and research. It suits those aiming to work in education policy, development or research as well as educators looking for career development in a wide range of contexts. The MA Education is not a teacher training programme and, since it does not include a practice component, it is highly unlikely to satisfy teacher certification requirements.
Application deadlines
- All applicants
- 30 July 2021
We are not usually able to consider late applications.
For more information see our Applications page.
Apply nowWhat are we looking for?
In your application you should answer the questions below in as much detail as you can.
Please do not include descriptive biographical detail that does not directly help you answer these questions.
- Why do you want to study Education?
- What particularly attracts you to the MA Education at the UCL IOE?
- How does your academic and professional background prepare you to meet the challenges of the MA Education?
- What benefits do you hope to gain both professionally and personally by studying the MA Education?
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Page last modified on 17 December 2020
