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Education MA

London, Bloomsbury

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.

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2023/24)
£11,800
£5,900
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Overseas tuition fees (2023/24)
£32,100
£16,050
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Duration
1 calendar year
2 calendar years
5 calendar years
Programme starts
September 2023
Applications accepted
All applicants: 17 Oct 2022 – 31 Mar 2023

Applications open

Apply for this course

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).

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. International Preparation Courses

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

For students starting in October, this programme is suitable for international students on a Student visa – study must be full-time, face-to-face, starting October only.

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

We support students in their development as educational practitioners and researchers in various ways. We encourage and assist them to think deeply and critically about education and support them in the process of beginning to articulate, explain and justify their own position within the complex and diverse field of education studies. We encourage students to make a contribution to the field of education studies based on a grounded understanding of their own position and drawing on their own contexts. To do this we introduce various themes, such as curriculum, pedagogy, assessment and relationships between education and society, whilst encouraging students to relate these to their chosen contexts.

Who this course is for

The Degree 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 education programme and, since it does not include a practice component, it is highly unlikely to satisfy teacher certification requirements.
Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

The MA Education is based in IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society, and draws on the breath of expertise available in this world-leading centre for education research. The MA Education team is deeply committed to the aims of the programme and passionate about the development of their students understanding.

Our students develop a wide range of academic and transferable professional skills that are of great benefit to them in their professional lives and our graduates are well placed to develop their careers further in exciting ways.

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

The foundation of your career

Our MA Education programme assists students to develop a wide range of transferable 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

Employability

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 schools in their own contexts.  A good number of graduates undertake further research on PhD programmes.

Read more about careers and employability and the careers support UCL provides

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 Master's 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. Our diverse student body has come together in compulsory modules for town-hall style lectures, small group seminars. Students can choose to study from a range of optional modules alongside students from other programmes. At the heart of teaching and learning is the professional relationship between the student and their tutor. The tutor provides academic tutoring across the compulsory modules as well as personal tutoring and support.

Modules

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

MA Education (TMAEDUSING01)

  • What is Education? (compulsory and non condonable)
  • Dissertation (compulsory and non condonable)
  • Understanding Research (compulsory and non condonable)
  • Optional module 1
  • Optional module 2

The MA in Education can be studied full-time (one academic year), part-time (over two years) or modular/flexible (up to 5 years). Your schedule for module completion will depend on the length of time that you have to complete the MA programme.

If you complete the programme full time you will usually take two modules in the Autumn term and two in the Spring term. In both Autumn and Spring terms, you must complete either What is Education? or Understanding Research.

Part time students typically complete the programme as below:

Year 1 – Students complete three 30 credit modules - ‘What is Education?’ in term 1, ‘Understanding Research’ in term 2 and one option module. The option module can be taken in any term, although students usually find it easier to complete one module per term.

Year 2 – Students complete one remaining 30 credit module and the Dissertation.

Students have up to 5 years to complete the programme. We require that ‘What is Education?’ is the first module to be completed and in normal circumstances the Dissertation should be completed last.

Compulsory modules





Optional modules













Development Education in the Era of Globalisation













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.

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.

Visit us

All open days and events

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Online - Open day

Graduate Open Events: IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education and Society Virtual Event series

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Please note that there are 27 sessions across a range of subject areas. IOE is ranked number one for education for consecutive nine years and the world's leading centre for research and teaching in education, culture, psychology and social science. If you’re interested in enhancing and progressing your career in education and related social sciences, why not join our open events? You’ll get to meet the programme team, ask any questions you have and find out what it’s like studying at UCL.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time Part-time
Tuition fees (2023/24) £11,800 £5,900
Tuition fees (2023/24) £32,100 £16,050

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

Students should take into account any travel, accommodation and expenses involved in their dissertation.

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 Centenary-Windle Trust Scholarship

Value: Full tuition fees and stipend (online study only) (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: EU, Overseas

IOE Windle Trust Scholarship

Value: Full tuition fees and stipend (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: EU, Overseas

IOE-Clarke Scholarships

Deadline: 2 May 2023
Value: Tuition fees and a stipend of £17,609 (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: EU, Overseas

IOE-ISH Centenary Masters Scholarships

Deadline: 2 May 2023
Value: Tuition fees and accommodation at International Students House (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: UK, EU, Overseas

Next steps

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.

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.

Prospective 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. You are required to submit a personal statement, typed and no longer than two sides of A4 paper, which can be uploaded on the admissions portal. The personal statement should clearly address the questions below. It should not include descriptive biographical detail that does not directly help you answer these questions.

  1. why do you want to study Education?
  2. why do you want study the MA Education degree at IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society?
  3. how does your academic and professional background prepare you to meet the challenges of studying for our degree?
  4. what professional and personal benefits do you hope to gain from your studies with us?
We are not usually able to consider late applications. Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes in any application cycle.

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.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

Year of entry: 2023-2024

Apply for this course

Got questions? Get in touch

Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment
Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment

ioe.ma.education@ucl.ac.uk

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