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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 (2022/23)
£10,800
£5,400
Pathways include:
Advanced Practice (TMAEDUSADP01)
Assessment (TMAEDUSAST01)
Citizenship (TMAEDUSCTZ01)
Geography (TMAEDUSGEG01)
History (TMAEDUSHIS01)
Literacy (TMAEDUSLIT01)
Religious Education (TMAEDUSREE01)
Science (TMAEDUSSCE01)
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Overseas tuition fees (2022/23)
£26,600
£13,300
Pathways include:
Advanced Practice (TMAEDUSADP01)
Assessment (TMAEDUSAST01)
Citizenship (TMAEDUSCTZ01)
Geography (TMAEDUSGEG01)
History (TMAEDUSHIS01)
Literacy (TMAEDUSLIT01)
Religious Education (TMAEDUSREE01)
Science (TMAEDUSSCE01)
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Duration
1 calendar year
2 calendar years
5 calendar years
Programme starts
September 2022
Applications accepted
All applicants: 18 Oct 2021 – 13 May 2022

Applications closed

Notification

Application closes at 17:00 GMT.

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).

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.

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

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. 

Who this course is for

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.

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'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.

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

The foundation of your career

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

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

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.  

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 (TMAEDUSEDU01)

  • What is Education? (compulsory)
  • Dissertation (compulsory)
  • Understanding Research (compulsory)
  • 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 is subject to change.

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

Online - Open day

Graduate Open Event: Education MA and Expert Teaching MA

Watch the presentation from our programme team and find out what it's like to study programmes in Education MA and Expert Teaching MA at IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education and Society.

Watch on demand event

Online - Open day

Graduate Open Events: Applying for Graduate Study at UCL

The Applying to UCL for graduate study session took place in December 2021. The session, covered by our Graduate Admissions and Student Recruitment teams, provides helpful information about the process of applying for graduate study, as well as offering an insight into what we consider to be a competitive application.

Watch on demand event

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time Part-time
Tuition fees (2022/23) £10,800 £5,400
Tuition fees (2022/23) £26,600 £13,300

Pathways include:
Advanced Practice (TMAEDUSADP01)
Assessment (TMAEDUSAST01)
Citizenship (TMAEDUSCTZ01)
Geography (TMAEDUSGEG01)
History (TMAEDUSHIS01)
Literacy (TMAEDUSLIT01)
Religious Education (TMAEDUSREE01)
Science (TMAEDUSSCE01)
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 Windle Trust Scholarship

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

IOE-Clarke Scholarships

Deadline: 2 May 2022
Value: Tuition fees and a stipend (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: EU, Overseas

IOE-ISH Centenary Masters Scholarships

Deadline: 2 May 2022
Value: Full tuition fees and accommodation (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: 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.

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 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?

If you choose to upload your personal statement as an attachment then please note that, in general, there is no fixed word limit, however, we would expect your statement to be typed and no longer than two sides of A4 paper.

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.

Got questions? Get in touch

Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment Department
Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment Department

ioe.ma.education@ucl.ac.uk

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