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Educational Leadership (In-service) MA

London, Bloomsbury

The MA Educational Leadership in-service route is for those who already have some leadership experience and are looking to build on this through academic study. Your experience can be acquired in  a range of settings including school, college, university, tutoring centres, early years setting etc. . The programme will enable you to reflect on relevant contemporary theory and evidence in relation to your own practice, helping you to become an effective leader of learning and change.

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)
£28,100
£14,050
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Duration
1 calendar year
2 calendar years
5 calendar years
Programme starts
September 2024
Applications accepted
Applicants who require a visa: 16 Oct 2023 – 28 Jun 2024
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Applicants who do not require a visa: 16 Oct 2023 – 30 Aug 2024
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

A minimum of a second-class Bachelor's degree from a UK university or overseas qualification is required. Applicants must have two years' leadership experience in an educational setting, including experience of leading other educators. This commonly will be in a school, university or childcare setting, but applicants will be accepted from a wide range of educational institutions, organisations and occupations, such as: leaders and managers in schools and colleges; educational consultants or those who work for national or regional government in a planning, development or inspection role.

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.

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

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

You will explore and critique educational leadership and management theory, research and practice and be encouraged to identify and extend your personal leadership capabilities in the education sector.  There is also a close focus on how you can improve the quality of learning and teaching for the student body you will be serving as an educational leader.

Who this course is for

Applicants to the in-service route need some experience in a leadership role in an educational setting. Commonly this will be in schools, tertiary provision or childcare settings, although applicants are accepted from other educational settings.

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

What this course will give you

The degree will explore and critique educational leadership and management theory, research and practice and encourage you to identify and extend your personal leadership capabilities in the education sector.

This degree draws on the extensive knowledge and research base of the UCL Centre for Educational Leadership, part of IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society, ranked number one in the world for education for the last ten years (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023). It is taught by leading experts in the field.

This degree will enable leaders and managers from education and wider sectors to reflect on relevant contemporary theory and evidence relating this to their own practice, helping them become effective leaders of learning and change.

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

The foundation of your career

Although academic in focus the programme is practical in terms of application, allowing you to develop the potential to lead staff, work with teams, address occupational issues of supporting and challenging motivation, lead change, assess research claims and develop research-engaged education organisations and/or systems. You will also explore wider philosophical and value stances which are particularly pertinent to working in a truly global context.

Employability

The in-service programme will be invaluable when enhancing your current or planned future role as a middle or senior leader in the education sector. The deep engagement with the education leadership field will provide you with an excellent platform for career advancement.

Networking

The programme gives you the opportunity to build valuable professional networks with educational leaders from around the world. You also have access to UCL's academic networks, particularly via the Centre for Educational Leadership's programme of online seminars, and those offered more widely by IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society and UCL. Finally, your course tutors are themselves leading researchers and practitioners in your field of study; online discussion gives you ample opportunity to engage with them.

Teaching and learning

This programme is delivered through face-to-face teaching, facilitation, multimedia presentations and activity-based learning. Each module is supported by materials on our virtual learning environment.

Assessment includes written assignments of 5000 words and a Dissertation or Report of 20000/10000 words.

This is a taught face-to-face programme with additional pre-structured online (individual and group) activities and individual fieldwork to prepare for the final assignment. You will spend about a third of your time in lectures or engaging in directed online activities and the remaining two thirds of your time working with other students, undertaking field work, doing independent study and preparing the assessment tasks.

Modules

The MA requires the successful completion of 180 credits and can be taken full-time over 1 year.

All students must take Leading and Managing Change and Improvement (30 credits), Doing and Using Educational Leadership and Management Research (30 credits), and the Dissertation or Report (60 credits or 30 credits respectively).

The majority of our students also take our optional modules, Leadership for the Learning Community (30 credits), and Leading in Diverse Cultures and Communities (30 credits).

The above options are the standard recommended diet for our programme. If you wish to choose an optional module outside of our programme, please check with the Programme Leader first. Students can take an optional module, and there are a large array of options across IOE, although usually no more than one would be permitted.

The MA requires the successful completion of 180 credits and can be taken part-time over 2 years (completing 90 credits each year).

All students must take Leading and Managing Change and Improvement (30 credits) in year 1, and the majority of our students also take our optional modules, Leadership for the Learning Community (30 credits), and Leading in Diverse Cultures and Communities (30 credits).

In year 2, students must complete our Doing and Using Educational Leadership and Management Research (30 credits) module, and the Dissertation or Report (60 credits or 30 credits respectively).

The above options are the standard recommended diet for our programme. If you wish to choose an optional module outside of our programme, please check with the Programme Leader first. Students can take an optional module, and there are a large array of options across IOE, although usually no more than one would be permitted.

The MA requires the successful completion of 180 credits and can be taken over 3 - 5 years on the modular/flexible programme structure.

All students must take Leading and Managing Change and Improvement (30 credits) in year 1, and the majority of our students also take our optional modules, Leadership for the Learning Community (30 credits), and Leading in Diverse Cultures and Communities (30 credits) spaced to suit across years 1 - 5. Students must also complete our Doing and Using Educational Leadership and Management Research (30 credits) module, and the Dissertation or Report (60 credits or 30 credits respectively).

The above options are the standard recommended diet for our programme. If you wish to choose an optional module outside of our programme, please check with the Programme Leader first. Students can take an optional module, and there are a large array of options across IOE, although usually no more than one would be permitted.

Compulsory modules






Optional modules




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 Educational Leadership (In-service).

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 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) £28,100 £14,050

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 report or 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-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

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.

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

  • why you want to study Educational Leadership (In-service) at graduate level
  • why you want to study Educational Leadership (In-service) at UCL
  • 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.

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: 2024-2025

Apply for this course

Got questions? Get in touch

Learning and Leadership
Learning and Leadership

ioe.ma.leadership@ucl.ac.uk

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