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Educational Leadership (In-service) MA

London, Bloomsbury

The Educational Leadership (in-service) MA 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, but not limited to school, college, university, tutoring centre, early years or government settings and may include leading learning, leading people or resources etc. The course 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 (2026/27)
£14,200
£7,100
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Overseas tuition fees (2026/27)
£32,000
£16,000
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Duration
1 calendar year
2 calendar years
5 calendar years
Programme starts
September 2026
Applications accepted
Applicants who require a visa: 20 Oct 2025 – 24 Apr 2026
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Applicants who do not require a visa: 20 Oct 2025 – 28 Aug 2026
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 should also have around 2 years experience of leading in an educational setting. This could include leading learning for a class, leading a department or school, etc. 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 course 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 course is suitable for international students on a Student visa – study must be full-time, face-to-face, starting September.

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

This course will be suitable for those applicants seeking postgraduate study to enhance their own professional and academic career in education, or education-related field. Studying within the large and dynamic UCL, Centre for Educational Leadership, enables learning and development alongside leading academics and professionals.

Applicants to the in-service route need some experience in a leadership role (leading learning, people, resources etc.) in an educational or education-related setting. Commonly this will be in schools, tertiary provision or childcare settings, although applicants are welcomed 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 UCL Institute of Education (IOE), ranked number one in the world for education for the last twelfth years (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025). It is taught by leading experts in the field.

This degree will enable leaders, managers and teachers 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 course 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 educational organisations and/or systems. You will also explore wider philosophical and value stances which are particularly pertinent to working in a truly global context.

Some of our alumni have reported that the MA enabled progression in their educational careers, drawing on the rich learning from the course.

What inspires me is the opportunity to apply theory to practice - whether through case studies, school improvement strategies, or exploring how innovations like AI can support student learning and equity.

A young woman smiling outdoors, wearing a red top with her hair tied to the side, with buildings and a sunny sky in the background.

Tina Wang

Educational Leadership (In-service) MA, 2026

Read more

Employability

The MA 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 course 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 course of online seminars, and those offered more widely by the department, IOE 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 course 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 a range of assignment types including written essays and in-person presentations and a Dissertation or a Report.

This is a taught face-to-face course 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.

For full time students, there are typically 6 hours contact in Term 1 and between 3 - 6 hours in each of Term 2 and 3. Self-directed student consists of approximately 25+ hours per week. Part time students will engage in class and self-study for up to half of the full time hours depending on module selection.

Modules

The MA 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 course. Students can take an optional module, and there is a large array of options across IOE, although usually no more than one would be permitted. If you wish to choose an optional module outside of our course, please check with the Course Leader first.

The MA requires 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 course. Students can take an optional module, and there is a large array of options across IOE, although usually no more than one would be permitted. If you wish to choose an optional module outside of our course, please check with the Course Leader first. 

The MA can be taken over 3 - 5 years on the flexible course 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 course. Students can take an optional module, and there is a large array of options across IOE, although usually no more than one would be permitted. If you wish to choose an optional module outside of our course , please check with the Course  Leader first.

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

The department will endeavour to make reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities, including those with long-term health conditions, neurodivergence, learning differences and mental health conditions. This list is not exhaustive. If you're unsure of your eligibility for reasonable adjustments at UCL, please contact Student Support and Wellbeing Services.

Reasonable adjustments are implemented on a case-by-case basis. With the student's consent, reasonable adjustments are considered by UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services, and where required, in collaboration with the respective department.

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information about support available can be obtained from UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services.

For more information about the department and accessibility arrangements for your course, please contact the department.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time Part-time
Tuition fees (2026/27) £14,200 £7,100
Tuition fees (2026/27) £32,000 £16,000

Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.

Postgraduate Taught students benefit from a cohort guarantee, meaning that their tuition fees will not increase during the course of the programme, but UCL reserves the right to increase tuition fees to reflect any sums (including levies, taxes, or similar financial charges) that UCL is required to pay any governmental authority in connection with tuition fees.

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Where the course 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

For full-time and part-time offer holders with a fee status classification of UK, a fee deposit will be charged at 2.5% of the first year fee.

For full-time and part-time offer holders with a fee status classification of Overseas, a fee deposit will be charged at 10% of the first year fee.

For modular/flexible offer holders with a fee status classification of UK, a £350 deposit will be charged.

For modular/flexible offer holders with a fee status classification of Overseas, a £500 deposit will be charged.

Further information can be found in the Tuition fee deposits section on this page: Tuition fees.

Students are responsible for covering any travel, accommodation, and other expenses involved in conducting research for their dissertation, and should account for these costs when planning their finances.

For in-person teaching, UCL’s main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1-2 is £119.90. This price was published by TfL in 2025. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide.

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 - Aziz Foundation Scholarships

Value: Full tuition fees (1 year)
Criteria Based on academic merit
Eligibility: UK

IOE-Clarke Scholarships

Deadline: 5 May 2025
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: 5 May 2025
Value: Tuition fees and accommodation at International Students House (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: 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 course of £90 for online 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 course
  • 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 course match what the course will deliver.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate courses (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: 2026-2027

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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