Global Learning MA

Distance learning programme

This online MA equips educators with skills to help their learners navigate today’s complex and interconnected world. As a pedagogical approach, global learning supports the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. It helps educators tackle key issues such as global inequality, social justice, climate change and sustainability. Global learning can be applied to educational practice, policy or research.

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2025/26)
£13,500
£6,750
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Overseas tuition fees (2025/26)
£29,800
£14,900
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Duration
1 calendar year
2 calendar years
5 calendar years
Programme starts
September 2025
Applications accepted
All applicants: 14 Oct 2024 – 29 Aug 2025
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Entry requirements

Applicants are expected to have a minimum of a lower second-class UK Bachelor's degree or overseas qualification of an equivalent standard, and an interest in education and approaches to learning about global issues, such as sustainability and global citizenship.

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.

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

Interest in global and sustainability issues in education is growing. Global Learning MA gives you the knowledge and skills needed to meet this demand.

The programme shows how education can prepare your learners for living and working in a complex world. You will explore research to understand how global education policies connect to real-life actions. This includes thinking critically about how education tackles issues like poverty, social justice, climate change and sustainability.

You will also explore best practices for teaching global issues in education. This includes:

  • Effectively embedding sustainability within the curriculum
  • Evaluating the quality of educational resources to teach global issues
  • Improving educator confidence in addressing complex topics

It also covers how to shape your learners into responsible global citizens. For example, through:

  • Fostering critical thinking
  • Encouraging diverse perspectives
  • Promoting informed local actions to tackle global challenges

Who this course is for

Early career or more established professionals who are interested in developing, promoting and managing educational responses to global challenges. This could be in schools, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), youth work or further and higher education. For a list of careers that may be particularly relevant, please see the Employability and Graduate Destinations sections.

What this course will give you

The MA prepares you for a rewarding career across education sectors internationally. You will develop the knowledge and skills you need to apply learning about global issues to educational environments. These skills are highly valued by employers within education as they help their learners to respond to the challenges of living and working in a global society. 

The programme also offers the opportunity to be taught by staff from the Development Education Research Centre (DERC). DERC is a world-leading centre for global learning, education for sustainable development and global citizenship. It conducts research and offers consultancy in education, partnering with international NGOs like UNESCO and local organisations such as the British Council and Oxfam. DERC is part of IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society, which has been ranked number one in the world for Education since 2014.

The online format offers you the same educational quality as a campus-based programme but with added flexibility. You can study from anywhere, balance learning with work and benefit from collaborating with peers from diverse international and educational backgrounds.

With this programme, it is also possible to reduce the cost of studying to two-thirds of the total if you already have PGCE Master’s credits. This is valid for up to 5 years after the completion of your PGCE. For more information, please contact Clare Bentall (c.bentall@ucl.ac.uk).

The foundation of your career

Previous graduates work across a range of areas such as:

  • Teaching and Senior Leadership 
  • International organisations such as UNESCO and UNICEF 
  • International NGOs such as The International Red Cross and Oxfam
  • Education Consultants 
  • Lecturers

Their work includes a range of projects within formal education (e.g. curriculum development) and non-formal education (e.g. education campaigns).

Many of our part-time and flexible students are already in their graduate destinations when they join us. The programme offers an excellent opportunity to support current work and advance your career.

This MA was designed to be run fully online, which gave me the flexibility to continue my professional career abroad, while also learning at an institution in my home country. The flexibility provided on distance learning courses allowed me to choose the time in which I wanted to, or was able to, commit to a few hours of work during the working week. The option to study as a distance learner, and therefore continue in my profession role, was a huge draw to UCL.

Jack Webster, Development Education and Global Learning MA alumnus

Jack Webster

Global Learning MA

Employability

You will develop the knowledge and skills to:

  • Conduct research and apply the outcomes to your educational practice
  • Analyse and design education policy
  • Evaluate examples of educational resources
  • Work cross-culturally in collaborative projects
  • Reflect on your professional practice

You will also be able to run educational initiatives focused on global social justice. This includes:

  • Embedding global and sustainability themes into the curriculum
  • Helping schools achieve sustainability awards
  • Managing international partnerships
  • Creating educational programmes for NGOs
  • Working as a lecturer or researcher in higher and further education

Networking

The MA gives you an opportunity to become an active member of the Development Education Research Centre. DERC is a world-leading centre for global learning, education for sustainable development and global citizenship. You will also have the chance to join the international network of academics and researchers in global education (ANGEL). Through these memberships, you can join seminars, attend conferences and access new publications. You will also engage with experts and hear from top NGOs and organisations working on educational responses to global issues.

Teaching and learning

Each module is delivered online. They consist of 5 main activities spread over 10 weeks. You can complete the tasks by the deadlines within each 2-week block at times that suit you and your other commitments.

To maximise flexibility, learning is task-based and there are no compulsory ‘live’ sessions. You will be asked to: 

  • Watch pre-recorded lectures
  • Contribute to online discussion forums
  • Engage in online dialogue with tutors
  • Work with peers to produce presentations, diagrams and analysis of resources
  • Read relevant literature
  • Write drafts of your assessments 

Contact with tutors and peers during learning activities takes place via messaging on an online learning platform. Optional zoom sessions are offered to support assessment or to cover aspects of research skills. Individual tutorials are conducted through Teams or similar platforms. 

Optional modules can be taken online or face-to-face subject to availability.

Assessment is mostly based on written coursework. Written work may include: 

  • Visual representations of theoretical ideas
  • Essays that explore the relationship between theory and practice
  • Policy writing for education for sustainable development

You will also complete either a dissertation or a report and participate in online study units that help you develop a clear research design. Additionally, you will need to do one video-based oral presentation for a compulsory module and a second if you also choose the programme's optional module. Please note that assessment for optional modules from other programmes will vary.

You are expected to study for 10-15 hours a week per module. Full-time students will study two modules at a time. Part-time and modular/flexible students will study 1 module at a time.

Modules

The MA structure consists of either:

  • 4 modules (2 compulsory and 2 optional) and a Dissertation
  • 5 modules (2 compulsory and 3 optional) and a Report

The compulsory modules below will introduce you a range of theoretical perspectives related to global learning, education for sustainable development and global citizenship. They will then highlight how they influence policy and practice. The modules also introduce newer perspectives. These explore how education can reflect a more equal relationship with the natural world in our pursuit of sustainability and global social justice.

  • Global Learning: Principles and Theoretical Perspectives (30 credits) – Term 1 (Autumn)
  • Education for Sustainable Development: Perspectives from Policy and Practice (30 credits) – Term 2 (Spring)

You are strongly advised to take the below optional module within the programme:

  • Global Citizenship Education: Research, Policy and Practice (30 credits) - Term 3 (Summer)

The MA structure consists of either:

  • 4 modules (2 compulsory and 2 optional) and a Dissertation
  • 5 modules (2 compulsory and 3 optional) and a Report

The compulsory modules below will introduce you a range of theoretical perspectives related to global learning, education for sustainable development and global citizenship. They will then highlight how they influence policy and practice. The modules also introduce newer perspectives. These explore how education can reflect a more equal relationship with the natural world in our pursuit of sustainability and global social justice.

You will take the two compulsory modules in the first two terms of your first year. This is followed by one optional module in Term 3. We recommend this to be ‘Global Citizenship Education: Research Policy and Practice’. In your second year you complete your additional optional modules, and either a Report or Dissertation.

The MA structure consists of either:

  • 4 modules (2 compulsory and 2 optional) and a Dissertation
  • 5 modules (2 compulsory and 3 optional) and a Report

The compulsory modules below will introduce you a range of theoretical perspectives related to global learning, education for sustainable development and global citizenship. They will then highlight how they influence policy and practice. The modules also introduce newer perspectives. These explore how education can reflect a more equal relationship with the natural world in our pursuit of sustainability and global social justice.

You can plan your study over 5 years. You will initially take the two compulsory modules. You will then choose optional modules from the programme and across IOE. Finally, you will complete either a Report or Dissertation in your final year.

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 Global Learning.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services team.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time Part-time
Tuition fees (2025/26) £13,500 £6,750
Tuition fees (2025/26) £29,800 £14,900

Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.

Additional costs

For Full-time and Part-time offer holders a fee deposit will be charged at 10% of the first year fee.

For flexible/modular offer holders a £500 fee deposit will be charged.

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

Students are not required to buy books for the programme. We provide a reading list of electronically accessible works. However, some students may opt to buy core texts.

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.

Students who choose to do their dissertation research in a school in the UK will need a DBS check. The DBS application cost will be covered by UCL, but offer holders will also need to have their ID checked and verified at a Post Office, for which they will incur a charge of £18 (note, this was the fee for 2024 but may change).

Some students may choose to pay for an ANGEL membership, but this is not compulsory for the programme. This costs £25 per year (Jan – Dec) for early career researchers and members based in low- and middle-income countries. Benefits of ANGEL membership are on their website. https://angel-network.net/your-membership.

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 £114.50. This price was published by TfL in 2024. 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.

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 programme of £90 for online applications. Further information can be found at Application fees.

We recommend that students who plan to work alongside their studies enrol in either part-time or flexible modular mode. This will allow you to make the most of opportunities provided on the programme and have the space to reflect on how your learning can be implemented in your professional practice.

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: 2025-2026

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