Home

Higher Education Studies MA

London, Bloomsbury

The MA Higher Education Studies is designed to give you critical insight into the changing field of Higher Education, reflecting on important debates nationally and internationally. The programme encourages you to explore, share and challenge existing knowledge and experience by engaging with different ideas, concepts, and values. You will examine Higher Education policy and practices in relation to your own experience. The programme will develop your understanding of conceptual and analytical frameworks in professional practices and processes, increasing your knowledge, skills and confidence to operate effectively and creatively in diverse institutions in Higher Education. 

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 relevant second-class Bachelor's degree from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard and relevant personal or professional experience of Higher Education.

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

Compulsory modules in this programme explore key contemporary national and global issues in Higher Education such as quality, public/private debates on funding and provision, access and social justice, strategy and management, academic and professional workforce, pedagogy, internationalisation and how the forces of globalisation, technological change and of the influences of cross-national agencies have radically changed the frames within which policy makers and providers now operate. 

The Dissertation or Report is an opportunity for a critical exploration of a field of study in Higher Education on a topic of direct interest to you.

Who this course is for

Graduates of any discipline with an interest in working in Higher Education and related fields; administrators and managers; researchers, teachers and professional staff from library, learning support or widening participation; and policymakers from universities, colleges, national organisations and professional bodies.

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

What this course will give you

The Centre for Higher Education Studies (CHES) brings together students, researchers, consultants and practitioners focusing on Higher Education with a distinctive programme of seminars and events. This programme provides you with the opportunity to study for an inter-disciplinary, inter-professional qualification, examining Higher Education policies and practices in relation to your own personal or professional experience of the sector. 

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

The foundation of your career

The programme is designed to help you to efficiently connect theory, policy and practice in the Higher Education sector. Our graduates will develop the knowledge and skills to work confidently and creatively in diverse institutions in Higher Education and related fields.

Employability

Graduates of this programme are currently working across a broad range of areas in the higher education sector in the UK and internationally. Examples include; in university governance and quality assurance, as government policy adviser for education, university lecturer, academic standards and quality officer, careers and professional development consultant, learning, teaching and quality manager, and qualifications manager and students’ union officer. Some graduates have gone on to doctoral studies in the field of higher education at the IOE and other universities.

Networking

The Department of Education, Practice and Society is a multidisciplinary department with extensive expertise and experience in research, knowledge transfer and consultancy in the UK, Europe and Asia, working closely with transnational bodies, government departments, regional organisations, national institutes, and international organisations. 

The Centre for Higher Education Studies (CHES) brings together students, researchers, consultants and practitioners focusing on higher education with a distinctive programme of seminars and events.  We encourage students to attend events organised by the Centre for Higher Education Studies and the wide range of events within the wider Department and across UCL.

Teaching and learning

The programme utilises a variety of learning contexts, including individual tutorials and supervision, taught classes, and independent study. Sometimes an interactive lecture-based approach will be used, with the aim of providing an overview of the field. Lectures are usually followed by open discussion or group work. At other times a seminar format will be adopted, involving, for example, group discussion of set reading, a video or an introductory presentation. The typical structure of a taught session is an interactive presentation from staff followed by group and whole class discussions and workshop activities related to the presentation and the readings. This ensures that students engage with existing research debates in order to reflect on their own practices and their relations to wider policies in Higher Education. It is essential that participants prepare for lectures and seminars by keeping up with reading, and are willing to contribute to discussions.  

All modules require extensive independent study of recommended readings and the Dissertation and Report require independent literature searching to identify and engagement with relevant published sources.  

Acquisition of intellectual, academic and research skills is fostered in all modules offered in the programme. All modules will introduce information about the variety of theoretical frameworks and empirical methods that will be assessed critically. This will demonstrate how different, complementary and at times conflicting interpretations arise from the same information.  

The sharing of participants' personal or professional experience of the Higher Education sector in different countries through discussion activities forms an important part of the curriculum.

The MA HES core taught modules are assessed by coursework assignments and oral presentations. 

Optional modules are typically are assessed via coursework assignments and oral presentations. 

The module leader will set out the specific specification for each module. It might include single essays, or a combination of two or more different pieces of work, such as reviews, research proposals, reports, case studies, diaries or shorter essays.  

Additionally, participants will choose between a 7,500 word Report or 15,000 word Dissertation which will explore a topic in the field of Higher Education in depth. 

Formative assessments are crucial to the learning process, and you can expect to receive formative feedback from both peers and tutors in discussions in all modules. Participants are generally expected to submit a draft outline of written assignments for formative feedback from tutors.

A Masters degree with 180 credits requires 1800 hours of learning activity over 12 months. Each 30-credit taught module requires 300 learning hours of learning activity, of which typically 30 hours are face-to-face contact time in lectures, workshops or tutorials, the remaining hours consist of self-directed study such as; preparation for classes and online learning activities, reading, assignment preparation and completion. The Dissertation and Report modules are primarily independent study with one-to-one supervision from a member of staff, where the majority of learning activity consists of searching for new literature related to your area of interest, and writing drafts of your Dissertation and Report.

A Postgraduate Diploma, two core modules (60 credits) plus an additional 60 credits, full-time one year or part-time two years is offered. A Postgraduate Certificate, one compulsory module (30 credits) plus an additional 30 credits, full-time one year or part-time two years is offered.

Modules

Please note that the following modules have changed for 2024 entry:

  • Understanding Higher Education: Trends and Issues replaces Innovation and Change in Higher Education
  • Higher Education Strategy and Management replaces Higher Education Institutions as Organisations: Their Strategic Management 

To complete the MA Higher Education Studies you must complete both compulsory modules; 'Understanding Higher Education: Trends and Issues' and 'HE Strategy and Management' plus an additional 120 credits.

To complete the interim award of the PG Diploma in Higher Education Studies, you must complete both compulsory modules; 'Understanding Higher Education: Trends and Issues' and 'HE Strategy and Management' plus an additional 60 credits at Master's Level.

To complete any interim award the PG Certificate in Higher Education Studies, you must complete the first compulsory module 'Understanding Higher Education: Trends and Issues' and another 30 credits at Master's Level.

In addition, to complete the MA, you will need to complete a dissertation or a report on a topic within the field of Higher Education Studies and further optional modules, with the opportunity to study modules from other MA programmes at IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education and Society, subject to availability. 

Full-time students complete within one year.

Please note that the following modules have changed for 2024 entry:

  • Understanding Higher Education: Trends and Issues replaces Innovation and Change in Higher Education
  • Higher Education Strategy and Management replaces Higher Education Institutions as Organisations: Their Strategic Management 

To complete the MA Higher Education Studies you must complete both compulsory modules; 'Understanding Higher Education: Trends and Issues' and 'HE Strategy and Management' plus an additional 120 credits.

To complete the interim award of the PG Diploma in Higher Education Studies, you must complete both compulsory modules; 'Understanding Higher Education: Trends and Issues' and 'HE Strategy and Management' plus an additional 60 credits at Master's Level.

To complete any interim award the PG Certificate in Higher Education Studies, you must complete the first compulsory module 'Understanding Higher Education: Trends and Issues' and another 30 credits at Master's Level.

In addition, to complete the MA, you will need to complete a dissertation or a report on a topic within the field of Higher Education Studies and further optional modules, with the opportunity to study modules from other MA programmes at IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education and Society, subject to availability. 

Part-time students complete within two years. 

Year 1: complete two compulsory modules plus one optional module. 

Year 2: complete Dissertation plus one optional module OR Report plus two further optional modules. 

Please note that the following modules have changed for 2024 entry:

  • Understanding Higher Education: Trends and Issues replaces Innovation and Change in Higher Education
  • Higher Education Strategy and Management replaces Higher Education Institutions as Organisations: Their Strategic Management 

To complete the MA Higher Education Studies you must complete both compulsory modules; 'Understanding Higher Education: Trends and Issues' and 'HE Strategy and Management' plus an additional 120 credits.

To complete the interim award of the PG Diploma in Higher Education Studies, you must complete both compulsory modules; 'Understanding Higher Education: Trends and Issues' and 'HE Strategy and Management' plus an additional 60 credits at Master's Level.

To complete any interim award the PG Certificate in Higher Education Studies, you must complete the first compulsory module 'Understanding Higher Education: Trends and Issues' and another 30 credits at Master's Level.

In addition, to complete the MA, you will need to complete a dissertation or a report on a topic within the field of Higher Education Studies and further optional modules, with the opportunity to study modules from other MA programmes at IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education and Society, subject to availability. 

Flexible/Modular students have up to 5 years to complete and can enrol for as many or as few modules as they wish each year. However, a typical enrolment pattern for a student working while studying the flexible modular route would be: 

Year 1: complete two compulsory modules. 

Year 2: complete two optional modules. 

Year 3: complete Dissertation OR Report plus one further optional module.

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 Higher Education Studies. Upon successful completion of 120 credits, you will be awarded a PG Dip in Higher Education Studies. Upon successful completion of 60 credits, you will be awarded a PG Cert in Higher Education Studies.

Fieldwork

Students may choose to organise and undertake fieldwork in relation to their research for their dissertation, but this is not a requirement. If undertaken, fieldwork must be self-funded. 

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.

Visit us

All open days and events

Online - Open day

Graduate Open Events: Higher Education Studies MA

Are you interested in furthering your career in education and making a difference in the UK or worldwide? We welcome you to book your place at our Virtual Open Event. You will meet our Programme Leaders, hear about the programmes you are interested in and have the chance to ask any questions you might have. These sessions are free and open to all. Be inspired by our wide-ranging and flexible programmes run by leading academics.

Watch on demand event

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.

Additional costs

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

If students decide to undertake the fieldwork, it must be self-funded.

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

Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme (CSSS)

Deadline: 14 December 2023
Value: Full fees, flights, stipend, and other allowances (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: EU, Overseas

GREAT Scholarship

Deadline: 14 May 2024
Value: £10,000 towards tuition fees (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: EU, Overseas

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

When we assess your application we would like to learn: 

  • why you want to study Higher Education Studies at graduate level 
  • why you want to study Higher Education Studies at UCL 
  • what particularly attracts you to the chosen programme 
  • 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

Education, Practice and Society
Education, Practice and Society

holly.smith@ucl.ac.uk

UCL is regulated by the Office for Students.