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Special and Inclusive Education (Specific Learning Difficulties) MA

London, Bloomsbury

At the heart of this course is a belief that literacy is a gateway to opportunity, yet for many learners with Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLDs), this gateway can feel frustratingly inaccessible. In this course, you will engage with cutting-edge research and evidence-informed practice to better understand the needs of neurodiverse learners, and how to empower them through inclusive, responsive teaching. Input from a wide range of academic and professional experts ensures the programme remains relevant to real-world educational settings.

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)
£35,400
£17,700
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 – 26 Jun 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 lower second-class Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. Applicants will also normally have some related professional experience.

The English language level for this course is: Level 3

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

This specialist course within the Master's in Special and Inclusive Education offers a rigorous academic and practice-based exploration of Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLDs), with a particular focus on dyslexia and literacy difficulties. Whether you are new to the field or seeking to deepen your existing expertise, the programme provides a comprehensive and critical grounding in the theory, research, and practice of inclusive education.

This route explores the complex, overlapping nature of SpLDs, and addresses key questions in the field:

  • How can we identify and assess diverse learning profiles accurately and ethically?
  • Why do neurodevelopmental difficulties often co-occur, and what are the implications for teaching?
  • How can we design and deliver effective, equitable interventions tailored to individual learning needs?
  • What does it mean to be a specialist teacher in an educational landscape that increasingly recognises dynamic, intersectional needs?
  • How do we evaluate and apply evidence-informed approaches to support literacy and language development across age ranges?

The course equips you with a broad range of academic, professional, and transferable skills from critical analysis and research literacy to specialist teaching techniques and inclusive curriculum design laying the foundation for a meaningful and impactful career in the field of special and inclusive education.

Who this course is for

This programme would appeal to those working within education, both in the UK and within international settings (e.g., teachers, teaching assistants) who have an interest in working with children, young people or adults with special educational needs and disabilities. We particularly welcome those with personal experience of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), e.g., family members, individuals with disabilities, including dyslexia.

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

What this course will give you

This course is led by academics from the internationally recognised UCL Centre for Inclusive Education (CIE) and a team of world-leading tutors (researchers, academics, and professionals) from the Department of Psychology and Human Development (PHD), meaning that you will benefit from cutting-edge teaching which will deepen your knowledge, challenge your thinking and enhance your employability or current workplace practice. London (ranked #1 Best Student City by QS Best Student Cities 2025) offers a rich and diverse population so students can focus on neurodiversity within a wide range of communities and study at UCL Institute of Education (IOE), which is repeatedly ranked #1 in the world for education (QS World University Rankings by subject from 2014-25).

At the end of the course, you are encouraged to join our Professional Learning Networks (PLNs), to continue your personal and professional development and to provide further opportunities for peer-to-peer learning alongside fellow alumni.

This course, alongside the diverse range of events and initiatives provided by PHD, IOE and UCL and our centres of excellence (such as the Centre for Inclusive Education), offers a transformative experience for students interested in special and inclusive education and/or Specific Learning Difficulties (dyslexia)/literacy difficulties.

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

The foundation of your career

Graduates could seek future employment in a broad range of areas, for example: as senior leaders in mainstream, special schools and other educational settings; and/or directly supporting children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Graduates may pursue pathways as literacy leaders or working in the field of Specific Learning Difficulties (dyslexia). Graduates may also choose careers within specialist services for children and young people with SEND or SEND charities; or consider opportunities in government and policymaking positions. Some will choose to follow research pathways and/or work in Higher Education or as consultants. 

I really appreciated the practical elements of the course, where we were introduced to the little things that can be done or used to help children within the classroom, whether it is printing on coloured paper, utilising everyday objects, or which children’s authors to recommend and read from for children with dyslexia.

Mona Mettawa - Special and Inclusive Education (Specific Learning Difficulties) MA, class of 2023

Mona Mettawa

Special and Inclusive Education (Specific Learning Difficulties) MA

Q&A with Mona Mettawa

Employability

You can broaden your career horizons within the educational settings in which you work (if applicable) and/or develop skills that can be used in a wide range of careers within or outside the field of special education and Specific Learning Difficulties (dyslexia)/literacy difficulties. You will also develop skills in the areas of personal organisation and time management; oral and written communication; collaborative working; computing and IT; presentations; critical, adaptive and reflective thinking; problem solving; research and inquiry.

Graduates of this course are well-prepared to lead change in a range of educational and specialist settings. Whether working within schools, colleges, or as a consultant, you will leave with the expertise and confidence to support dyslexic learners and champion inclusive, evidence-based teaching.

Networking

The course attracts national and international students with rich and varied professional and/or personal experiences; offering a valuable opportunity for networking and collaborative learning. The course provides enrichment opportunities that relate to the taught content (e.g. optional seminars that focus on academic writing, new research directions in the field and students sharing their own practice; career talks from alumni; local school visits to observe inclusive practices). 

You also have access to talks and events in the wider department, which often involve external speakers. Through these enrichment opportunities, you can network with their peers on the programme, tutors, alumni (both home and international), experienced researchers and practitioners.

This course, along with the diverse range of events and initiatives provided by our centres of excellence, PHD, IOE and UCL, offers a transformative experience for students interested in special and inclusive education.

Teaching and learning

The course is taught through a combination of face-to-face lectures/seminars, plus online materials and lectures (blended learning), group discussions, small group and/ or one-to-one tutorials.

Through a combination of taught sessions, practical inquiry, collaborative tasks, and independent study, you will gain:

  • A robust understanding of cognitive and linguistic development in learners with SpLDs
  • Practical skills in assessment and identification
  • Strategies for designing and implementing personalised support courses
  • Insight into the wider policy and social contexts shaping inclusive education

 The course is assessed through a range of different assessment types, including presentations, creating teaching resources, written assignments, case studies and multiple-choice questions. For some modules you may choose from a range of assignment titles or you may be able to negotiate your own title. In addition, you will be required to choose to write either a research report or a dissertation in the final year of the course.

Contact hours are module dependent, but each 30 credit module will equate to 300 hours of study time. Throughout Terms 1, 2 and 3, each module will include contact with faculty via a range of forums (e.g., individual tuition, whole/small group lectures/seminars, online materials on the learning platform Moodle). Per week for each module, students can expect to have 2.5 to 3 hours of contact with faculty through face-to-face lectures, 2 to 3 hours of online learning on Moodle, and up to 5 hours of individual tuition (by appointment) with lecturers. In addition, in Term 3 and the summer period students will be completing the dissertation research, keeping regular contact with their dissertation/report supervisors.

Modules

Full-time students over the course of a year will undertake four compulsory modules which illuminate the practice of special and inclusive education from a variety of angles and provide helpful contexts and frameworks: Understanding Specific Learning Difficulties (dyslexia); Intervention for literacy difficulties: Evidence and application; Concepts and Contexts of Inclusive Education and Research Design and Methodology. 

As the course progresses, your focus will increasingly be on your choice of either a dissertation or research report. If you choose to do the research report you can also supplement the shared foundation of your course by choosing from a number of optional modules (including modules focused upon on autism, psychology, language development amongst other choices), which allows you to pursue your additional personal interests within the field of inclusion, plus one optional module. The first term is busy, with students attending 3 modules; two of these are taught face to face and the third taught through a combination of face to face and online lectures.

The part-time mode of this course moves through modules in a similar way to the full-time mode, with the pace differing in that you will complete the course over two years rather than one. Part-time students will take three compulsory modules in their first year: Understanding Specific Learning Difficulties (dyslexia); Intervention for literacy difficulties: Evidence and application; Concepts and Contexts of Inclusive Education. 

In their second year, students will take the fourth compulsory module (Research Design and Methodology) and complete either the dissertation or an optional module, plus the research report. 

The flexible mode of this course moves through modules in a similar way to the full-time version, with the pace differing in that you must complete the course between 2 to 5 years and the pace of the journey is up to you to decide. This allows flexibility for those who are working whilst studying. Students must take the compulsory module Concepts and Contexts of Inclusive Education in their first year of study. The compulsory module ‘Understanding Specific Learning Difficulties (dyslexia)’ should be taken before the compulsory module ‘Intervention for literacy difficulties: Evidence and application’. Optional modules can be taken at any point during the remainder of the programme; students can take one optional module if choosing the Research Report. The Research Design and Methodology module, and either a Dissertation or Report, must be taken in the final year of study. 

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.

Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MA in Special and Inclusive Education (Specific Learning Difficulties).

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.

Visit us

All open days and events

Online - Open day

Graduate Open Events: Master's Courses in Special and Inclusive Education (MASIE) and Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD)

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Do you want to enhance your skills and further your career in special and inclusive education? Our courses enable you to engage with the latest theory and research on special educational needs and disabilities. We welcome you to book your place at our Virtual Open Event. You will meet our academics, hear about the courses you are interested in and have the chance to ask any questions you might have. These sessions are free and open to all.

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) £35,400 £17,700

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.

You are responsible for covering any travel, accommodation, and other expenses involved in conducting research for your dissertation/report as these would be optional or for any school visits. You should account for these costs when planning your finances. Organised school visits within London and surrounding areas are recommended but are not compulsory. 

DBS may be required depending on the type of research undertaken for the dissertation module. 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 £15 (note, this was the fee for 2025 but may change). The offer holder is also required to arrange and pay for any overseas police check that may be necessary; costs vary by country. For more information about the DBS application process, please contact the Admissions team.

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

Part-time students may apply for the UK Government Postgraduate Loan. Visit the DfE website for information. Payments for the full master's are spread equally over the two years (students pay for 90 credits per year). Please note if a student leaves the course at the end of the first year, they will be required to pay the outstanding fees, as they will have attended the first 3 modules in year one (120 credits).

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

Next steps

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 are interested in following the specialist Specific Learning Difficulties route and what attracted you to this programme? 
  • why you are interested in dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties, and whether this links to your future career path? 

We would additionally like to learn:

  • why you want to study Special and Inclusive Education at graduate level
  • why you want to study Special and Inclusive Education at UCL
  • what particularly attracts you to the chosen programme
  • 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

Psychology and Human Development
Psychology and Human Development

masie@ucl.ac.uk

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