Education MA

Our Education MA is a flexible 2 year part time course, taught through a blended approach of online and face-to-face learning. All of the face-to-face taught sessions are delivered over designated weekends. This offers you the opportunity to study alongside work and other commitments. There is also a fast-track route for those who have a recent PGCE or an older PGCE and national leadership qualification. This means you can gain an MA after 16 months of part time study. (Please note that if you study on this route you will not be eligible for a government postgraduate loan.)

On this course you will explore the links between theory, policy and practice in education, examining these links at a local, national and global level. You also will gain experience in carrying out independent research and develop transferable skills, including:

• The confidence to question established practice
• Communicating to a range of audiences
• Learning how to give critical responses in a professional environment

We will encourage you to apply what you are learning on the course to your job. This means you can positively influence your work as a direct result of the course. You will be able to carry out your dissertation or professional project in your workplace if appropriate, but the course is also designed to work for those who are not currently in a relevant workplace.

You will work alongside our team of academics who have expertise in social justice and education. Our research specialties include:

• Critical pedagogies
• Mental health and wellbeing
• Autism
• Governance and leadership
• Education policy
• Early childhood
• Research methodologies
• Social justice and education

How you will study

For postgraduate study our academic year is split into 3 semesters.

2 year route

On the 2 year route you will study:

• 1 compulsory module each semester in year 1 (3 in total)
• 1 optional module in semester 1 of year 2
• A dissertation or professional project in semesters 2 and 3 in year 2

Fast track route

The fast-track route which will take 16 months. You are eligible for this route if you have a recent PGCE or national leadership qualification. Please note that if you study on this route you will not be eligible for a government postgraduate loan.

On the fast-track route you will study:

• 1 compulsory module in semesters 1 and 2 of year 1
• A dissertation or professional project running from semester 3 in year 1 to semester 1 in year 2

You can find out which modules are available in each term in the Course Specifications.

Modules

Teaching and learning

All of our face-to-face sessions are delivered at weekends, so you can study flexibly around work and other commitments. If you are on the 2 year route you will attend taught sessions on 8 weekends across 4 terms. If you are on the fast-track route you will attend taught sessions on 4 weekends over 2 terms.

These taught sessions will give you the opportunity to meet other students on the course and become part of a supportive and inspiring community of postgraduate scholars.

As well as the weekend taught sessions, you will have 8 hours of online teaching per module. This includes recorded lectures, online discussion forums and guided reading.

Our teaching draws on both our research and professional experience. This means your learning is informed by the most current thinking in the subject area. You can find out more about our research and backgrounds by visiting our staff pages.

Assessment

Throughout the course you will take part in assessments including group projects and presentations. You will receive verbal and written feedback on these, from your peers and your tutors, which will help you to develop your ideas as you progress through the course. Your more formal assessments will include:

• Written work, including your dissertation or professional project
• Presentations
• Producing a short video

These will help to develop your learning as well as giving you transferable skills to take forwards in your career.

Qualifications

Fast track route

If you have either of the following you will be eligible to apply for the fast track route:

• A recent PGCE, gained within the last 5 years
• A PGCE and a recent national leadership qualification (NPQML, NPQSL, NPQHT) gained within the last 5 years

International students

Unfortunately this course is not available for international students. Discover the other courses we offer.

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Interview

You may be asked to attend an interview for this course. Once you have applied, you will receive further information about your interview from our Admissions team.

Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL)

If you do not have traditional qualifications, you might be able to provide evidence of professional experience in the subject as an alternative way to meet the entry requirements. This is called Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL). Appropriate references and records of employment would need to be presented to support your case for admission. 

Terms and conditions

Our terms and conditions, policies and procedures contain important information about studying at York St John University. You can read them on our Admissions page.

UK 2024 entry

The tuition fee for 2024 entry to the standard 2 years part time course is £8,000:

• £4,000 per year for 2 years, part time

The tuition fee for 2024 entry to the fast track 16 months part time course is £4,667:

• £3,500 for year 1, part time
• £1,167 for year 2, part time

These costs apply to all UK, Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man students.

For the 2 year route postgraduate loans are available. This option is not available for the fast-track route. Find out more about funding your postgraduate studies.

Funding opportunities

Tuition fees

Alumni Scholarships

If you are alumni of York St John University we have scholarships available to help you continue your studies.

Scholarships for alumni

Additional costs and financial support

Course-related costs

While studying for your degree, there may be additional costs related to your course. This may include purchasing personal equipment and stationery, books and optional field trips.

Accommodation and living costs

View our accommodation pages for detailed information on accommodation and living costs.

Where could Education MA take you?

This degree will give you the skills and insight to pursue a career in various fields within the Education sector. You will develop skills such as time and project management, data analysis, presenting information, and responding to feedback.

This will give you an advantage in careers such as:

• School and college teacher
• Early Years professional
• Community educator
• Museum educator
• Learning mentor
• Education manager

Stand out from the crowd with postgraduate study.

Far fewer people have postgraduate degrees than undergraduate qualifications. This gives you something extra to set yourself apart in a competitive graduate job market. Those with a postgraduate qualification will earn an average of £6,500 a year more than those with only an undergraduate degree. (Department For Education Graduate Labour Market Report 2022).

Our careers service, LaunchPad, provides career support tailored to your ambitions. Through this service you can access:

• Employer events
• LinkedIn, CV and cover letter sessions
• Workshops on application writing and interview skills
• Work experience and volunteering opportunities
• Personalised career advice

This support does not end when you graduate. You can access our expert career advice for the rest of your life. We will help you gain the experience and confidence you need to succeed.