MA Education

Whichever pathway you choose, our team of expert practitioners will encourage you to build on your own experiences and contexts to think critically about key issues in education, and help you develop and explain your critical positions using the latest research, theories and practice. If you’re a current practitioner, the course will also contribute to your continuing professional development.

You will study alongside people from a range of different backgrounds and fields of education, allowing you to learn from their experiences, share best practice and extend your professional network.

You will also be supported to gain relevant work experience, usually through a voluntary position in an educational setting or with other organisations that work with children and families.

You can join the course full-time in either January or September, but if you have credits from a PG Cert or PGCE you can choose to take it part-time from September.

Which pathway should you choose?

MA Education

If you have a genuine interest in education theories, pedagogy and policy our broad-based MA Education can help you pursue a career in many education contexts, such as educational policy and research. You will study global approaches to educational theories, pedagogy, policy and social justice, tailoring your studies and carrying out research that focuses on your particular interests.

MA Education with Special Educational Needs and Disability

Our SEND pathway will develop your understanding of inclusive practice, education theories, and policy, and help you work towards a career in SEND-relevant policy and research.

MA Education with Early Childhood

Focusing on early childhood education from birth until eight years old, you will advance your knowledge of young children’s learning and develop your early years practice and professionalism with current policies and practice. Explore your own areas of interest and learn to link your research to your practice. You might also have the chance to visit different early years settings as part of the course.

MA Education with Montessori

One of the first Montessori Master’s degrees in the UK. Develop your early years Montessori practice and professionalism and advance your knowledge of young children’s learning, as well as learning how to best share your knowledge with others. You will have many opportunties for work experience, including live briefs and visits to educational settings, including forest schools, while our on-campus Montessori classroom will help you practise your curriculum knowledge.

MA Education with Leadership and Management

Explore and critique different approaches to educational leadership and management at national and international levels to make a real difference in the sector and advance your career in any educational setting. By applying educational leadership and management theory to your practice you will develop as a self-critical learner, enhancing not only your professional knowledge and leadership skills, but your research and operational skills too. You will learn to question and justify your everyday actions, improving your job satisfaction as well as the experience of pupils or students in your workplace.

MA Education with Technology

Develop a deep and systematic critique of key concepts, issues, developments and theories that underpin the study of applied education technology within different aspects of education. Relate current theories to your research and classroom practice, and learn how different knowledge and understandings of education technology can be applied for the benefits of children, families and wider society.

Course leaders

• MA Education: Dr Rebecca Clarkson
• MA Education with Early Childhood: Dr Paulette Luff 
• MA Education with Montessori: Dr Michelle Wisbey
• MA Education with Special Educational Needs and Disability: Dr Eleni Lithari
• MA Education with Leadership and Management: Dr Gill Thomas
• MA Education with Technology: Dr Tarisai Chikomba