Course overview
The MA/PG Diploma/PG Certificate in Education are unique modular and flexible programmes designed to reflect the needs of individuals or organisational cohorts. While each module has its own particular focus, all are concerned with investigating contemporary educational issues in the light of economic and social contexts, appropriate literature and the shared experience of course members. A hallmark of these programmes are their commitment to equality and diversity and their flexibility to meet the needs of individuals and organisations. The overall purpose is to deepen and refine your capacity for critical reflection on your practice as well as on the mental models which inform your work.
Important Announcement: Starting 2021, the programme structure for all School of Education postgraduate taught programmes (Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma and MA) has been changed to TWO online delivery and TWO face-to-face delivery.
Cohort applications
We welcome approaches from educational organisations who may wish to develop a bespoke cohort programme.
Course structure
The MA requires candidates to complete four taught modules (120 credits) and a dissertation (60 credits). Those with Recognition of Previous Learning (RPL) credits may study fewer modules. Each 30-credit module is assessed by a written assignment of 6,000 words (or equivalent).
The 30-credit module Practice Based Inquiry is compulsory for this qualification. This is the only compulsory module. For the remainder of the credits, you can choose from any of the School of Education’s other postgraduate taught modules, including any Educational Leadership and Management (ELM) module, any Special and Inclusive Education (SIE) module and any TESOL module.
In addition, you will need to submit a dissertation, worth 60 credits, which is an original piece of work and should be 14,000-15,000 words (or equivalent) on an approved topic related to one of the selected modules.
Modules are taught within a block of either a three-day extended weekend or four days over two consecutive weekends.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
A relevant second class honours degree (or international equivalent). Relevant experience may be required for some of the modules. Non-UK qualifications will be assessed against this standard.
Malaysians applying as a matured student without the standard entry requirements but with substantial and relevant work experience (and have successfully passed APEL’s assessment through Malaysian Qualifications Agency) may be considered for an entry at the Postgraduate Certificate Level. Admission is at the discretion of the School.
Applicants must have graduated from an approved university. Other equivalent qualifications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Entry requirements in the prospectus and website may not always apply and individual offers may vary.
English language requirements
IELTS (Academic): 6.5 (with no less than 6.0 in each element)
TOEFL (iBT): 87 (minimum 20 in Speaking and 19 in all other elements)
PTE (Academic): 71 (with no less than 65 in each element)
MUET: Band 4
IELTS, TOEFL and PTE (Academic) test results must be less than two years old and all IELTS must be the academic version of the test. MUET results are valid for five years from the date of the release of results.
Modules
Typical core modules
Practice Based Inquiry
The content will involve you in active critical consideration of participating in and leadership of practitioner inquiry in relation to professional context mapping and workplace learning.
These processes will be achieved through:
- conceptualising different kinds of practitioner inquiry relevant to work-based understanding and development (purposes, processes, contexts, dilemmas, outcomes).
- examining a range of approaches to educational inquiry, with an emphasis on action research.
- developing an inquiry into your professional context.
Dissertation
This substantive piece of scholarship within the field of the course will normally be based on interests and skills you have developed in the course of the modules already studied.
You will choose a topic in consultation with your course leader and an appropriate supervisor.
Typical elective modules
Critical Perspective in Curriculum and Pedagogy
This module critically examines contemporary debates surrounding orthodoxies in curriculum, learning and assessment in schools, and how these relate to policy and practice.
In particular it considers the way different orthodoxies frame what children and young people learn in schools, how they learn and how assessment practices inform learning processes. The module will explore these orthodoxies in terms of their origins and purposes and it will consider alternative models from an international perspective.
The module starts by considering the history, politics and ideology of the curriculum as it currently exists. It then develops understanding through application of psychological, social and cultural theories of learning and assessment. These theorised views of schooling and classroom practices enable us to analyse and critique the wide-ranging policy and research discussions about curriculum, learning and assessment that are currently under way.
You will be engaged in considering how developments of, and alternatives to, current practices will impact learning and teaching in the future.
Learning Theories for a Digital Age
This module looks at how people learn and how learning is supported in a digital age. It explores current and historical theories of learning and how they inform the design of learning technologies. It will help you understand the potential of digital technology for learning in a variety of contexts (such as schools, colleges, workplaces, museums, both face-to-face and online) and help you develop an ability to critically reflect on examples of learning technologies in current use.
Social Contexts of Learning
This module focuses on how people learn together in pairs, teams, small groups, the classroom, or an informal community. It works through classical and modern theories of social learning, explaining the social aspects of almost any type of learning and mechanisms that boost the power of learning together.
Equipped with these theories, it explores the various technologies mediating and supporting social learning, such as social media, participation in the World Wide Web, online communities, online communication platforms and virtual reality.
Leading Learning
The module will address the essential features of effective learning, as relevant to your sector by examining:
- The process of learning.
- Supporting learning (for example, through adults, peers and technology) both within and beyond the educational organisation.
- An overview of approaches to improvement and raising achievement in educational organisations.
- Monitoring and evaluation of learning: the use of data, target-setting, monitoring.
Meet the tutor
Programme coordinator: Dr Chai Xun Yu
You can view the 2022/2023 course timetable and note this is subject to change.