Course overview
This programme is designed for teachers or other professionals who have an interest in increasing their knowledge and skills in the field of special needs.
The MA Special and Inclusive Education is suitable if you are:
- interested in developing your knowledge and understanding of children and young people with special educational needs
- working as a teacher or associated professional in mainstream education or specialised settings wishing to extend your skills and practice
- an experienced professional or new to working with children with additional needs
- Malaysia-based or an international student
The programme offers a comprehensive focus on contemporary debates within special and inclusive education including local, national and international policies and approaches. We focus on the specific needs of children with learning difficulties and disabilities, communication impairments, literacy difficulties/dyslexia, autism and ADHD to illustrate the challenges encountered in professional practice.
Critical exploration of current theory and research inform consideration of pedagogical approaches as well as the development of effective systems and structures for working with parents/carers and different agencies.
This programme provides high quality professional development that offers flexibility for students to pursue areas of interest and specialisms.
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.
Advantages of studying MA Special and Inclusive Education at Nottingham
The internationally respected MA Special and Inclusive Education qualification supports career progression through:
- evaluating effective approaches to supporting disabled children and young people including those with moderate to severe and complex learning difficulties and/or personal, social, emotional and behaviour difficulties
- exploring values and beliefs, policy, legislation, multi-agency working and involvement of families and disabled children and young people
- building confidence in your professional practice skills
- promoting personal development through reflection and critical analysis of your own beliefs and practices
- increasing your academic and research skills which will support future doctorate level study including, for example, a Doctorate in Education or Educational Psychology or a PhD Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators
Course structure
For the MA in Education: Special and Inclusive Education, you will need to successfully complete 180 credits. This will be composed of two core modules and two electives of 30 credits each. In addition, you will need to submit a dissertation, worth 60 credits, in a subject related to one of the modules and approved by your tutor.
Assessment
Modules are assessed via a 6,000 word assignment. The dissertation is an original piece of work and should be of approximately 12,000–15,000 words on an approved topic.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
A relevant second class honours degree (or international equivalent). Relevant experience may be required for some of the programmes. 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
Core modules
Debating Special and Inclusive Education
This module focuses on critical issues in special education and inclusive education across the globe, and application of theories, policies, societal issues, and education and inclusive systems on educational provision for individuals who are marginalised, including those with special needs.
Key topics include:
- Critiquing definitions of special and inclusive education.
- Exploring the sociological, political and theoretical perspectives of inclusion.
- Understanding inclusive pedagogies and systems.
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.
Elective modules
Students are required to choose two out of the three elective modules that we offer in each academic year.
Communication and Literacy
This module focuses on the importance of communication and its close links to the development of literacy. This module explores the development of both communication and literacy skills, issues that arise in individuals with communication and literacy difficulties and educational support for communication and literacy development.
Key topics include:
- Critiquing theories of communication and literacy development.
- Understanding the impact of communication and literacy difficulties including among individuals with learning disability, autism, Down syndrome and dyslexia.
- Evaluating communication and literacy assessments and interventions.
Responding Mindfully to Challenging Behavior
This module focuses on developing a critical understanding of theories on behaviour and relationship management, and reflecting on how these theories influence practical issues concerning the management of individuals with special needs.
Key topics include:
- Developing an awareness in reflexivity as a key resource and skill in facilitating other individuals and groups.
- Relating theories and practices related to managing relationships and behaviour in educational contexts.
- Understanding of whole school issues relating to responding mindfully to challenging behaviours and meeting the needs of individuals with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties.
Meet the tutor
Please note that we offer only one or two modules at each teaching time point.
To maximise your study period, we highly encourage that you align your programme start date with the first module of your choice.
Please email the programme coordinator if you need help with module selection.
Programme coordinator: Dr Sharimila Ambrose.
You can view the 2022/2023 course timetable and note this is subject to change.