Educational Leadership and Change

Entry requirements

We typically require a 2:1 Bachelor (Honours) degree (or overseas equivalent), in any degree subject.

Significant relevant experience will also be considered.

A personal statement should include an outline of your interest and understanding of your chosen programme.

Months of entry

September

Course content

The MA Educational Leadership and Change at Durham University prepares you for a professional career that relies on combined expertise in education, leadership & management, and data analysis. Our course is designed to engage with theory and evidence in leadership and management across sectors to inform improvements in various mechanisms, processes, and practices in education at all levels.

This MA combines innovative teaching with exceptional support. You will have opportunities to engage with students from diverse backgrounds and countries, gaining a global perspective on education. To further enhance your experience, you will learn from world-class academics who are behind some of the leading research in the field, and experienced practitioners who are involved in educational policy-making.

Upon successful completion of the course, you will have the ability to connect your professional experience with theory in the field and compare it with real-life instances. You will be equipped with the essential skills, knowledge, and behaviours essential to flourish as a well-rounded professional and an influential leader in education and other sectors.

Discover more about how our MA in Educational Leadership and Change can be the next step in your professional journey.

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Our two specialised modules - 'Effective Educational Leadership' and 'Leading Change in Education Organisations' cover a range of critical issues around leadership development, professional learning, and leadership for equity, system leadership, excellence, and innovation in education. Two more core modules 'Design and Methods in Education Research' and 'Postgraduate Dissertation' hone your skills in the research and data analysis aspects.

Course structure

Year 1 modules

Core modules:

Effective Educational Leadership

engages with global leadership trends and their impact on educational quality and outcomes. This module is designed to engage with theory and evidence on effective leadership in education and across sectors. It covers critical topics on leadership models, leadership development, and professional learning and networking. The module will support you with designing your leadership development plan and strategies, drawing on a range of evidence.

Leading Change in Educational Organisations

develops your critical understanding of the processes and practices of leading, managing, and evaluating change initiatives, with a particular focus of educational contexts. This is an increasingly important part of the leadership role as the scale and number of educational reforms continues to grow.

Design and Methods in Education Research

introduces key issues, terms, and ideas in education research. It teaches a range of key research skills including the evaluation of research techniques across different research contexts and the ability to conduct a high-quality study. You will learn to recognise the different purposes of education research; understand key terms and vocabulary in education research and develop a critical standpoint in relation to research in education.

Dissertation

is a substantial piece of research based on an educational issue within your chosen field of study. You will use an approved research strategy to design and carry out your research and report the outcomes.

Optional modules:

In recent years, optional modules have included some of the following:

• Secondary Data in Education Research
• Ethnographies of Education
• Measurement in Education Research
• Interviews
• Experiments in Education
• Systematic Reviews (MA Education)
• Narrative Enquiries
• Synthesis of Research Evidence through Meta-Analysis
• Student Engagement: An Agent of Change for Positive Youth Development and Learning Success
• International Development and Education in a Global World
• The Case for Higher Education: From Precarity to Empowerment
• Enhancing Teaching and Learning for Purposeful Productive Thought
• Digital Technologies and Education: Critical Perspectives
• Critical Perspectives in Education
• Psychological Perspectives on Learning
• Inclusive Pedagogies for Diverse Classrooms
• Education Policy and Evaluation
• Curriculum Analysis
• Assessment
• Arts in Education
• Language Education and Power
• Learning & Individual Differences

Information for international students

International students who do not meet direct entry requirements for this degree might have the option to complete an International Foundation Year.

Fees and funding