Education with Specialisms

Entry requirements

Applicants must normally:

(a) have gained

(i) a degree from a university of the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland, from the Council for National Academic Awards, the Higher Education and Training Awards Council, or from an institution of another country which is recognised as being of an equivalent standard; or

(ii) an equivalent standard (normally 50%) in a Graduate Diploma, Graduate Certificate, Postgraduate Certificate or Diploma or an approved alternative qualification, e.g. a professional qualification; and

(b) be currently working in a teaching or training environment

(please note: the PGDip/MEd with Specialisms does not qualify you as a teacher).

Months of entry

September

Course content

The Master of Education degree is a professional development course for teachers and other adult educators, who wish to update their knowledge and qualifications. The award has been developed in conjunction with the teaching community and is designed to ensure you will have the opportunity to explore contemporary issues in education which impact upon your own professional practice. The full master’s programme will normally take you up to 3 years to complete, but you can exit with the Postgraduate Certificate (normally after 1 year) or Postgraduate Diploma (normally after 2 years).

This course is available in Magee, Athlone Education Centre, Carrick-on-Shannon Education Centre, Monaghan Education Centre and Fully online.

If you are currently working in a teaching or training environment and you wish to build on the qualifications and experience you already have, then this course is for you. You will enter at the Postgraduate Diploma level and undertake modules worth 120 credits for your Postgraduate Diploma award and a further 60 credits for your MEd award.

If, after completing 60 credits, you wish to exit the course, you can do so with a Postgraduate Certificate award.

This is summarised below:

• Year 1

Award: Postgraduate Certificate (exit award only)

Modules: 2 modules of 30 credits

Accumulated credits: 60

• Year 2

Award: Postgraduate Diploma

Modules: 2 modules of 30 credits

Accumulated credits: 120

• Year 3

Award: MEd

Modules: 1 modules of 60 credits (Dissertation)
or

2 modules of 30 credits to include the Research Project module

Accumulated credits: 180

Please note that this award does not qualify you as a teacher.

Specialisms available (you must complete two modules in a Specialism to get that named on your parchment):

• Educational Management Specialism (this is the one which is offered face to face in Magee)
  • Modules
    • EDU927 Building Teams and Managing Resources (Monaghan: Semester 1, year 1; Other Centres: Semester 2 Year 1)
    • EDU867 Leadership for Learning (Monaghan: Semester 2, Year 1; Other Centres: Semester 1, Year 2)
    • EDU912 Strategic Development Planning (Monaghan; Semester 1, Year 2)
• Inclusive and Special Education Specialism (fully online)
  • Modules
    • EDU963 Inclusive and Special Education - developing and analysing practice (Fully online: Semester 1)
    • EDU964 Inclusive and Special Education - Leading and Managing (Fully online: Semester 2)
• ICT Specialism (fully online)
  • Modules
    • EDU920 Leading, Managing and Assessing ICT (fully online: Semester 1)
    • EDU922 Collaborative Learning Online (Fully online: Semester 2)
• Learning and Teaching Specialism (fully online)
  • Modules
    • EDU953 E-Portfolios: Personal Development Planning (Fully online: Semester 2)
    • EDU955 Children’s Learning and Assessment (Fully online: Semester 2)
• Children and Young People Specialism (fully online)
  • Modules
    • EDU705 Policy Development and Implementation (Fully online: Semester 1)
    • EDU 704 Introduction to Children’s Rights (Fully online: Semester 2)
• Conflict and Peace Building Specialism (fully online)
  • Modules
    • EDU707 Schooling in Conflict Affected Contexts (Fully online: Semester 1)
    • EDU706 Education, Conflict and Peace building: From Theory to Practice (Fully online: Semester 2)
• TESOL Specialism (Blended)
  • Modules
    • EDU701 English Language Teaching Methodologies (Face-to-face/weekend/evening)
    • EDU956 English as an Additional Language (Face-to-face/weekend/evening)

A candidate who does not do two modules from the same specialism will get the Specialism of Professional Practice

Compulsory modules

Year 1 Semester 1: EDU957 The Reflective Professional (except for students studying for the Educational Leadership Specialism at Monaghan)

Year 2 Semester2: EDU958 Research Design and Initiation (preparing for personal research)

Year 3 Semester 1 or 2: EDU969 Research Project (8000 word individual research, suppported by a supervising tutor)

OR

Year 3 Semester 1 and 2: EDU899 Dissertation (18000 word individual research, suppported by a supervising tutor)

Information for international students

English language requirements for international applicants
The minimum requirement for this course is Academic IELTS 6.0 with no band score less than 5.5. Trinity ISE: Pass at level III also meets this requirement for Tier 4 visa purposes.

Ulster recognises a number of other English language tests and comparable IELTS equivalent scores.

Fees and funding

Qualification and course duration

PGDip

MEd