Education MA (campus-based)

Entry requirements

To apply for this course you may have an undergraduate degree in any subject.

You should have:

• a bachelor’s honours degree or international equivalent, typically a high 2:2 or above or
• a degree that is not a high 2:2 or above (or international equivalent) plus at least 2 years of relevant experience in a relevant field or sector, or
• a teaching qualification (gained after at least the equivalent of 2 satisfactory years of higher education) plus at least 2 years of relevant experience in a relevant field or sector
• successfully completed the 30 credit Postgraduate Certificate in International Education (PGCiE) at the University of Bath, enabling you to seek a direct transfer to the MA Education

Minimum non-graduate qualifications

• an advanced diploma in education and at least 2 years of relevant experience, or
• a teaching qualification (gained after at least the equivalent of 2 satisfactory years of higher education) and at least 2 years of relevant experience.

We may make an offer based on a lower grade if you can provide evidence of your suitability for the degree (for example, professional experience in education).

If your first language is not English, but within the last 2 years you completed your degree in the UK, you may be exempt from our English language requirements.

Months of entry

September

Course content

Develop the skills and knowledge to become a changemaker, leader, or critical practitioner in the field of education.

Empower yourself to enact positive change in education and explore creative responses to contemporary challenges in the field.

During this course, you’ll develop key capabilities needed across a range of established and emerging areas of education, including research-informed practice. This will put you in a better position to start or advance your career in the sector.

You’ll broaden and deepen your critical awareness of current educational debates such as how to educate for sustainable futures and global citizenship. You’ll also develop the analytical and critical skills required to challenge and improve policies and practices at local, regional and global scales in a variety of contexts.

As well as this, you’ll explore a range of topics relevant to many aspects of education, including:

• sustainable development and climate change
• globalisation and international education
• education policy
• technology in education including AI
• social inequality and citizenship
• learning cultures and educational wellbeing
• curriculum design and educational assessment

Gain key skills

On successful completion of this course, you'll have gained:

• a greater appreciation of innovative approaches to education
• a thorough understanding of current educational issues including those connected to equality, diversity and inclusion
• the ability to use this understanding to enhance your professional practice
• the ability to recognise ways in which research and theory are used in education and how to apply these effectively in your own academic and professional work
• analytical and critical thinking skills
• the skills to contribute effectively to the development of educational policies and practices at different levels and in a range of contexts

Apply your skills with a consultancy project

The consultancy project is an alternative to a dissertation. It offers you the opportunity to use the knowledge and research skills you’ll develop during your studies to work on an issue or strategic priority with an external organisation.

Projects are research-based and typically developed in collaboration with an organisation, such as a school, university, governmental department or education provider. This collaborative aspect means that you’ll be looking a current challenge, which will allow you to demonstrate your academic learning in a real-world context and enhance your CV.

Consultancy projects may involve activities such as:

• critical evaluation of existing policies or practices
• research-informed proposals for improvement or reform
• internationalisation-related projects
• analysis to support institutional strategy, development, or marketing
• community engagement or outreach initiatives
• critical analysis of organisational or sector-level data

Once you have designed and completed an appropriate piece of research, you’ll present your findings and recommendations as a presentation and written academic report.

Consultancy project places are limited each year. You will be supported to identify and develop a feasible project in collaboration with an organisation, either through one of our external partners or via your own professional network. If a suitable project cannot be secured, you will complete a dissertation instead.

Find out more about consultancy projects

Learn from experts in their field

You will learn from experts in our Department of Education. Their knowledge and contemporary research — spanning areas like sociology, psychology, linguistics, international development and the arts — shapes their teaching to enhance your learning experience.

Graduate prospects

You'll develop and enhance skills and knowledge needed for a range of established and emerging roles in the broad field of education, for example:

• teaching (in schools and other contexts)
• lecturing
• professional training
• educational leadership
• educational management and administration
• educational consultancy
• policy development
• stakeholder liaison roles
• international development
• project management
• community engagement

You'll also be prepared for positions in national and international education organisations including charities, learning companies, awarding organisations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and governmental departments.

As well as this, you’ll benefit from access to additional employability support through our skills enrichment programme, Skills for Success.

As an MA Education student, you’ll benefit from the Department of Education’s extensive global professional networks and its connections with schools and educational organisations. Through these connections you will gain access to resources and collaborative opportunities to enhance your learning. You’ll also have access to campus-based networking opportunities including departmental workshops and seminars.

Please note: This course does not offer teaching accreditations.

Fees and funding

See our website for further information on fees for this course.