Special Educational Needs

Entry requirements

We will consider applicants with a minimum 2:2 Honours degree or above in a relevant subject area such as social sciences*, humanities or education.

While we normally only consider applicants who meet this criteria, if you are coming from a different academic background which is equivalent to degree level, or have relevant teaching experience, we would welcome your application

*Accepted social science subjects include:

• Anthropology
• Archaeology
• Area and Development Studies
• Criminology
• Demography
• Development Studies
• Economics
• Economic and Social History
• Education
• Environmental Planning
• Human Geography
• International Relations
• Law
• Linguistics
• Management and Business Studies
• Media and Communication Studies
• Philosophy
• Politics and International Studies
• Psychology
• Science and Technology Studies
• Social Policy
• Social Statistics, Methods, and Computing
• Social Work
• Socio Legal Studies
• Sociology

We welcome applications from students who hold qualifications and degrees that are not in education. These may include degrees and qualifications undertaken in the social sciences, natural sciences, humanities, arts or business studies. Please note that this list is not exhaustive and every application will be considered on a case-by-case basis. We would encourage applicants to use their personal statement to indicate their interests in education and any relevant work experience.

Please note, that for the optional module Special Educational Needs: Teaching and Learning and, in some circumstances, research projects as part of a dissertation, students will be required to complete a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Months of entry

September

Course content

• You’ll study a range of topics such as critical perspectives on inclusion and disability, creativity in education and education policy
• We’ll encourage you to reflect critically on your own practice and investigate educational issues that interest you
• Our Education Studies module will provide you with a thorough grounding in education research, theory and practice

Our MA in Special Educational Needs (SEN) enables students to develop an excellent understanding of special educational needs and disability 'policy practice and provision' in the UK. At the same time, students are given opportunities to consider key concepts pertaining to special educational needs and inclusive education in international and country specific contexts. Students can often focus on an area of choice, such as deaf education, dyslexia, inclusion. The dissertation in particular enables students to focus in-depth and research, usually through gathering and analysis of empirical data, an area of their own interest.

There is the option to choose a module 'Reflecting on Educational Practices' as your optional module, thereby gaining skills which can be helpful in finding employment following the course. This module strongly supports you in connecting theory and practice. We also host a number of visiting speakers, including people who work with children with SEN in schools or other educational settings.

Information for international students

International students need to show they have the required level of English language to study this course. The required test scores for this course fall under Profile B2. Please visit our English language requirements page to view the required test scores and equivalencies from your country.

Fees and funding

We invest heavily in scholarships for talented prospective Masters students. This is in addition to the UK Government’s Postgraduate Loan Scheme. For information on how you can fund your postgraduate degree at the University of Exeter, please visit the postgraduate study pages on our website.