Education (Special and Inclusive Education)

Entry requirements

Normally a good honours degree (2.2 or above) and a significant interest in education and/or equivalent professional qualifications, experience and evidence of continuing professional development.

Months of entry

January, September

Course content

Special and Inclusive Education shines a critical lens on potential barriers to learning and strategies to overcome them. It looks at historical and theoretical perspectives of ‘Inclusion’ and gives participants the opportunity to analyse current policy and practice.

Both of our SIE modules are aimed at participants with a particular interest in Special Educational Needs, Disability and Inclusion.

Key features

• Opportunities to specialise in the area of Special Educational Needs, Disability and Inclusion
• Activities that allow you to reflect on your own experiences and explore other viewpoints
• An investigation of relevant historical, political and social aspects of inclusive educational practice
• Module tutors who have applied experience in Inclusive practice and relevant research outputs
• Flexibility: The programme of study can be completed on a full-time or part-time basis. Modules are delivered at weekends, in the evenings and online to maximise accessibility and to allow students to retain their other professional and family commitments
• International and full-time route: This route meets the needs of professionals wishing to study and familiarise themselves with the UK educational environment alongside their own contrasting experience. The programme consists of two taught modules in each of the first two semesters and a dissertation in the first half of the second year

Teaching

Students are taught through a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials and the university Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) - BlackBoard.  Seminars enable the discussion and development of understanding of topics covered in lectures. Tutorials offer additional support both during taught modules and significantly through offering supervision for the dissertation. The VLE is employed to support face-to-face sessions with additional resources and is also utilised to deliver online modules on both a synchronous and asynchronous basis, where journals and discussion forums are also hosted. Four modules are delivered online to add to the flexibility and accessibility of MA provision; these are available to all students (MAED4118, MAED4119, MAED4101 & MAED4106). Online modules mirror the content of their face-to-face counterparts whilst adding additional activities, which offer online interaction including formative and summative feedback on assignments, blogs, and discussion fora. Reading Lists, including direct links to many of the required/recommended sources, are available online through Talis Aspire. Assessment grades and written feedback are likewise made available via module VLEs.

Students are assigned a Personal Academic Tutor (PAT); the PAT will work with them throughout their studies on the MA. If a PAT becomes unavailable for any reason, the Course Leader will step in and assume all regular PAT duties for the individual student. Meetings with PATs are formally scheduled on at least 2 occasions in the year.

Careers

The course has a tradition of improving the career profiles of participants, as many case-studies of former students demonstrate. This award is intended to prepare students to deepen their engagement with issues in the educational workspace, fostering transformative personal and organisational learning for those involved. The programme additionally offers preparation to continue study for some participants wishing to go on the professional doctorate (EdD) award or to an MPhil/PhD.

The University maintains close links with education providers locally and regionally and meeting workforce need is the ethos of a number of modules and pathways in the MA Education. In addition, the course is also designed to enable those with an intention of working in an education context to deepen their understanding of education in a range of contexts and building the skills which will enhance their career opportunities. For example, the Institute of Education works with members of the Careers and Employability Service. Where appropriate, many modules have an applied focus intended to facilitate the development of learning, which will have direct impact on professional contexts from which participants are drawn.

The course team is comprised of academic staff with a breadth of backgrounds in education, research profiles in specialist areas and in most cases extensive experience of education in various contexts. Staff within the Institute, and the Institute itself, maintain strong relationships with schools, colleges and other education providers.

Information for international students

International students must hold a qualification equivalent to a UK first or second class honours degree.

All International student for whom English is not their first language are required to achieve IELTS 6.5 or equivalency – with no less than 5.5 in any element.