This flexibly taught Masters programme offers a range of specialist pathways. Whichever route you choose, you’ll learn about contemporary theories, issues and practices that shape the learning experience.
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Overview
Explore and research the theories, policies and practices which influence education. With various lecturers, seminars and 1-1 support from our expert lecturers, you’ll critically evaluate research about learning and teaching. Then, you’ll investigate how it can be applied in practice.
Our modules are delivered on weekends, evenings and online, so you can fit your studies around professional and familial commitments. We also offer the option to study full-time or part-time.
There are various award routes for this course. You can receive a Postgraduate Certificate Education, Postgraduate Diploma Education or a Masters in Education, depending on how many modules you take.
If you decided to take the Education MA route, you’ll produce a dissertation based on a topic you’re passionate about. During your research, you will be offered tutorials, where academics can offer advice on further reading, research methods or any other support you require.
We’ll help you change students’ lives, from our classroom to theirs.
Pathways
At Worcester, you can specialise your studies with one of our four pathways. These will deepen your knowledge in the area relevant to your current (or future) profession. By taking the relevant modules, you will graduate with the pathway named on your degree. These pathways are:
- MA Education (Early Childhood)
- MA Education (Leadership and Management)
- MA Education (Mentoring and Coaching)
- MA Education (Special and Inclusive Education)
Award options
In many cases it is possible to gain credit for previous study or experience. Previous study at the same level in other institutions is recognised as transferred academic credit, and professional learning can be analysed through the completion of an Independent Study. Up to 50% of taught elements of the award for which you are registered may be achieved through Recognised Prior Learning (RPL).
It is possible to study towards a Masters award (five modules) or either of the interim awards:
Postgraduate Certificate
To gain a Postgraduate Certificate students must successfully complete two modules, which may be all taught or a combination of taught and individual study modules.
Postgraduate Diploma
After completing the Postgraduate Certificate, it is possible to complete a further two modules to achieve the award of Postgraduate Diploma.
International Pathway
This pathway 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 third semester. A Masters Degree can enhance your career aspirations and offers you the chance to excel through promotional opportunities. It may enable you to work in management and advisory roles.
Course content
Course structure
MA Education - 180 credits
MA Education students are required to complete Contemporary Issues in Education: Theory, Policy and Practice (30 credits), Research Methods in Education (30 credits), two optional modules (30 credits each), plus a Dissertation (60 credits).
Postgraduate Diploma Education - 120 credits
PG Dip students are required to complete Contemporary Issues in Education: Theory, Policy and Practice (30 credits) and three optional modules (30 credits each).
Postgraduate Certificate Education - 60 credits
PG Cert students choose any two modules (30 credits each).
Modules
On this course you will study a mix of mandatory and optional modules. This flexible course lets you explore various areas and professions in education. Alternatively, you can specialise your study with one of our four pathways.
Please note that, if you are an international student on a student visa you will not be permitted to study any modules online as part of this course. All modules must be attended in person to meet the conditions of your visa. All MA pathways are open to international students apart from MA Education (Early Childhood) as this is delivered as an online programme and therefore not available for international students.
Optional modules
Careers
At the end of this course, you’ll feel confident to pursue or progress your career in education. Our MA teaches you how to tackle complex situations in the workplace with research-informed decisions.
MA Education graduates regularly build new connections on this course and go on to leadership roles related to their specialism. We have an excellent reputation with schools in the region and can provide various opportunities to collaborate and network with other professional educators.
Students have become:
- Curriculum leaders
- Special educational needs coordinators
- Heads of department
- Head teachers
Please note – the MA Education is an academic qualification that is beneficial to careers in education but does not offer Qualified Teacher Status. Find out more about training to teach at Worcester.
Course highlights
Teaching and assessment
Our course has been designed by academics and industry specialists to prepare you for a career in education. You’ll be taught through a combination of lectures, seminars, 1-1 tutorials.
You’ll develop your own research based on your learning and write a dissertation about what you’re passionate about.
Teaching and assessment contents
You are taught through a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials and the university VLE. 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.
You are assigned a Personal Academic Tutor (PAT); the PAT will work with them throughout their studies on the MA. Meetings with PATs are formally scheduled on at least 2 occasions in the year.
Meet the team
You will be taught by a teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on the course.
Dr Madeleine Findon
Maddy mainly teaches on the MA Education, though she also contributes to the Education Studies and Special Educational Needs, Disabilities and Inclusion undergraduate programmes as well as supervising postgraduate research students. She is also the International lead for the MA, working with the growing number of international students who are choosing to study at Worcester.
For her PhD, Maddy investigated how creativity has been fostered through early years education systems in England and Catalonia.
Dr Elizabeth M A Russell
Prior to joining the University, Elizabeth spent a decade in teaching and subject leadership in schools in the South East, South West and the West Midlands. Elizabeth held a number of roles during this time, including working with sixth form students on Oxbridge and university admissions.
Dr Seán Bracken
Seán Bracken is a Principal Lecturer and Principal Fellow of the HEA. He has worked internationally as a primary and secondary teacher, a teacher educator, a lecturer and an educational project manager in a diversity of countries including; the United States, Ireland, Samoa, Vanuatu, the UK and Papua New Guinea. For the past 10 years he has acted as the Course Coordinator for the National Award SENCO. Additionally, he currently teaches on the PG Cert in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education and he also supervises students pursuing Doctoral and Masters level studies.
Dr Mandy Duncan
Mandy has a deep commitment to early years having begun her career in this sector as a nursery nurse and then going on to teach early years practitioners and teachers for many years. She has also worked with young people in a variety of capacities including running summer camps and teaching 14-19 year olds in college.
Dr Madeleine Findon
Maddy mainly teaches on the MA Education, though she also contributes to the Education Studies and Special Educational Needs, Disabilities and Inclusion undergraduate programmes as well as supervising postgraduate research students. She is also the International lead for the MA, working with the growing number of international students who are choosing to study at Worcester.
For her PhD, Maddy investigated how creativity has been fostered through early years education systems in England and Catalonia.
Dr Elizabeth M A Russell
Prior to joining the University, Elizabeth spent a decade in teaching and subject leadership in schools in the South East, South West and the West Midlands. Elizabeth held a number of roles during this time, including working with sixth form students on Oxbridge and university admissions.
Entry requirements
An honours degree, normally 2:2 or higher
OR
Equivalent professional qualifications and evidence of continuing professional development.
Any questions?
If you have any questions about entry requirements, please call our Admissions Office on 01905 855111 or email admissions@worc.ac.uk.
Fees
Fees contents
UK and EU Students
In 2026/27 standard fee for full-time home and EU students enrolling on MA/MSc/MBA and MRes degrees is £9,730 per year.
Tuition fees are reviewed annually and may increase each year for both new and continuing students.
For more details on course fees, please visit our course fees page.
International students
In 2026/27 standard fee for full-time international students enrolling on MA/MSc/MBA and MRes degrees is £18,400 per year.
Tuition fees are reviewed annually and may increase each year for both new and continuing students.
For more details on course fees, please visit our course fees page.
Case studies
Sevde Isteyin
Sevde joined the University of Worcester’s MA Education as, having had a background in human resources (HR) in Turkey, she wanted to learn more about coaching and mentoring. She was thinking of starting her own coaching business when she returned to Turkey, as her research showed that coaching was still in its early stages there.
In relation to moving overseas to study, Sevde says: “I found an environment at the University of Worcester where new ideas are welcome, there is clear communication and tutors pay special attention to help you realise that you are not alone.”
Having returned to her home country in summer 2019, Sevde says that “feeling empowered in the field of coaching, I’m beginning my career with steady steps and a clear path. I’m pleased that I joined the MA Education and am starting to reap the benefits.”
Bethany Foden
I really enjoyed completing my Masters in Education. I found the mentoring and coaching module really insightful. The managing behaviour module also provided me with a lot more information about managing behaviour (and I had a strong base to begin with), and a range of strategies I wished I’d known the year before. Now that I am working in class I find that I am using a lot of what I learnt, on a daily basis.
Hélène Rogers
The lecturers at the University of Worcester made me feel at ease, offered support and thorough and timely feedback, making studying alongside working full time as Head of Department possible. I thoroughly enjoyed the course and it really made me want to study at MA level.
I completed the NPQML and, in 2017, I decided to start the MA course. By that time, I was Head of Faculty, SLE and mother to two children and, despite leading a very busy lifestyle, I have found that the course was flexible enough to enable me to carry it out successfully which I did in October 2019. I cannot recommend the course highly enough as it has given me the tools to become an effective and reflective mentor and has had a very positive impact on my career.
Catherine Atkinson
My experience of completing my Masters in Education at the University of Worcester was one of challenge and reward. Completing the course at the same time as working full time in school was, at times, a struggle, but enabled me to strengthen my time management skills. The greatest challenge was not getting carried away with the academic reading, I found I would get totally engrossed in a topic but sometimes need to reign myself back to stay focussed. The support from the University and staff was exemplary, hearing from previous participants and learning from their experiences was particularly useful. My tutor was always there, either on the end of the phone, in person or by email. The individual tutor sessions honed my learning but also challenged me to question my own thinking and develop my criticality.
I would highly recommend studying for a masters at the University of Worcester.
Ruth Leak
I chose to do an MA in Education at the University of Worcester to develop my knowledge for the job I was already doing. I am a social worker and my role at the time was arranging work based placements for student social workers.
The stimulating and inclusive teaching dispelled any concerns about not having studied for several years. Lecturers and other students were welcoming, interested to hear about social work and happy to share their experience of education. Arrangements for tutorials were flexible. When life was busy, support was available via emails or phone calls as an alternative to face to face meetings.
I took my time, successfully completing the course in three years but others qualified sooner. I am delighted that the MA equipped me with the knowledge and skills to move into an academic post in the University of Birmingham’s Social Work and Social Care Department.
Sevde Isteyin
Sevde joined the University of Worcester’s MA Education as, having had a background in human resources (HR) in Turkey, she wanted to learn more about coaching and mentoring. She was thinking of starting her own coaching business when she returned to Turkey, as her research showed that coaching was still in its early stages there.
In relation to moving overseas to study, Sevde says: “I found an environment at the University of Worcester where new ideas are welcome, there is clear communication and tutors pay special attention to help you realise that you are not alone.”
Having returned to her home country in summer 2019, Sevde says that “feeling empowered in the field of coaching, I’m beginning my career with steady steps and a clear path. I’m pleased that I joined the MA Education and am starting to reap the benefits.”
Bethany Foden
I really enjoyed completing my Masters in Education. I found the mentoring and coaching module really insightful. The managing behaviour module also provided me with a lot more information about managing behaviour (and I had a strong base to begin with), and a range of strategies I wished I’d known the year before. Now that I am working in class I find that I am using a lot of what I learnt, on a daily basis.
How to apply
How to apply contents
Apply to study
Please make your application via our online application form.
You can apply for postgraduate taught courses at any time, but preferably as early as possible before the start of the academic year, which begins in September.
If you have any questions, please contact the Admissions office on 01905 855111 or admissions@worc.ac.uk
Apply to study full-timeApply to study part-timeContact
If you have any questions, please get in touch. We're here to help you every step of the way.
Dr Elizabeth M A Russell
MA Education Course Leader, Senior Lecturer in Education: Research Methods & PG Research Supervision
e.russell@worc.ac.ukCPD Education
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