MSc Educational Leadership
Key Facts
Mode: Distance Learning; Part-time
Entry Requirements:
A first degree from a recognised university (or its equivalent), or UK Qualified Teacher Status (or its equivalent).
A minimum of three years professional experience in educational settings.
Fees: £6,840 (UK/EU)
£8,825 (Overseas)
£6,260 (Developing Countries)
Application Deadline: Four weeks before the programme is due to start, or preferably earlier.
Course Start Date: October and February of each year
Length of Course: 2 - 4 years
The field of educational leadership has changed remarkably in the last ten years. Leading and promoting optimal learning is the key challenge that confronts educational leaders, advisers, policy makers and governments. Finding the connections between leadership and learning is not easy and involves change and reform in organisations. We have taken these three key themes - leadership, learning and change - as the basis of our revised programme.
This programme offers a chance for you to think through these themes and their connections in the contemporary contexts of your professional work. It is designed to be relevant to a wide range of practitioners in diverse settings internationally who consider themselves involved in education.
The programme is set within contexts of complexity, diversity, and uncertainty in a time of change and will involve:
- constructively engaging with ideas surrounding developing organisations, professionals and individuals
- considering a range of co-ordinated strategies for promoting high quality learning in your organisation
- critically examining different ideas about educational leadership, learning and change
- developing inquiry-based approaches to engaging with professional and organisational challenges in your work context
We recognise the importance of connecting theory with practice. Throughout the programme you will be supported in developing a flexible set of professional inquiry skills to inform practice in your work setting. Your personal development will equip you to lead change in your organisational setting.
Former students have also found gaining this respected MSc qualification useful in gaining promotions and developing career pathways.
Programme Aims
- To introduce you to a global body of knowledge that will enhance your understanding of educational leadership drawing on different cultural and organisational contexts;
- To develop abilities to reflect on, analyse and synthesise concepts, theories and models of educational leadership drawn from work in diverse contexts;
- To apply ideas from the course to your own institution;
- To enhance your leadership skills through evidence-informed inquiry;
- To develop skills and abilities to undertake effective smallscale research in your specific area of interest.
Programme Structure
For the MSc all students are required to complete three 30 credit subject modules, a 30 credit research methods module in two parts over two years, and a 60 credit dissertation. Students must meet assignment deadlines and are expected to complete the course in two years.
| Year | Modules |
|---|---|
| Year One | Subject Module 1 |
| Subject Module 2 | |
| Research Methods part 1 | |
| Year Two | Subject Module 3 |
| Research Methods part 2 | |
| Dissertation |
Next Step: Find out more about the course modules/content
Assessment
You will be assessed for each module by written assignments, there are no examinations for this programme. The assignments for 30 credit modules will total between 5,000-6,000 words per module. The dissertation requires one report of between 15,000-20,000 words.
The assignments should take around 225 hours of study and the dissertation should take around 450 hours.
You can expect to work 14 hours per week. There is some scope in the programme to block some of this workload into school holidays, reducing the demands during term time.
Next Step: How to Apply
Research Development Fund 2012/2013
