Education (for HM Forces)

Successfully completing our MA Education will enhance your employability skills and ability to move within the education sector. The award will strengthen your understanding of educational issues and the knowledge required for a number of professional roles.

The MA Education is relevant to those who aspire to develop as outstanding, highly skilled, and knowledgeable professionals within the field of education. This innovative course provides a focused and critical examination of education practice, policy, and research, through a variety of modules relevant to the entire education sector. This might be in a nursery, school, college, local authority, public service, or community setting.

The course has a focus on developing your practice in relation to the needs of your professional setting. It will enhance your employability status and your flexibility to move within the education sector; broadening and strengthening knowledge of educational issues and the knowledge required for a range of professional roles within education.

Throughout each stage of the award, there is a strong emphasis on you becoming critically aware of your own learning as education professionals, and the achievement of educational outcomes for all learners.

If you have already achieved between 60-120 post graduate credits, and are looking to continue with your studies to gain a full Masters qualification, you can apply to our MA Education (Advanced Standing).

On successful completion of study, we will issue the following award: MA Education

Work placements

Although not compulsory, you are encouraged to gain experience in a relevant educational setting for approximately one day per week. This could be an early years setting, a primary or secondary school, a college or university, or another educational environment.

Gaining first-hand experience in a sector linked to your professional aspirations will enhance your professional development and help provide context to your studies. The MA Education does not lead to Qualified Teacher Status.

We have a good range of contacts across the education sector. Tutors can support you in finding suitable placement opportunities.

Course content

The full-time course is designed to enable you to qualify with a Master’s degree in just one year. The part time course is designed to be completed in 22 months. You will study five modules over the course of the programme: 2 x 20-credit modules, 2 x 40 credit modules and a final 60 credit dissertation.

Each module draws on concepts, theory and published research that will be relevant to the decisions which practitioners in education have to make. These resources are also used to underpin your future practice with a broad and critical understanding of issues within the field of education. In addition, the module learning outcomes are designed to consistently facilitate the development of critical thought, reflection, and analysis. Module assessments enable you to apply your learning to a chosen professional context and systematically reflect on education practice in order to inform change and improvement.

Entry requirements

You’ll need:

An Honours degree, classification 2:2 or above
GCSE English grade C or above, or equivalent
For all stages of the course, it is necessary for participants to be able to have access to the Internet (to allow Virtual Learning Environment access and e-mail contact for communication with course tutors and administrators)
Evidence of an Enhanced DBS check (We can process this application but you’ll need to pay the standard fee)

If you would like further support with Level 7 academic writing, follow the link to the Step-Up to Masters. This Level 7 module will provide you with the knowledge and skills required for successful academic performance at postgraduate level whatever your professional background and intended level of study. https://www.staffs.ac.uk/course/step-up-to-masters-2-module

If you have already achieved between 60-120 post graduate credits, and are looking to continue with your studies to gain a full Masters qualification, you can apply to our MA Education (Advanced Standing).

If your first language is not English, you’ll need at least one of the following:

a minimum score of 6.5 (with a minimum of 6.0 in the writing and listening modules) in IELTS (International English Language Testing System) as administered by the British Council in most countries
a minimum score of 550 in TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or 213 in the computer-based test. TOEFL results must include a minimum score of 4.5 for the TWE (Test of Written English)
Cambridge Proficiency Grade C

For equivalent entry requirements in your home country, please see the information on our country pages.

Choose your country

Check our entry and English language requirements for your country.

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Teaching and assessment

Teaching

The content and structure of the modules are designed to enable delivery through either blended or distance learning mode.

Full time programme

This is offered as a full-time on campus mode of delivery.

A variety of learning and teaching methods will be used to help you to develop your critical thinking and evaluative skills. Teaching sessions will take place on a weekly basis, supported by further independent and collaborative tasks via the University’s online platforms.

Part time programme

This is offered as a distance learning mode of delivery.

For the distance learning programme, a variety of distance learning and teaching methods will be used to help students develop their critical thinking and evaluative skills. Via the University’s online platforms, students will engage in synchronous and asynchronous collaborative learning activities. Students will be required to attend up to four synchronous learning sessions for each module. These are scheduled to take place on Saturdays.

All applicants will need to have internet access and a suitable device that enables them to work collaboratively with others when completing synchronous and asynchronous tasks.

Assessment

Each module is assessed separately and contributes to the final grade for that course. All modules are assessed through a variety of approaches. Assessment tasks are designed to allow you to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding using a variety of different approaches. In addition to traditional formal written assignments, you will also be assessed through tasks which allow you to utilise their digital, presentation, investigative and problem-solving skills. Assessment tasks include:

Literature review
Essay
Presentations and discussion (synchronous and asynchronous)
Project proposals
Report

Opportunities for formative assessment are built into every module through a variety of formats. The approaches used for formative assessment are intended to facilitate students’ self-assessment in learning and to encourage teacher and peer dialogue about learning. Formative assessment opportunities typically employed include:

Reflective group discussion
Peer Feedback
Tutor feedback
Individual and collaborative tasks

Learning support

In addition to the excellent support you will receive from your course teaching team, our central Academic Skills team provides group and one-to-one help to support your learning in a number of areas. These include:

study skills such as reading, note-taking and presentation skills
written English, including punctuation and grammatical accuracy
academic writing and how to reference
research skills
critical thinking and understanding arguments
revision, assessment and examination skills
time management

Additional support

Our Student Inclusion Services support students with additional needs such as sensory impairment, or learning difficulties such as dyslexia.

Feedback

You’ll receive constructive feedback on all work submitted for assessment. Feedback is intended to help you learn and develop and you’re encouraged to discuss it with your module tutor.

Feedback is normally provided within 20 working days following submission of work.

Your overall workload will consist of independent learning and assessment activity, with each credit taken equating to a total study time of approximately 10 hours. Your actual contact hours may depend on the option modules that you select.

Independent learning

When not in lectures, seminars or other timetabled sessions, you’ll be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. Typically, this will involve reading journal articles and books, undertaking research in the library, preparing for assignments and classwork, and planning for your dissertation.

Your independent learning will be supported by a range of excellent facilities, including the library and the learning zone. Self-instructional learning materials are delivered through our Virtual Learning Environment, Blackboard.

Education MA

Duration

Location