MSc Education: General pathway

This pathway offers you a broad base in the field of education, which is an ideal foundation to work in education policy, research or practice, or to progress to doctoral study. You can focus on topics that appeal to you specifically through our range of option courses.

Pathway structure

You will complete four compulsory courses (60 credits), plus three option courses (60 credits). You will also produce an independently researched dissertation. 

Compulsory courses

• The Philosophy of Education (20 credits) 

• Education Policy and the Politics of Education (20 credits) 

• Sources of Knowledge: Understanding and analysing research literature (10 credits) 

• Conceptualising Research: Foundations, assumptions and praxis (10 credits) 

Option courses

Optional courses are subject to change each year but have previously included: 

• Autism and Developmental Disabilities (20 credits) 

• Child and Adolescent Development (20 credits) 

• Children and Technology (20 credits) 

• Comparative Analysis in Education (20 credits) 

• Comparative Education and International Development (20 credits) 

• Designing, Delivering and Evaluating Training (20 credits) 

• Gifted and Talented Youth (20 credits) 

• Learners, Learning and Teaching (20 credits) 

• Qualitative Data Research (20 credits) 

• Quantitative Data Analysis with SPSS (20 credits) 

• The Anthropology of Education and Learning (20 credits) 

• The Curriculum: Context, Change and Development (20 credits) 

• The Nature of Enquiry (20 credits) 

Course Description (2024-25)

Dissertation

Over the course of semesters one and two, our staff will support you to become more independent in your studies. This helps prepare you for your dissertation project. Once you successfully complete your core and option courses, you will produce a dissertation. This is a piece of independent, original research of 12,000 words. 

Once you reach the dissertation stage, you will have a series of small-group and one-to-one meetings with your supervisor, who will work closely with you during the project. One of the benefits of being in a large department is that our staff have a wide range of skills to draw upon, so you’re more likely to find a dissertation supervisor who is a specialist in your chosen area of research. 

Contact us

For further information about this pathway, please contact the Pathway Co-ordinator.

Pathway Co-ordinator: Dr Courtney Stafford-Walter

Apply now

Find detailed entry requirements, fees and costs, and apply for this pathway via the Degree Finder.  

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