MA Education
- Study Mode: Full Time
- Location: High Wycombe
- Duration: One Year
- Start Date: September 2026 and January 2027
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Deepen your understanding of modern education and develop valuable new skills with our full-time MA Education degree. This comprehensive programme provides a strong foundation in teaching and learning practices, while allowing you to explore education in its many forms - from formal and professional development to compulsory schooling.
You’ll engage with the latest challenges and opportunities shaping the education sector today. Through dynamic hands-on learning, you’ll apply your knowledge in real-world contexts and grow as both a communicator and a leader. When you graduate from BNU, you’ll be equipped with the insight and experience needed to thrive in a wide range of educational roles.
Our MA Education can open the door to many exciting careers in the education sector. While it doesn’t include a formal teaching qualification, it provides a deep understanding of educational theory, practice, and leadership. You’ll graduate with the critical skills and knowledge needed to make an impact, whether you’re aiming to shape policy, lead educational initiatives, support learning in community or corporate settings, or progress to further study and research.
This degree is ideal for those looking to become confident, forward-thinking leaders in education, with a strong academic foundation to support their career goals.
The MA Education course caters to diverse students from the UK and further afield. The face-to-face study enables immediate cultural exchange and collaborative problem-solving. Our students learn not only from our teaching-informed tutors but also from their peers, who share their knowledge, experience, and practice in real-time, creating rich cross-cultural learning experiences that build lifelong connections with fellow educators from around the world.
The MA Education is available as a full-time one-year program or a part-time two-year option. If you're looking to launch a career in education or academic research, the full-time route offers an intensive and immersive experience. However, due to its demanding schedule, it is not suited to those with full-time work commitments.
Our part-time pathway is ideal for working professionals, providing the flexibility to balance study alongside other responsibilities. Both options are delivered face-to-face, fostering a focused and engaging learning environment that supports deep reflection, collaboration, and personal growth - something often harder to achieve through online study alone.
The MA Education course is well designed, combining theory with practical application, and the lecturers are supportive, approachable, and passionate about helping students succeed. Small class sizes encourage meaningful discussions, and the inclusive environment makes international students feel welcome and valued. Overall, the programme has strengthened my knowledge, broadened my perspective, and prepared me with the confidence to make a real impact in education.Faith Ogutu
What will I study?
Our MA Education offers a rich and in-depth exploration of global educational theories, concepts, and frameworks, with a strong focus on practical application. The programme encourages you to adopt a critical, international perspective, examining pressing educational issues both within the UK and across diverse global contexts.
You will engage with a wide range of thought-provoking topics, including:
- Learning, teaching, and assessment across varied educational systems
- Key educational issues across cultures, age groups, and settings
- Research methodology and academic inquiry
- Designing, conducting, and presenting your own research
- Theoretical and conceptual approaches to education and their real-world applications
- Applying project-based frameworks and methodologies in educational settings
- Driving positive societal change and influencing education at a global level
Our course is built around a commitment to transnational dialogue, fostering a truly global learning community where diverse perspectives are not only welcomed but celebrated. It is an ideal choice for educators who aspire to make a meaningful impact in our interconnected, globalised world.
A standout feature of the programme is its critical engagement with technology and the evolving role of generative AI in education. You’ll develop the skills to use AI tools thoughtfully and professionally, preparing you to lead in a future where digital innovation plays an increasingly central role in teaching and learning.
Equity, diversity, inclusion, and social justice are not treated as optional themes in our curriculum, they are embedded throughout. Our programme is designed for educators who are passionate about challenging inequality, dismantling systemic barriers, and driving real, lasting change in education.
Additionally, we prepare our students to lead through complexity and crisis. In light of recent global disruptions to education, our focus on crisis leadership is both timely and essential. You’ll graduate as a resilient, knowledgeable, and creative leader, equipped to navigate and shape the future of education in uncertain times.
Together, these features make our full-time MA Education programme a dynamic, globally relevant, and socially conscious choice, perfect for those ready to lead, innovate, and make a lasting difference in the world of education.
How will I be taught and assessed?
Our MA Education programme features a distinctive assessment model that prioritises flexibility and relevance. Assessments are negotiated in collaboration with your tutors, allowing you to tailor your work to your personal interests and professional aspirations, while still meeting the programs academic outcomes. This approach ensures a truly personalised and meaningful learning experience.
You will engage in a variety of practical and oral assessments designed to develop the core skills essential for educational leadership. These may include observed teaching sessions, professional presentations, and structured professional dialogues. Delivered in person, these activities offer valuable opportunities for immediate feedback on your communication style, presence, and leadership skills.
In addition, our virtual learning environment supports your learning with asynchronous online content, enabling flexible, guided independent study alongside your in-person sessions.
Please note: While all applicants must meet the University’s English language requirements, the discussion-based nature of this programme and its emphasis on oral and interactive assessments, requires confidence in spoken English in order to participate fully.
Other assessment methods on the programme include:
- Reflective reports
- Presentations
- Observed teaching sessions
This varied and dynamic assessment approach supports both academic development and practical readiness for a range of roles within the education sector.
What are the course entry requirements?
The University’s General Entry Requirements will apply to admission to this programme, with applicants typically having a minimum of a 2.2 degree in any subject, with an interest in pursuing a career in education.
If you do not meet the entry requirements you may, if you have relevant professional experience, still be invited for interview, where you will be required to demonstrate the necessary knowledge and understanding for entry onto the course.
Previous study, professional and / or vocational experiences may be recognised as the equivalent learning experience and permit exemption from studying certain modules in accordance with our accreditation of prior learning (APL) process.
Modules
This provides a guide of the modules that make up your course. You can find more information about how your course is structured on our Academic Advice section.
What are the tuition fees
Home
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Home, Academic Year 2026 - 2027: £11,420 per year *
International
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Overseas/International, Academic Year 2026 - 2027: £16,280 per year *
Please note all of the 2026/27 academic year fees stated are subject to parliamentary procedure. Tuition fees are expected to increase each academic year in line with the maximum permitted value set by the Government for that academic year. The expected rise for Home undergraduate students (including those on a foundation year course), may impact both new and continuing students.
What are my career prospects?
We see your journey with us as much more than a degree, and we are committed to supporting you to carve out the route or step-up in your chosen career. We will help you develop crucial skills, encouraging you to become enterprising, employable, and good business leaders. We can also help you find employment after graduation. Have a look at our Careers and Employability pages to find out more.
A degree in MA Education could see you working in a variety of roles within education, such as:
- Educator (subject to relevant professional recognition)
- Learning and training roles across a range of sectors
- Curriculum development
- Education policy
- Educational consultancy
- Training and development in corporate or nonprofit sectors
- Work in international education or NGOs
- Academia
- Research
- Leadership and management in education
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