MA Practice Education
- Study Mode: Part Time
- Location: High Wycombe
- Duration: Two Years
- Start Date: September 2026
Our MA Practice Education course is ideal for you if you are passionate about practice education and want to improve your skills. Whether you want to build your proficiency in a current role or start your career, this course gives you the tools to begin applying advanced technique and research to a professional practice related setting.
Teaching from experience, we give you a first-hand insight into how our teaching can be used to benefit you, your students and colleagues. With the ability to use your knowledge across a diverse range of roles, this course offers you a clear and helpful progression pathway within this context.
Our course is designed to help you develop essential skills for supporting learning and teaching in contemporary professional environments. We allow you to customize your learning experience to align with your specific work setting, ensuring that the knowledge and skills you acquire are directly applicable to your professional practice.
At Buckinghamshire New University, you'll benefit from a supportive learning environment led by a team with significant experience in delivering professional education and up-to-date skills. This expertise ensures that you receive current and relevant guidance throughout your studies.
Our course is offered on a part-time basis over two years, allowing you to balance your studies with existing personal and professional commitments. This flexibility makes it accessible to working professionals aiming to enhance their practice education skills without compromising their current roles.
Why study at Buckinghamshire New University?
We offer you a course that can help you achieve your personal goals within the world of education. You can gain the support of professional lecturers with insight born out of extensive research and experience. We believe this course prepares you for whatever you might face in the future and more.
At BNU, as much as possible we try to tailor our course content around your specific needs. If you have some goals set, or need some direction, we enable you to focus on issues important to you or discover new information you were unaware of. Our course provides you with the opportunity to combine theory with practice, and we make sure we’re doing the best we can to prepare you.
In addition to all the course benefits, there are some practical benefits to consider too. We can provide you with a campus only 45 minutes from London, with our apps anywhere service allowing you to use software and apps from home, in addition to a great support network, cost of living support, student union and benefits packages to help you complete your studies.
What facilities can I use?
Everything that is required for the study of this course is located across our 3 campuses. In addition, we have a 24-hour library for your use, with IT software, computers and the information you need. We also have apps anywhere that allows you to study from the comfort of your own home.
What will I study?
This course is for you if you teach and/or support learning within a practice setting. The programme is tailored to the practice environment with opportunities to engage with topics that showcase the often-unique nature of practice-based learning, the challenges faced by your learners and tools to develop your practice.
You will study topics essential for the role of a modern professional within this context, backed up by the experience of our lecturers and research conducted on this specific subject.
Course content can properly prepare you for a role after graduation in a range of different careers including primary, early and secondary education, and many of our graduates have gone on to have successful careers in these areas.
You will also delve deeper into educational theory, supervising and mentoring others and engaging in self-reflection. Through the programme, you will also engage with research and will have the opportunity to introduce a research-based intervention within your practice setting.
How will I be taught and assessed?
Our course provides useful professional development opportunities for you if you are already working as a teacher, or a meaningful introduction to the field for those seeking a career in education who have opportunities to apply the learning in practice.
The focus of your engagement with the assessment process will be negotiated with a member of the programme team to ensure that assessed work responds to your interests and career aspirations. Your second year of study will focus on the development of an extended work project. This assessment is an exciting opportunity to frame a significant piece of work in your area of interest with a view to sharing this externally.
Some of the ways you will be assessed include:
- practical and oral assessments
- presentation
- professional conversations with your lecturer
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.
Advanced Standing entry
Our Advanced Standing entry is perfect for you if you already hold a postgraduate qualification in an education subject, such as our PGCert Practice Education. If you have a 60 credit PGCert in the area of education, you can use the credits towards this full master’s degree, and you can gain this qualification with a lower cost and reduced module requirements.
In your first year, for example, on the Advanced Standing entry you are exempt from three core modules. This is because the Advanced Standing entry takes into account your existing knowledge to enable you to focus on those specialist areas that interest you the most.
Taken on its own, our PGCert Practice Education course is a great option for those who want to step into postgraduate study but not into a full masters. Advanced Standing entry into this programme then offers you a follow-on route and further qualification should you decide to continue onto this full masters course.
If you already hold a postgraduate certificate in the field of education, our MA Education Advanced Standing offers a streamlined award that recognises your existing expertise.
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 my career prospects?
An MA in Practice Education allows you to engage with a aspect of educational practice in depth, giving you knowledge and expertise that enables you to build confidence and inspire.
Completing this course is also a springboard to further academic research, such as an EdD or PhD. Many of our graduates go on to become senior educators in primary, secondary and higher education, as well as published researchers.
Course leader
