MA Education
- Study Mode: Part Time
- Location: High Wycombe
- Duration: Two Years
- Start Date: September 2026
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Deepen your understanding of modern education and develop valuable new skills with our part-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 part-time MA Education will complement and drive your practice as an educator, providing you with the knowledge and skills to progress in your career. in the education sector. You will gain 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 develop as confident, forward-thinking leaders in education, with a strong academic foundation to support their career goals.
The MA Education course caters to diverse professionals. For those without an existing teaching qualification, the MA Education includes face-to-face study in the first year, before moving fully online in the second year. As qualified professionals, 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 a range of sectors.
This programme is also available as a full-time one-year programme for those 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 course is really well linked to my professional goals and what I want to learn. There is plenty of opportunity to direct my knowledge and qualification, and I love the facilities and academic staff.Achala Bogahawatta
What will I study?
Our part-time MA Education offers a rich and in-depth exploration of evidence-based practice, educational theories and frameworks, with a strong focus on practical application. The programme encourages you to adopt a critical professional perspective, examining pressing educational issues within your sector and/or organisation.
You will engage with a wide range of thought-provoking topics, and be encouraged to critically apply knowledge and skills gained as part of your practice in relation to:
- Evidence-based learning, teaching, and assessment across varied educational sectors
- Key educational issues across cultures and settings
- Research in real-world settings
- Reflection and reflexivity to enhance practice
- Driving positive societal change and influencing educational practice.
Our part time MA Education is aimed at driving your career in education. All assessments are designed around your organisation, your learners and your practice.
All of our programmes include active 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 You’ll graduate as a resilient, knowledgeable, and creative leader, equipped to navigate and shape the future of education in challenging sectors.
Together, these features make our part-time MA Education programme a dynamic, globally relevant, and socially conscious choice, perfect for those ready to lead, innovate, and thrive as leaders in education.
I chose this course because several staff had done it before and provided positive feedback. The course has a great support network, the module content is relevant, comprehensive, engaging and energising. The lecturers are responsive and authentic.Angeli Porceillano
How will I be taught and assessed?
Teaching includes a variety of approaches emphasising opportunities for peer discussion and feedback. You will also benefit from one-to-one supportive course lead and personal tutor, providing ample opportunities on how best to tailor the programme to your needs and aspirations.
BlackBoard, the University’s virtual learning environment supports your learning with asynchronous online content, enabling flexible, guided independent study alongside your in-person sessions.
Our part-time 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 organisation, 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. These activities offer valuable opportunities for immediate feedback on your communication style, presence, and leadership skills.
This varied and dynamic assessment approach supports both academic development and practical readiness for a range of roles within the education sector.
Enrolling on the MA Positive Education program has been one of the most transformative decisions of my career and personal life. I gained practical strategies grounded in research that have profoundly impacted my teaching practice.Matteo Anfora
On a personal level, the principles of Positive Education helped me to cultivate positive emotions, greater self-awareness, kindness, gratitude, and balance, enriching my well-being beyond the classroom.
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.
It is also expected that those on the MA Education Advanced Standing are in full or part time work to ensure that they have opportunities to apply programme learning within a relevant professional context.
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: £6,065 per year *
Following the Government’s announcement of 4 November 2024, we will be increasing our full-time undergraduate tuition fees for UK students to £9,535 per year from the start of the 2025/26 academic year. Our part-time fees for UK undergraduate students will increase to £7,145 per annum. Please visit The Education Hub, on the Government’s website, for more information about the changes.
Tuition fees for Home undergraduate students (including with foundation year) may increase in subsequent years for both new and continuing students in line with an inflationary amount determined by the Government.
Tuition fees for both new and continuing international students may be subject to an inflationary increase based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the 12-month period to 31 January each year.
Tuition fees for postgraduate courses and CPD may be subject to an inflationary increase based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the 12-month period to 31 January each year. This increase will apply to both new and continuing students.
We understand, and really appreciate, the significant financial commitment our students make when they choose to study at BNU. We take our responsibilities to our students very seriously, and are ambitious for each to reach their full potential and succeed in their chosen career. Our fees help us to continue providing our students with a high-quality education, and to invest in the services and facilities which create an excellent student experience at BNU.
The following factors will be considered by the University when we set the annual fees: measures of inflation such as the retail price indices; projected increases in University costs; and any changes in the level of funding for teaching received from the Government.
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:
- Leadership and management in education
- Advanced teaching roles
- Education policy
- Curriculum development
- Educational consultancy
- Training and development in corporate or nonprofit sectors
- Work in international education or NGOs
- Academia
- Research
Or you could pursue careers as:
- Teachers (subject to relevant professional recognition)
- educational professionals
- researchers
- academics
Course leader
