MA Education

Learn how to shape education around the globe

Year of entry: 2025 (September)

Start date

September 2025
View semester dates

Length

1 year full-time

School/department

Department of Education

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Prepare for postgraduate

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Explore the global forces that influence education and gain the skills you need to improve practice.

This course is designed for those with a broad interest in education. It's ideal for both education professionals looking to improve their practice and recent graduates looking to enter the field.

If you see yourself as a current or future teacher, lecturer, trainer, researcher, educational administrator or a policy maker, then this masters is for you.

Leading research

Ranked 5th in the UK for research according to the Times Higher Education’s ranking of the latest REF results (2021).

Global networking

We host the Centre for Research on Education and Social Justice, meaning you will have opportunities to connect with researchers and students from across the world.

UK top 10

We're ranked 9th in the UK and World Top 50 for Education (QS World Rankings by Subject, 2023)

Course content

This course provides a foundation for conducting your own small-scale research projects in a wide range of educational settings. You'll take a total of 180 credits, including core modules, option modules and a dissertation.

Your studies can focus on current developments in education and issues of immediate concern. As such, as well as providing a coherent and satisfying educational experience in its own right, this programme can serve as an excellent introduction to work at PhD level.

Modules
Dissertation

Modules

Core modules

*You must choose this module in Semester 2 in order to take the Professional Practice Dissertation.

Option modules

You will also study two option modules:

Our modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff, and in line with Department/School academic planning.

Dissertation

Independent Study Module (Dissertation)
Professional Practice Dissertation (you need to choose the Professional Practice in Education module in Semester 2 to take this option)

You will develop, design, implement and manage your own original research project, supervised by a member of staff with the relevant experience for your topic. To complete this masters, you will produce a 12,000-word dissertation based on your research project.

Examples of dissertations recently completed by students include:

Teaching English Language for Cultural Understanding
Identity and Language Learning
Reforming Mathematics Education
Practical Work in School Science Teaching
Education Reform in Rural China

Learning outcomes

Every course at York is built on a distinctive set of learning outcomes. These will give you a clear understanding of what you will be able to accomplish at the end of the course and help you explain what you can offer employers. Our academics identify the knowledge, skills, and experiences you'll need upon graduation and then design the course to get you there.

Learning outcomes for this course

analyse and assess the implications of current issues and key trends in the field of education based on a critical understanding of the sector and its methodological traditions.
contribute to decision-making concerning teaching, learning and education by critically appraising, evaluating and synthesising information from diverse knowledge bases, literatures, perspectives and contexts to produce well-evidenced arguments.
inform and improve practice in specific educational contexts by using a broad range of theoretical frameworks and concepts to evaluate approaches to teaching and learning.
communicate complex information and arguments clearly, confidently and in a professional manner, making use of oral, written and visual formats.
initiate and conduct independent, focused research projects by engaging in thorough planning, rigorous ethics procedures and the selection and application of appropriate principles, methodologies and approaches.
collate, manage and critically analyse complex critical data using digital tools in order to support presented arguments.

Fees and funding

Annual tuition fees for 2025/26

Study mode	UK (home)	International and EU
Full-time (1 year)	£11,200	£25,900

Students on a Student Visa are not currently permitted to study part-time at York.

Fees information

UK (home) or international fees? The level of fee that you will be asked to pay depends on whether you're classed as a UK (home) or international student. Check your fee status.

Find out more information about tuition fees and how to pay them.

Postgraduate taught fees and expenses

Additional costs

There are no mandatory additional fees, but we do recommend that you set aside some money for photocopying. Course books will be available from the Library and online reading packs are available for most modules, but you may wish to buy your own copies. Each book typically costs £20 to 40.

Funding information

Discover your funding options to help with tuition fees and living costs.

We'll confirm more funding opportunities for students joining us in 2025/26 throughout the year.

If you've successfully completed an undergraduate degree at York you could be eligible for a 10% Masters fee discount.

Funding opportunities

Chevening Scholarships

We are pleased to work with Chevening Scholars to offer funding for our Masters programmes. Chevening Scholarships provide one year of fully-funded postgraduate study in the UK for international (including EU) students. The scholarships are open to early and mid-career professionals who have the potential to become future leaders.

Chevening scholarships

Awarded by British embassies and high commissions, Chevening Scholarships provide one year of fully-funded postgraduate study in the UK. They are offered to early and mid-career professionals with the potential to become future leaders. We have hosted 34 Chevening Scholars in the past five years and welcome further enquiries and applications.

Chevening scholarships

Living costs

You can use our living costs guide to help plan your budget. It covers additional costs that are not included in your tuition fee such as expenses for accommodation and study materials.

Teaching and assessment

You’ll work with world‐leading academics who’ll challenge you to think independently and excel in all that you do. Our approach to teaching will provide you with the knowledge, opportunities, and support you need to grow and succeed in a global workplace.

Teaching format

You will be taught through a combination of formal lectures, seminars, practical exercises, workshops and online learning.

You'll spend time working on your own, reading assigned texts and researching supporting materials, as well as working with others in seminars to discuss and present your work.

There will also be opportunities to attend seminars from visiting scholars on a wide variety of educational topics.

Teaching location

You will be based in the Department of Education on Campus West. Teaching for this course takes place at various locations on Campus West.

About our campus

Our beautiful green campus offers a student-friendly setting in which to live and study, within easy reach of the action in the city centre. It's easy to get around campus - everything is within walking or pedalling distance, or you can always use the fast and frequent bus service.

Assessment and feedback

Types of assessments used throughout this course include:

four 3,500-word assessed essays
online exams
research proposal and ethics audit
to cap your studies, you'll complete a 12,000-word dissertation on an original piece of your own research.

Careers and skills

This broad-based course is an ideal grounding for postgraduate students looking to go on to further study such as PhD or to go into a career in teaching, journalism, policy-making or management.

The wide variety of optional modules allows you to tailor a study pathway in line with your individual interests and professional goals.

Career opportunities

Teacher
Online English curriculum designer at an education company
Learning mentor
Community education officer
HR advisor
Journalist

Transferable skills

Qualitative and quantitative research methods
Data analysis
Design and completion of original research
Critical reasoning
Communication skills
Academic and professional language skills in English

Entry requirements

Qualification	Typical offer
Undergraduate degree	2:2 undergraduate degree in a relevant subject. Some educational experience in either teaching or administration is also considered beneficial.
International pre-masters programme	Pre-masters from our International Pathway College
Other international qualifications	Equivalent qualifications from your country

English language

If English isn't your first language you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. We accept the following qualifications:

Qualification	Minimum requirement
IELTS (Academic and Indicator)	6.5, minimum 6.0 in each component
Cambridge CEFR	B2 First: 176, with 169 in each component
Oxford ELLT	7, minimum of 6 in each component
Oxford Test of English Advanced	136, minimum 126 in each component
Duolingo	120, minimum 105 in all other components
LanguageCert SELT	B2 with 33/50 in each component
LanguageCert Academic	70 with a minimum of 65 in each component
Kaplan Test of English Language	478-509, with 444-477 in all other components
Skills for English	B2: Merit overall, with Pass with Merit in each component
PTE Academic	61, minimum 55 in each component
TOEFL	87, minimum 21 in each component
Trinity ISE III	Merit in all requirements

For more information see our postgraduate English language requirements.

If you haven't met our English language requirements

You may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language courses. These courses will provide you with the level of English needed to meet the conditions of your offer.

The length of course you need to take depends on your current English language test scores and how much you need to improve to reach our English language requirements.

After you've accepted your offer to study at York, we'll confirm which pre-sessional course you should apply to via You@York.

Applying

You can apply and send all your documentation online. You don’t need to complete your application all at once: you can start it, save it and finish it later.

How to apply