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Education MA

Study option Award

Location

Stoke-on-Trent campus

Apply now

Our innovative Masters degree is for anyone with a passion for education who wants to make a difference. You will develop your expertise and ability to lead change. This is a part-time two year course. There are flexible start dates for those with relevant advanced standing post-graduate qualifications.

Whether you’re a teacher, school leader, workplace trainer or an aspiring education professional, you can tailor the MA Education course to your career development ambitions.

You will critically examine policy and practice, explore practical ideas for improving your own setting, and become a research expert. As a member of our Institute of Education community, you will also be supported and have networking opportunities with the chance to share experiences.

Our flexible approach means you can study the MA from anywhere in the UK and beyond. The course will also enhance your ability to move within the education sector as it’s relevant to a range of professional roles.

This part-time course is delivered online over two years with a start date in September. There are also two routes (Advanced Standing) for those with relevant qualifications to join our flexible course.

You can start in September and complete the full award.

If you’ve already achieved 60 relevant postgraduate credits, such as completing a PGCE, you will be exempt from the first third of the course.

If you have achieved 100 relevant postgraduate credits, for example, a PGCE and recognised education leadership award, you can top up your credits to a full MA Education by completing modules in Social Research followed by a Research Project.

These routes are delivered through online learning, so you can fit your studies round work commitments, making it ideal for professional development.

The course is delivered late afternoon/early evening on Wednesdays/Thursdays dependent on your year of study.

On successful completion of study, we will issue the following award: MA Education

Duration

University of Staffordshire postgraduate courses are usually 1 academic year duration when studying full-time and 2-3 academic years duration for part-time.

Course content

Course content

On this course, you’ll deepen your understanding of contemporary education issues through critical thought, reflection and analysis. Themes include global citizenship, inclusion, the impact of policy on education practice, outdoor learning, environmental sustainability, and how to manage change initiatives.

We also cover entrepreneurship in education. For one task, you will pitch a creative solution to a problem, such as a new product or innovation. Other assessments range from writing academic reports to preparing small-scale research proposals and completing a research project in your own specialism. There’s a strong focus on applying your learning to your own professional practice.

On successful completion of the Masters you may progress to an Education Doctorate or PHD:

Education - Staffordshire University (staffs.ac.uk)

You’ll need:

An Honours degree, classification 2:2 or above
GCSE English grade C or above, or equivalent
For all stages of the course, it is necessary for participants to be able to have access to the Internet (to allow Virtual Learning Environment access and e-mail contact for communication with course tutors and administrators)

Modules

The tables provide an indicative list of the modules that make up the course for the current academic year. Each module is worth a specified number of credits. Our teaching is informed by research, and modules change periodically to reflect developments in the discipline. We aim to ensure that all modules run as scheduled. If for any reason a module cannot be run we will advise you as soon as possible and will provide guidance on selecting an appropriate alternative module.

Year 1 compulsory modules
Year 1 compulsory modules
Research Project Dl	60 credits
Social Research Dl	20 credits

Entry requirements

You’ll need:

An Honours degree, classification 2:2 or above
GCSE English grade C or above, or equivalent

For equivalent entry requirements in your home country, please see the information on our country pages.

Choose your country

Get country-specific details on entry requirements, fees, scholarships and support services. Choose your country to see how University of Staffordshire can support you from application to arrival.

Facilities

Support for distance learners

Studying remotely doesn't mean that you will be left to study alone. Which is why we ensure that however you study with us, you'll still be able to access the same services as our on-campus students. Read more

However you study with us, or wherever in the world you’re based, you’ll still be able to access the same services as our on-campus students, including IT and study support, online library, careers and wellbeing service. We’ll help to connect with other online learners to help you get the most out of your learning experience and feel a part of the community. Find out more: Support for distance learners

Blackboard (VLE)

Blackboard is a virtual learning environment which houses your learning content. It enables online teaching/learning, provides spaces to build online communities and knowledge sharing.

Careers

This award is focused on professional and academic development and is therefore suitable if you’re planning to work in traditional or non-traditional educational settings such as galleries, museums, visitor centres and offender settings. Alumni now work in schools and colleges, progressing to co-ordinator and leadership roles.

Once you’ve achieved your Masters degree, you’ll have the opportunity to progress to our PhD and EdD awards – Doctoral-level programmes aimed at helping you develop your capabilities even further.

All students have access to Career Connect, our dedicated careers team.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching

This is offered as a 100% Online Learning mode of delivery.

For the distance learning programme, a variety of distance learning and teaching methods will be used to help students develop their critical thinking and evaluative skills. Via the University’s online platforms, students will engage in synchronous and asynchronous collaborative learning activities. Students will be required to attend up to four synchronous learning sessions for each module. These are scheduled to take place on Wednesday or Thursday afternoon/evening dependent on your year of study.

All applicants will need to have internet access and a suitable device that enables them to work collaboratively with others when completing synchronous and asynchronous tasks.

Assessment

Each module is assessed separately and contributes to the final grade for that course. All modules are assessed through a variety of approaches. Assessment tasks are designed to allow you to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding using a variety of different approaches. In addition to traditional formal written assignments, you will also be assessed through tasks which allow you to utilise their digital, presentation, investigative and problem-solving skills. Assessment tasks include:

Literature review
Presentations and discussion (synchronous and asynchronous)
Project proposals
Report
Making a pitch and blog writing

Opportunities for formative assessment are built into every module through a variety of formats. The approaches used for formative assessment are intended to facilitate students’ self-assessment in learning and to encourage teacher and peer dialogue about learning. Formative assessment opportunities typically employed include:

Reflective group discussion
Peer Feedback
Tutor feedback
Individual and collaborative tasks

Learning support

Your course tutors will provide lots of support. But you can also take advantage of our Academic Skills team, who can help you with:

Study skills (including reading, note-taking and presentation skills)
Written English (including punctuation, grammar)
Academic writing (including how to reference)
Research skills
Critical thinking
Revision, assessment and exam skills (including time management)

Additional support

If you have additional needs like dyslexia or a sensory impairment, then our Student Inclusion Services are here to help make sure nothing stands in your way.

Staff

You'll be taught by staff who have a range of academic and industry experience.

Alyson Jolley

Senior Lecturer

Learning is something that we all experience throughout our lives and ensuring that it’s fun and engaging is my passion. Education is not just about schooling but is about education in our communities, from our youngest citizens to our wisest.

Alyson's profile

Rebecca Sherratt

Lecturer

I am extremely passionate about developing English education in the local area, with a particular interest in creativity in the secondary English classroom.

Rebecca's profile

Dr Duncan Hindmarch

Course Director

My enthusiasm for learning led me to qualify, design and deliver to initial and subject specialist teacher training courses. I have an interest in developing virtual learning environments to support learning.

Duncan's profile

Fees

For the course starting on 20 November 2025 the tuition fees are:

Tuition fees for MA-Part-time, distance learning
Study option	UK / Channel Islands	International
Part-time	£4,060 per course	£5,910 per course

For the course starting on 19 November 2026 the tuition fees are:

Tuition fees for MA-Part-time, distance learning
Study option
Part-time

If you would like to know more about the fees listed and what this means to you then please get in touch with our Enquiries Team.

Alumni discount

If you have previously completed an undergraduate degree with us, you may be entitled to an alumni discount off your course fee for any subsequent postgraduate taught course. For further information please contact feesandbursaries@staffs.ac.uk.

Accommodation and living costs
Accommodation and living costs
Accommodation and living costs are not included in our fees. For more information on accommodation and living costs, please see: Accommodation

Sources of financial support

Providing you are studying towards a full Masters qualification you may be able to apply for a postgraduate loan of up to £11,570 to help with tuition fees, maintenance and other associated costs. Student loans are available for many of our postgraduate degrees and are provided by the Student Loans Company (SLC). The loan can cover a wide range of postgraduate study options; part-time, full-time and distance learning.

For more information and how to apply visit masters loan.

Our students

I loved being in the classroom as a learner and not the teacher.

I loved being in the classroom as a learner and not the teacher, reflecting on my practice as a professional and rising to the challenge of academic writing. Personally, I found the journey of discovering my own self-belief most rewarding; and something I could not have achieved without the support of the tutors.

Allie Campbell

MA Education

Apply

Location	Award	Study option	Start date	Apply Link
Stoke-on-Trent campus	MA	Part-time, distance learning	20 November 2025	Apply now
Stoke-on-Trent campus	MA	Part-time, distance learning	19 November 2026	Apply now

Rules and regulations

If you are offered a place at University of Staffordshire, your offer will be subject to our rules, regulations and enrolment conditions, which may vary from time to time.

Students of University of Staffordshire enter into a contract with us and are bound by these rules and regulations, which are subject to change. For more information, please see: University Policies and Regulations.