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Course type
Masters degree
Credits
180

Credits

  • Credits measure the student workload required for the successful completion of a module or qualification.
  • One credit represents about 10 hours of study over the duration of the course.
  • You are awarded credits after you have successfully completed a module.
  • For example, if you study a 60-credit module and successfully pass it, you will be awarded 60 credits.
How long it takes
3 years part-time study
Read more about how long it takes
Study method
Distance learning
Course cost
Postgraduate loan available
See Fees and funding
Entry requirements
Find out more about
Entry requirements

Masters degree in Education

Course code: F70

This flexible masters degree is suitable for education professionals who wish to acquire qualities and transferable skills that are highly prized by employers. There are three specialist routes to choose between – learning and teaching, leadership and management or inclusive practice. You can change your specialism after Stage 1, so you can study two specialisms within one qualification. The final dissertation module gives you the option of conducting a small-scale inquiry on a topic of your choice, or completing an extended literature review and research proposal relevant to your educational professional interests and practice.

  • A rich choice of specialisms to suit a range of interests.
  • Engage with issues, concepts and debates that enrich your knowledge and improve your professional practice.
  • Choose between a small-scale inquiry or an extended literature review and research proposal to fit your personal and professional circumstances.
  • Develop and consolidate advanced scholarship and independent learning in the context of your own practice.
Course type
Masters degree
Credits
180

Credits

  • Credits measure the student workload required for the successful completion of a module or qualification.
  • One credit represents about 10 hours of study over the duration of the course.
  • You are awarded credits after you have successfully completed a module.
  • For example, if you study a 60-credit module and successfully pass it, you will be awarded 60 credits.
How long it takes
3 years part-time study
Read more about how long it takes
Study method
Distance learning
Course cost
Postgraduate loan available
See Fees and funding
Entry requirements
Find out more about
Entry requirements

How to register

Select the module you will study first, read the full description, and follow the instructions to register.

Modules

To gain this qualification, you need 180 credits as follows:

You’ll choose one of the following specialisms and study one 60-credit module at each stage:

  • inclusive practice
  • leadership and management
  • learning and teaching.

Stage 1

This introduces some of the big ideas in education and their specialist domain(s). You'll engage with concepts, current debates and issues in the area of education relevant to your chosen route.

Stage 2

This stage broadens your knowledge and understanding of your chosen aspects of education.  You can change specialisms after Stage 1 to give you the opportunity to study across two specialisms. Your choice at Stage 2 will commit you to that specialism as your Stage 3 dissertation topic.

Stage 3

You are required to submit a dissertation in a chosen area that is based in your practice and contributes to organisational development and/or effectiveness. This will be a small-scale inquiry on a topic of your choice situated within your own educational practice or setting. If this is not possible in your setting, you can complete an extended literature review and research proposal relevant to your own educational professional interests and practice.

Inclusive practice

180 credits from:

Module Credits Next start
Stage 1
Equity, inclusion and social justice in educational practice (EE844) 1

This module introduces contemporary issues in equity, inclusion and social justice in educational practice, including disability, gender, poverty and race.

See full description

Register
 60 04 Oct 2025
Stage 2
Social justice, equity and equality: inclusive practice for all (EE845)

This module focuses on issues of social justice from different perspectives to develop inclusive pedagogies and practices in a wide range of contexts.

See full description

Register
 60 04 Oct 2025
Stage 3
Masters multi-disciplinary dissertation: education, childhood and youth (E822)

Conduct an enquiry into an education, childhood or youth topic of personal and professional interest to complete your MA.

See full description

Register
 60 04 Oct 2025
1We strongly recommend you study this module if you intend to choose this specialism, or subject to the rules about excluded combinations, the discontinued module EE814. However, you may choose any Stage 1 module, or if you have successfully completed EE806, you may also count this module towards Stage 1.

Leadership and management

180 credits from:

Module Credits Next start
Stage 1
Educational leadership: concepts, change and challenges (EE841) 2

Explore educational leadership and management concepts, change, and challenges in local and global contexts.

See full description

Register
 60 04 Oct 2025
Stage 2
Exploring educational leadership: values, context and strategy (EE842)

Explore strategic, contextual and values-based educational leadership for the 21st century.

See full description

Register
 60 04 Oct 2025
Stage 3
Masters multi-disciplinary dissertation: education, childhood and youth (E822)

Conduct an enquiry into an education, childhood or youth topic of personal and professional interest to complete your MA.

See full description

Register
 60 04 Oct 2025
2We strongly recommend you study this module if you intend to choose this specialism, or subject to the rules about excluded combinations, the discontinued module EE811. However, you may choose any Stage 1 module, or if you have successfully completed EE806, you may also count this module towards Stage 1. 

Learning and teaching

180 credits from:

Module Credits Next start
Stage 1
Learning and teaching: educating the next generation (EE830) 3

This masters module will challenge you to think about what purposes of education could have and how education can be made fit for the future.

See full description

Register
 60 04 Oct 2025
Stage 2
Learning and teaching: understanding practice (EE831)

This module focuses on the fundamental concepts of learning, pedagogy, and assessment and explores them from the perspectives of learners, teachers and whole school issues.

See full description

Register
 60 04 Oct 2025
Stage 3
Masters multi-disciplinary dissertation: education, childhood and youth (E822)

Conduct an enquiry into an education, childhood or youth topic of personal and professional interest to complete your MA.

See full description

Register
 60 04 Oct 2025
3We strongly recommend you study this module if you intend to choose this specialism. However, you may choose any Stage 1 module, or if you have successfully completed EE806, you may also count this module towards Stage 1.

Applied linguistics (continuing students only)

This specialism is only available if you have successfully completed Stage 1 or have credit awarded from study elsewhere. Stages 2 and 3 must be completed by 31 December 2026. A new MA in Linguistics (F97)  will be available from October 2024.

180 credits from:

Module Credits Next start
Stage 1
Applied linguistics and English language (EE817)4 (now discontinued)
 60  
Stage 2
Language, literacy and learning (EE818)
This module is for people interested in exploring English language, literacy learning and teaching in today’s world with its increasing linguistic and cultural diversity and rapid technological development.

See full description

 60 No current presentation
Stage 3
MA Ed dissertation: applied linguistics (EE819)

This is the final module in the MA Ed applied linguistics study route in which you will carry out a research project and produce a 12,000-word dissertation.

See full description

Register
 60 04 Oct 2025
4Or subject to the rules about excluded combinations, EE830, EE841, EE844, or the discontinued modules EE811, EE814, or if you have successfully completed EE806, you may also count this module towards Stage 1.

You should note that the University’s unique study rule applies to this qualification. This means that you must include at least 60 credits from OU modules that have not been counted in any other OU qualification that has previously been awarded to you.

Learning outcomes, teaching and assessment

The learning outcomes of this qualification are described in four areas:

  • Knowledge and understanding
  • Cognitive skills
  • Practical and professional skills
  • Key skills
Read more detailed information about the learning outcomes.

Credit transfer

If you’ve successfully completed some relevant postgraduate study elsewhere, you may be able to count it towards Stage 1 of this qualification, by applying for credit transfer, reducing the number of modules you need to study. Credit transfer will impact the time you have to complete this qualification, and the six-year time limit will start from the time the qualification submitted as credit transfer was completed. So, for example, if you use as credit transfer a qualification that you were awarded two years ago, you would need to complete the remaining 120 credits in four years.

You should apply for credit transfer as soon as possible, before you register for your first module. For more details and an application form, visit our Credit Transfer website.

On completion

On successfully completing this course, we’ll award you our Master of Arts in Education or Master of Education. You’ll be entitled to use the letters MAEd (Open) or MEd (Open) after your name.

If you choose a specialist route, your degree title will show that:

  • MA in Education (Leadership and Management) or MEd (Leadership and Management)
  • MA in Education (Learning and Teaching) or MEd (Learning and Teaching)
  • MA in Education (Inclusive Practice) or MEd (Inclusive Practice)
  • MA in Education (Applied Linguistics) or MEd (Applied Linguistics)

If your masters degree is awardable with a distinction or a merit, the qualification regulations explain how you can achieve these.

You’ll have the opportunity to attend a degree ceremony.

You may be able to claim the related Postgraduate Certificate in Professional Studies in Education (K27) – although this is not available if you have used credit transfer or counted previous study towards your qualification – and/or the Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Studies in Education (E88).

To gain all three qualifications, you must study them in sequence (postgraduate certificate, postgraduate diploma and then the MA/MEd).

Regulations

As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the qualification-specific regulations below and the academic regulations that are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website. 

We regularly review our curriculum; therefore, the qualification described on this page – including its availability, its structure, and available modules – may change over time. If we make changes to this qualification, we’ll update this page as soon as possible. Once you’ve registered or are studying this qualification, where practicable, we’ll inform you in good time of any upcoming changes. If you’d like to know more about the circumstances in which the University might make changes to the curriculum, see our Academic Regulations or contact us. This description was last updated on 19 March 2024.

To study for this masters degree, you must hold a bachelors degree from a UK university or other recognised degree-awarding body, or a qualification at an equivalent level.

In order to study this qualification you do not need to be employed in an educational setting. However, it is important that you have some experience in engaging or working with learners, children or young people as our specialisms are all explored through the lens of education. Therefore you will need to be able to apply your learning to a relevant context or learning environment. This can be through employment or other means, such as volunteering and/or special arrangements undertaken for the purposes of your study. Apart from schools and colleges, other organisations providing educational services – such as health and care education environments, youth, play, or early years work, armed forces, business and commercial environments – all could provide suitable settings to apply your learning and later carry out your dissertation.

Please note: It is a legal requirement in the UK, rather than an Open University requirement, that you must obtain Enhanced DBS clearance (or equivalent in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) in order to work with children on the module, Masters multi-disciplinary dissertation: education, childhood and youth​ (E822). This is the responsibility of you and your employer and not The Open University. If you are in doubt about your eligibility or to find out more, you should contact the relevant agency in the country in which you are proposing to conduct your study for more information.

Your spoken and written English must be of an adequate standard for postgraduate study. If English is not your first language, we recommend that you will need a minimum score of 7 under the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Please see their website for details.

How long it takes

Most students study the Masters degree in Education part-time, completing 60 credits a year over three years. Typically, this means 13–19 study hours each week.

Learning and Teaching, Inclusive Practice, and Leadership and Management specialisms: The minimum time to complete is three years, and the maximum is six years.

Applied Linguistics specialism: This must be completed by 31 December 2026.

Career relevance

Throughout the world, there is an increasing demand for creative, innovative education professionals who have highly developed skills and a deep understanding of learning. In many countries, a masters degree is becoming essential for career advancement in education, training and professional development settings.

This qualification is designed to enrich your knowledge and improve your professional practice. On completing your studies, you should be able to:

  • demonstrate self-direction and originality in tackling and solving problems at a professional or equivalent level
  • reflect critically and constructively, in the light of ideas and frameworks presented in the modules, on how these apply to your practice and organisational context.
You will also acquire qualities and transferable skills that are highly prized by employers within education and related fields, such as:
  • exercising initiative and personal responsibility
  • the ability to make decisions in complex and unpredictable situations
  • the ability to draw on appropriate research and ethical understanding
  • the production of reports/outputs for academic and professional purposes.

You will be guided through the materials on how you can recognise and acknowledge these additional skills.

Please note that this masters degree does not qualify you for teacher registration in any country.

Careers and Employability Services have more information on how OU study can improve your employability.

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