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MA Teaching Studies

Duration
1 year
Course Type
Postgraduate, Distance learning, Taught
Fees

For 2024-2025
£3,510 (UK)
£8,040 (International)

 

Do you have at least 120 Masters credits from an Initial Teacher Education programme or equivalent learning and teaching based modules? Do you want to develop your understanding of learning and teaching in the school sector?

The Master of Arts (Teaching Studies):

  • is taught wholly online
  • is designed for those with an academic and professional background in teaching, learning and assessment in the school sector
  • is for those who already hold 120 credits towards a Masters in this area of study
  • involves completion of a 60 credit dissertation of 15,000 words, prepared over the course of an academic year and submitted in the following September
  • includes a small number of taught sessions for Masters-level learners who may have been away from research for a while 
  • involves each student having individualised supervisory tuition with face to face tutorials which may be carried out by online or in face to face meetings (agreed indivudually between tutor and student) 

Fees

The tuition fee will be £3,510 for Home UK students and £8,040 for international (2024-2025). Find out about the different ways you can pay for the MA Teaching studies.

How To Apply

How to apply

To apply for a postgraduate taught programme, you will need to submit your application and supporting documents online. We have put together some helpful information on the taught programme application process and supporting documents on our how to apply page. Please read this information carefully before completing your application.

Apply now

Our Standard Requirements

You must hold 120 credits towards Masters Study. 

  • Where these credits are all from the University of Birmingham at least 90 credits must be at Level M and a maximum of 30 can be at Level H.
  • Where these credits are all from another institution, if they are in the form of a single postgraduate award (a PGDipEd/ PGDE) where that award is deemed to be a Masters level award of 120 credits, at least 90 credits must be at Level M and a maximum of 30 can be at Level H.
  • Where these credits are all or partly from another institution, if they are not in the form of a single postgraduate award (a PGDipEd/ PGDE) all 120 credits must be at Level M

You must receive a satisfactory reference from an academic and/ or professional person who can comment on your academic learning and/or professional practice in learning and teaching.

You will need to provide a personal statement that clearly explains a rationale for wanting to complete an MA where learning and teaching is the focus. It is mandatory for applicants who have not completed 120 Credits of study at the University of Birmingham to include a personal statement in their application.

You will need to provide evidence (via your previous qualification(s), personal statement and/ or reference) that earlier study contributing the 120 credits (above) was in an area relevant to learning and teaching practice.

International Requirements


All taught sessions are online. There is only a small amount of whole group teaching on this programme. It takes the form of 3 Saturday morning sessions led by a research design and methods tutor. This programme helps you identify your research theme, consider the methodology you will adopt and provide you with research design and methods training. It is ensures you feel supported as you begin to engage with your dissertation. 

Early in the process, you will be allocated an appropriate supervisor. This person will be experienced in the area that you wish to research. Once allocated, you will agree times when it will be appropriate to meet for a tutorial with your supervisor. Such tutorials may be via telephone, online video calls, or possibly face to face.

Students also have opportunities to join optional 'taking stock' meetings, and to enroll on University of Birmingham Research Methods training. 

The assessment is a 15,000 words (max) dissertation.

 

Completion of a full Masters degree significantly supports all professional educators in developing a deeper and broader understanding of their academic or professional context. Doing this by writing a dissertation allows not just your own academic and professional growth, but the opportunity to do this via meaningful and relevant research that will inform your own career and provide findings likely to impact on your context and the profession. 

The MA Teaching Studies provides you with the opportunity to build on previous experiences and accomplishments, such as a teaching qualification. It is an excellent way of preparing yourself for leadership in learning and teaching related areas in a school or similar context. It provides an experience that will support you in future handling and application of evidence in educational contexts. Completing your dissertation will provide you with expert understanding of the field you choose to research and will involve significant engagement with academic and professional research, writing and evidence. A Masters in Teaching Studies will provide you with significant evidence for future career development.

You may also wish to use the MA Teaching Studies as part of an application to Doctoral Study.