Option for Placement Year
Option for Study Abroad
Our online Masters in Education is a flexible and career-focused course, designed to develop your practice, research and leadership skills for use in the education sector.
Against an ever-changing, global education environment (not least due to Covid-19), it’s more important than ever that educational practitioners are highly trained and well supported.
Ranked in the top 25 UK universities for Education (The Guardian 2022 and The Complete University Guide 2022), Northumbria has over 100 years of teacher training experience. This distance learning MA in Education – Leadership and Learning brings together real-world examples with ongoing research, all taught entirely online.
The course is aimed at those who work as teachers in the UK and internationally and want to progress into a senior position, as well as those in broader roles in the wider education sector.
You’ll explore the latest educational issues, theories, and concepts, as well as learning key practices in the education system. Modules cover everything from leading and managing change to reflective practice; from Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND), diversity and inclusion to technology in teaching. You’ll also gain a new perspective on data and evaluation, culminating in an in-depth, research-led Systematic Appraisal towards the end of the course.
Distance learning at Northumbria is flexible. You’ll have 24/7 access to teaching resources through our online eLearning portal, Blackboard Ultra, the ability to pay in module-by-module instalments, and you can even pause your studies if you need to (please note, any breaks will impact your graduation date).
As well as support from your tutors and peers, you will also benefit from a dedicated Student Success Advisor. Whether you have a question around assessments, payments or navigating the online platform, they’ll be with you, offering support and guidance, at every stage.
Visit our Frequently Asked Questions for further information or to find out more about our flexible courses or check out more information on Distance Learning.
Level of Study
Postgraduate
Mode of Study
2 years Part Time (Distance Learning)
Location
City Campus, Northumbria University
City
Newcastle
Start
Upcoming Intakes: October 2025, January 2026, April 2026
Fees
Fee Information
Modules
Module Information
Applicants should normally have:
A minimum of a 2:2 honours degree or an equivalent qualification such as a Certificate in Education (Cert Ed). Other professional qualifications and relevant professional experience will also be considered.
International qualifications:
If you have studied a non UK qualification, you can see how your qualifications compare to the standard entry criteria, by selecting the country that you received the qualification in, from our country pages. Visit www.northumbria.ac.uk/yourcountry
English language requirements:
International applicants are required to have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.5 with 6 in each component (or approved equivalent*).
*The university accepts a large number of UK and International Qualifications in place of IELTS. You can find details of acceptable tests and the required grades you will need in our English Language section. Visit www.northumbria.ac.uk/englishqualifications
Full UK Fee: £9,250
Full International Fee: £9,250
Scholarships and Discounts
ADDITIONAL COSTS
There are no Additional Costs
Listed below are the modules that you will study on this course. Delivered in a flexible carousel structure, the order in which you study your modules will vary depending on when you begin the course. Please note, modules are reviewed annually and may be subject to change between academic years. Applicants will be informed if there are any changes. If you have any questions about this, or our carousel structure, please get in touch on +44 (0) 191 276 4874 or at DLstudentenquiries@northumbria.ac.uk
PE7065 -
Leading Curriculum Development (20 Credits)
In this module you will have the opportunity to analyse, in–depth, what is meant by the concept of curriculum development. This includes reflection on the curriculum leader’s role in creating a vision and climate in the school or other educational establishment, on which there is a strong focus on learning; where new ideas about teaching, the curriculum and continuing staff development are taken seriously, together with a commitment to monitoring, evaluation and review of practice.
The module will also provide you with a framework for examining the influence and impact of institutional culture and climate on curriculum development. You will have the opportunity for detailed consideration and examination of how an effective curriculum engages the learning community in a rigorous process of monitoring, evaluation and review, linked to internal and external procedures. You will also explore and examine ways in which the role of parents and other stakeholders contribute to effective curriculum development.
PE7064 -
Leading Learning and Change (20 Credits)
In the ever-changing landscape of education, this module aims to explore the range of changes that can impact on educational institutions and at all levels. Starting with a consideration of up-to-date theories of learning based on real evidence, we will consider how middle and senior leaders in schools, and other learning institutions, create great teacher and pupil- learning. Techniques, such as Lesson Study and Action Research, will be considered as part of a strategy to build a learning rich school, as will the effectiveness, or otherwise, of monitoring and the use of data. The module will provide the opportunity to consider and discuss effective ways of bringing about change in schools and other institutions and how to manage it. It will enable you to explore key theories and ideas and then apply them to real school challenges, bringing into this the experience of headteachers in changing their schools and local authority personnel responsible for bringing about school turn-around.
More informationPE7067 -
Educational Assessment in Practice (20 Credits)
The aim of this module is to explore the topic of educational assessment. This module will provide the opportunity for you to learn how to develop and implement educational assessment, both formative and summative. You will be able to critically analyse the reliability and validity of current practices; analyse discourses surrounding assessment and develop a good understanding the technical and conceptual issues which underpin the current assessment practices.
More informationPE7068 -
Inclusion: Leading Practice in an Educational Environment (20 Credits)
This module will give you the opportunity to explore issues, understandings and knowledge of Inclusive practice in the school or other educational settings, to include those with special educational needs. You will engage in critical discourse with regard to pertinent issues of the Inclusion /SEND agenda.
You will examine the following topics:
• Key principles of inclusion: a whole school approach
• Barriers to change in educational practice.
• Legislation, policy and guidance on supporting learners and their families, parents and carers.
• Pedagogy/Education theory and approaches to delivery for diverse abilities and needs.
• SEND and models of disability
• Appraisal of recent research and implications for Classroom/School Practice
• Developing an emerging philosophy in an ever-changing world of education.
PE7069 -
Systematic Appraisal (60 Credits)
In this module, you will focus on the role of the practitioner as a research user. Although the focus of this module in on Systematic Appraisal, you will also be introduced to a range of very different Research Methodologies and often very different linked Research Methods - used in each methodology. Of course, it is your academic responsibility, as a level 7 academic student, to read and research each of the methodologies to consolidate your learning. This will enable you to further develop your understanding of the importance of contextualisation and the philosophy around research. It will also enable you to evaluate the validity and reliability of the secondary research that you select as the basis of your own research, whilst also supporting your rationale for why Systematic Appraisal is the appropriate methodology for your research topic.
You will have the opportunity to make effective and systematic use of published research to inform education practice and/or policy. Through the process of the systematic appraisal, you will develop enhanced critical appraisal skills. The systematic appraisal project will address research questions which arise from your specific practice/field of expertise. These questions may address:
• Effectiveness of single/definable interventions in order to state and recommend best practice/provide evidence-based guidelines for practice.
• Evaluation of appropriateness/acceptability/process/outcomes of educational provision in order to improve/develop/inform practice.
• The service user experience of education services.
• Relationships between practitioners and service users.
• Theoretical and ideological issues of relevance to education practice and/or policy.
•
You will be supported to select published work to be included in the appraisal; this may be either entirely quantitative, entirely qualitative or mixed method. You will then have the opportunity to consider the philosophical perspective of both the research question and the appraisal methodology.
The focus of this module is a small-scale systematic review which you will undertake with the support of an experienced academic research supervisor.
PE7066 -
Technology Enhanced Learning: What Works? (20 Credits)
Whether you are a professional working within education or are intending to work in education, this module is intended to provide you with an opportunity to develop your knowledge of technology enhanced learning (TEL) and the extent to which it enhances or inhibits learning and teaching. The module will take you on a journey through the relationship between computer science and TEL. It will enable you to explore and consider the impact of TEL pedagogy and consider it in relation to your own practice/experience. The focus is broad as you will be encouraged to consider all aspects of TEL in variety of teaching and learning contexts, i.e. in the statutory, further/higher and lifelong learning sectors.
More informationPE7063 -
Reflections on Teaching and Learning in Practice (20 Credits)
This module is intended to give students who are either professionals working within education or those who are intending to work in education an opportunity to develop their knowledge of both pedagogy and andragogy. The module will take you on a journey through the ideology that shapes the way in which education is both defined and organised and the theoretical dissonance between theories of learning and formal education. The focus is broad as you are encouraged to consider all aspects of teaching and learning in the statutory, further/higher and lifelong learning sectors.
More informationTo start your application, simply select the month you would like to start your course.
Our Applicant Services team will be happy to help. They can be contacted on 02843 780 292 or by emailing DLstudentenquiries@northumbria.ac.uk
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