Professional Education (MA) (2024 Entry)
Explore our Professional Education taught Master's degree.
This is an MA in Professional Education for ambitious teachers, mentors and leaders working in professional contexts within Primary, Secondary and Further Education. We encourage you to be curious about what works in education and why, to be creative in your approach to researching as a practitioner, and to have high expectations about the impact your research might have in your classroom and more widely.
Course overview
Upon enrolment, the first half of the academic credit recognised towards our Master's in Professional Education will either be drawn from a recent PGCE with teaching practice or from our Postgraduate Certificate in Professional Education Programme. All Master's pathways then share the same ‘taught’ MA course structure, although this is tailored towards your research interests and objectives.
The step-by-step module process takes teachers through designing a research study, applying for ethical approval and conducting the study over an appropriate time-period. The final assessment is a dissertation which communicates the findings of the substantial research project in an appropriate academic form; preparing teachers to share the research more widely with other practitioner researchers, colleagues and the wider profession.
General entry requirements
Minimum requirements
You must hold a PGCE (completed in the last 5 years) and also a UK Bachelor's degree with Honours at 2:2 or above, or equivalent level.
If your PGCE was completed more than 5 years ago you can consider our PGCert Professional Education which provides a way to receive academic credit for your work-based learning.
English language requirements
You can find out more about our English language requirementsLink opens in a new window. This course requires the following:
- Band B
- IELTS overall score of 7.0, minimum component scores of two at 6.0/6.5 and the rest at 7.0 or above.
International qualifications
We welcome applications from students with other internationally recognised qualifications.
For more information, please visit the international entry requirements pageLink opens in a new window.
Additional requirements
There are no additional entry requirements for this course.
Core modules
Research in Professional Practice
This module aims to develop understanding of the research process and its relevance to your professional practice as a teacher, mentor or leader in education, including designing and carrying out research in your own field of practice. This includes identifying research questions and appropriate research strategies and gathering and analysing sources using a variety of methods. It will enable you to carry out research into an aspect of career development or current practice of interest and relevance to you.
Ethics Portfolio
The Ethics Portfolio module is designed to facilitate students on the MA Professional Education to carefully consider the challenges of researching ethically in schools as a practitioner, particularly with regards to how this might differ to teaching ethically.
The process of completing the portfolio will help you to work through common problems that teachers researching in school commonly face such as working with school data, negotiating the focus of their research with school leaders and working with vulnerable individuals. The module will help you prepare for the various conversations that need to take place in school with school leaders, colleagues, students and parents. Successful completion of the ethics portfolio will result in your formal ethics application being put forward to the ethics board. Prior to the module you will have already completed a draft of your Research Proposal.
Dissertation
This is the final major project of the MA Professional Education, providing an opportunity for you to consider in depth an area of academic and professional interest related to education.
Optional modules
There are no optional modules for this course.
Teaching
Our online delivery allows for the flexibility teachers need whilst working, supporting them to study from anywhere within the UK, or internationally, thanks to our high-quality online materials and tutorials and many teaching sessions delivered remotely. Course timelines, assignment deadlines and teaching sessions are released one academic year in advance to enable teachers to plan their time effectively. Teaching occurs at weekends so as not to impact school commitments (although appropriate flexible working may be offered by some employers).
The course is taught by staff with expertise across all phases of education, with specialist knowledge and research profiles across a wide spread of subject specialisms (Mathematics, English, Science, the Visual and Performing Arts and Design Technology, History, Geography and Religious Education, Modern Foreign Languages, and Physical Education) and areas of education including the broad areas of inclusion, social justice, literacy, numeracy, teacher resilience, knowledge and creativity.
Class sizes
The class size for this course is approximately 15 to 20 students.
Assessment
Research in Professional Practice
Assessment by:
- A short evaluation of a research paper relevant to an area of education that interests you.
- A research proposal for a research study you plan to conduct in school.
Ethics Portfolio
Assessment by:
- Submission of a full ethics application to carry out your research study including accompanying documents such as participant information forms.
Dissertation
Assessment by:
- A 20,000 word dissertation outlining your completed research study: including rationale, literature review, methodology and ethics, results and discussion of findings.
Your timetable
Your personalised timetable will be complete when you are registered for each module, and you have been allocated to your seminars. Your compulsory modules will be registered for you when you join us.
Your career
Our students will already be working in the education sector. The MA is designed to enable you to tailor your research interests to your professional aspirations, which may be concerned with classroom teaching, pastoral or leadership roles. Our students gain promotion in school-based contexts, pursue further research at PhD level moving into Higher Education teaching and research, or find that their research opens doors into associated careers in fields such as social work and youth services.
Our department has a dedicated professionally qualified Senior Careers Consultant offering impartial advice and guidance together with workshops and events throughout the year. Previous examples of workshops and events include:
- Applications and Interviews for Teaching Jobs
- Preparing for Teaching Job Interviews
- Writing a Personal Statement for Teaching Jobs
- Careers Drop In (for applications and interview support)
Centre for Teacher Education (CTE)
Our vision and ambition for the Centre for Teacher Education (CTE) derives from a commitment to continue the long history of Teacher Education at the University of Warwick where generations of new teachers gain employment in our partner schools to improve the life chances of the children they teach. Our programmes are underpinned by our core values of social justice, intellectual curiosity and creativity.
Our commitment is to ensure we support and develop you as an Early Career Teacher and engage you as part of our alumni community. CTE’s Master's in Professional Education is aimed at practising teachers and school leaders and is designed to ensure the content aligns with an individual’s educational research interest. You will focus your research on an area of your own choice to ensure your studies and learning has real value and impact within your school context.
We pride ourselves on making a difference to our students. We place high-quality teaching and student support at the heart of what we do and recognise that our success is built on the strength of our partnership with our students and schools. Teaching is our top priority and our commitment to our students is paramount.
Learn more about us from our website.Link opens in a new window
Our Postgraduate Taught courses
- Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) in Primary (2-7 or 5-11)
- Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) in Secondary (11-18)
- Postgraduate Certificate in Education International (PGCEi)
- Professional Education (MA)
- Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) with iQTS (Primary 3-7 & 5-11)
- Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) with iQTS (Secondary)
- Postgraduate Certificate in Professional Education (PGCert)
Tuition fees
Tuition fees are payable for each year of your course at the start of the academic year, or at the start of your course, if later. Academic fees cover the cost of tuition, examinations and registration and some student amenities.
Fee Status Guidance
We carry out an initial fee status assessment based on the information you provide in your application. Students will be classified as Home or Overseas fee status. Your fee status determines tuition fees, and what financial support and scholarships may be available. If you receive an offer, your fee status will be clearly stated alongside the tuition fee information.
Do you need your fee classification to be reviewed?
If you believe that your fee status has been classified incorrectly, you can complete a fee status assessment questionnaire. Please follow the instructions in your offer information and provide the documents needed to reassess your status.
Find out more about how universities assess fee status.
Additional course costs
As well as tuition fees and living expenses, some courses may require you to cover the cost of field trips or costs associated with travel abroad.
For departmental specific costs, please see the Modules tab on this web page for the list of core and optional core modules with hyperlinks to our Module CatalogueLink opens in a new window (please visit the Department’s website if the Module Catalogue hyperlinks are not provided).
Associated costs can be found on the Study tab for each module listed in the Module Catalogue (please note most of the module content applies to 2022/23 year of study). Information about module department specific costs should be considered in conjunction with the more general costs below:
- Core text books
- Printer credits
- Dissertation binding
- Robe hire for your degree ceremony
Scholarships and bursaries
Scholarships and financial support
Find out about the different funding routes available, including; postgraduate loans, scholarships, fee awards and academic department bursaries.
Living costs
Find out more about the cost of living as a postgraduate student at the University of Warwick.
Find out how to apply to us, ask your questions, and find out more.
How to apply
This course has a January start date, with applications typically closing in the November before the proposed start date. For entry in January 2024, applications will close on Monday, 27 November 2023.
How to apply for a postgraduate taught course
After you’ve applied
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Admissions statement
See Warwick’s postgraduate admissions policy.
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