Global Education and International Development (MA) (2025 Entry)

Global Education and International Development students researching on a laptop outside

Course code

P-X3AN

Start date

29 September 2025

Duration

1 year full-time; 2 years part-time

Qualification

Led by

Education Studies

Location

University of Warwick

Course code

P-X3AN

Start date

29 September 2025

Duration

1 year full-time; 2 years part-time

Qualification

Led by

Education Studies

Location

University of Warwick

Meet us

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Find out more about our Global Education and International Development taught Master's degree.

Do you aspire to critically engage with some of the most important questions of the current moment? Would you like to improve both your knowledge and your practical skills in the area of Global Education and International Development? Do you work in the education sector and hope to increase the global reach of your work? Perhaps you have an international development background and want to specialise in education issues? Whatever your goals are, enhance your knowledge and practical skills with this course.

Course overview

Education plays a variety of often contradictory roles in public debates, policy discourses, and academic research related to globalisation and international development. Education may be seen as the silver bullet, the solution to global inequalities and the vehicle for economic and social development. Alternatively, education is blamed for not delivering its promise, or even for reproducing or exacerbating the very problems it was supposed to solve. Education systems and institutions are themselves sites which are affected by patterns of globalisation and policy changes regarding development and aid.

Increasingly we are moving into a ‘post-development’ era, where it is no longer possible to separate the globe into clear-cut regions that are designated as ‘developed’ and ‘developing’: local, regional and international connections and transitions demand that we re-focus attempts to understand and theorise the role of education in contemporary society. Education policy and practice faces the imperative of adapting to enhanced mobility and immobility, changing political regimes, and the ever-shifting relationship between education and social change.

MA Global Education and International Development addresses a complex array of interconnected challenges and issues in relation to education, understood in its broadest sense. The programme brings together theoretical and conceptual challenges with applied considerations for education practitioners and development interventions. The MA includes an option to take a placement module which enhances your professional skills and employability.

Skills from this degree

Critically appraise ideas and engage with academic debate on issues related to globalisation, international development and education
Develop your capacity for advancing evidence-based arguments and drawing conclusions that are supported by in-depth data analysis
Expand your intellectual worldview with regard to the role of education in, and the connections between, globalisation and international development
Develop the critical skills and intellectual rigour required to review diverse bodies of research and analyse/ synthesise their findings. Learn to choose appropriate methodologies and engage in academic writing at a dissertation level
Understand past, current and future academic and policy discourses around ‘what works’ in education and development, with particular reference to the Sustainable Development Goals
Enhance your breadth of knowledge of education systems and contexts

Entry requirements

General entry requirements

Minimum requirements

2:2 undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in a related subject.

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 score to 7 overall, no more than two components at 6.0/6.5 & rest 7.0+

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.

Modules

Core modules

Understanding Global Education and International Development

The focus of this module is on changing global patterns in the way that education systems are being regulated, and in different populations’ participation in education systems. The changes that education is experiencing as a conceptual space, as systems and institutions, and as individuals’ everyday experiences, demand a contemporary approach to the study of education for practice as well as purely academic purposes. The module therefore explores the discourses of globalisation in education and the contemporary international development agenda in relation to education, as well as practical implications for education practice and research. UGEID brings together foundational theories of international development with current trends, and applies theoretical perspectives on education in a variety of contexts.

Research Methods in Education (alternative online module available for part-time students if required)

This module encourages students in understanding, designing and implementing research in the field of education. It will introduce you to a range of established research strategies and techniques, including data collection and analysis. These skills will enable you to design and carry out a dissertation research project, as well as to disseminate its findings. As part of this module, you will present your research design and have the opportunity to receive feedback ahead of completing your dissertation.

Dissertation

The dissertation is an opportunity to explore, in depth, an area of academic and/or professional interest related to your degree. Building on the knowledge and skills developed during the Research Methods module, and your other modules, you will conduct an independent research project, developing a deeper understanding of your chosen topic. From your research project, you will produce a dissertation, with guidance from a supervisor who will be allocated to you. Through the dissertation, you will demonstrate the ability to analyse and synthesise relevant literature, produce coherent arguments supported by relevant evidence and logical discussion, and acknowledge sources of ideas and information.

Optional modules

Enacting Global Education and International Development (Professional Placement) is a strongly recommended optional module for this degree.

In addition to this, there are a number of other optional modules to choose from. Our optional module lists are subject to change each year to keep the student learning experience current and up-to-date.

Find the most up-to-date optional module list on the Education Studies website.

Teaching and learning

Teaching

For full-time students, all of our modules are delivered in-person at our well-equipped university campus. Please note that if you wish to study on a part-time basis you should be aware that most modules are taught during the normal working day and there is no out-of-hours provision. If this is a consideration for you please contact us prior to applying so that we can advise you further. Part-time students are able to complete some of their modules as asynchronous distance-learning modules.

Most modules include weekly teaching sessions, giving you the opportunity to join with your colleagues to discuss and debate the topics being explored. These sessions are delivered in a range of formats that suit the module (these may include lectures, seminars, group work and practical workshops, for example). In addition, you will be given various pre- and post- session tasks and readings to support your learning.

Typical contact hours

You will attend one or two 3-hour taught sessions for your module/s each week during the Autumn and Spring Terms, plus research methods training lectures and seminars throughout all three terms.

Assessment

Assessment types vary depending on modules selected but may be a mixture of written assignments taking a variety of forms and oral presentations. You will also complete a dissertation based on an individual research project, with support from a member of research supervisor.

Reading lists

If you would like to view reading lists for current or previous cohorts of students, most departments have reading lists available through Warwick Library on the Talis Aspire platform. 

You can search for reading lists by module title, code or convenor. Please see the modules tab of this page or the module catalogue.  

Please note that some reading lists may have restricted access or be unavailable at certain times of year due to not yet being published. If you cannot access the reading list for a particular module, please check again later or contact the module’s host department. 

Additional course costs

You may wish to undertake some research with children or young people that may require a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check or a Certificate of Good Conduct for students from outside of the UK. A Certificate of Good Conduct can vary in price.

Please contact your academic department for information about department specific costs, which should be considered in conjunction with the more general costs below, such as:

Core text books
Printer credits
Dissertation binding
Robe hire for your degree ceremony

Find out more about our additional course costs.

Your timetable

Your personalised timetable will be complete when you are registered for all modules, compulsory and optional, and you have been allocated to your lectures, seminars and other small group classes. Your compulsory modules will be registered for you and you will be able to choose your optional modules when you join us.

Careers

Your career

The course aims to equip students to work in educational settings with a global focus, and to work in global education settings (such as charities, NGOs, think tanks). Current and past students work in the following: outreach work for a new university in India; working with an informal education organisation in China; working for an NGO in Pakistan which the student got to know during her dissertation project; working for a UK university in relation to internationalisation; gained a PhD scholarship to continue with postgraduate research at Warwick.

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:

Careers in Education
Careers with Children and Young People
Warwick careers fairs throughout the year

About the Department

Education Studies at Warwick

Education has the power to change lives

Education changes lives through teaching, coaching, training, and through work in local and global communities. What do you understand about that power? Bring your fascination for the way we communicate and learn to Warwick.

Find out more about us on our websiteLink opens in a new window

Our Postgraduate Taught courses

Our Postgraduate Research courses

Education (MPhil/PhD)

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.

Find your taught course fees

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 the course web page for the list of core and optional core modules with hyperlinks to our Module Catalogue (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 2024/25 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 funding

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.

How to apply

Applications are now open for courses that start in September and October 2025.

Applications will close on 2 August 2025 for students who require a visa to study in the UK, to allow time to receive a CAS and complete the visa application process.

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Admissions statement

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We understand how important it is to visit and explore your future university before you apply. That's why we have put together a range of online and in-person options to help you discover more about your course, visit campus, and get a sense of postgraduate life at Warwick. Our events offer includes:

Warwick hosted events
Postgraduate Fairs
Live chats
Talk and Tours
Department events

2024 entry

Find out how to apply to us, ask your questions, and find out more.

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Why Warwick

Discover why Warwick is one of the best universities in the UK and renowned globally.

Why Warwick

Discover why Warwick is one of the best universities in the UK and renowned globally.

8th in the UK

in the Guardian University Guide 2025

6th Most Targeted University

by the UK's top 100 graduate employers (The Graduate Market in 2024, High Fliers Research Ltd)

69th in the World

out of 1,500 institutions across 104 locations (QS World University Rankings 2025)

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We may have revised the information on this page since publication. See the edits we have made and content history.

About the information on this page

This information is applicable for 2025 entry. Given the interval between the publication of courses and enrolment, some of the information may change. It is important to check our website before you apply. Please read our terms and conditions to find out more.

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Global Education and International Development (MA) (2025 Entry)

Find out more about our Global Education and International Development taught Master's degree.

Scholarships and financial support

Living costs

After you’ve applied

Applicant Portal

Admissions statement

Join a live chat

Find out how to apply to us, ask your questions, and find out more.

Why Warwick

Why Warwick

Why Warwick

Why Warwick

8th in the UK

6th Most Targeted University

69th in the World

5th best student city in the UK

Gold standard teaching

92% of our research

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