MSc Education (Open Pathway)

Overview

The MSc Education (Open Pathway) allows you to design your own programme of study based on your areas of interest, rather than tying you in to one subject area. You, therefore, have the opportunity to select units from across the different specialist pathways as well as from our wider bank of optional units (subject to availability and timetabling constraints). For example, if your interests span both educational policy and the use of technology in education, you might combine units from the Leadership and Policy Pathway with units from the Learning, Technology and Society Pathway.

A diverse range of students take the open pathway, attracted by the freedom that it offers. Students are often international, from a range of countries beyond Europe, having recently completed their undergraduate studies. Many of these students have some experience of teaching, volunteering, or other work experience in schools or education more broadly.

Other students are mature and returning to education after a longer period of work, bringing a wider wealth of experiences, yet wish to formalise their learning. This diversity in backgrounds and experiences creates a rich learning environment and sharing of ideas among students and academics alike.

After completing the MSc, most students want to work in education in some form. But here too there is a range in students' goals and aspirations. Other students want to use the master's year to develop their skills as educational researchers to go on to study for a PhD with us or elsewhere.