Apply education theory to your practice through a master's degree, with the flexibility to fit your studies around your current work commitments
- Study the programme at school hubs, at St Mary's University and through the blended or online options
- Apply your learning to practical situations within your own schools to drive effective change
- Designed to facilitate reflection and enquiry into practice amongst teachers and other education professionals
- Enables schools and staff to advance their professional skills and expertise through the development of a research culture
Our well-established Education Master's degree is designed to meet the professional development needs of teachers and education professionals, including business managers, chaplains, librarians and data managers at any stage of their careers and in all phases of schooling or other educational contexts.
The programme enables current and aspiring middle and senior leaders to engage in critical reflection on their experience and understanding of leadership, whilst developing scholarly knowledge and linking theory with practice.
As part of this degree you'll choose modules from across our Education MA pathways. You'll also have the opportunity to explore an area of interest that's relevant to your professional role. This will be through a small-scale practitioner research enquiry, leading to evidence-informed innovation.
Why St Mary's
This Master's degree builds on our long tradition of excellence in teacher education. The success of the programme lies in the flexible structure, bespoke delivery and quality of teaching we offer.
You'll apply your learning to practical situations within your own school. In doing so you'll use your knowledge to drive effective change, whilst critically engaging with contemporary educational debates.
You will be taught by and work with tutors who have a background in teaching, management and leadership, as well as research and consultancy.
For MA Education, distance learning is where students engage with lectures, alongside students on site, at set times through video conferencing.
As a St Mary's student, you'll have access to excellent online learning resources and facilities.
Education degrees in London
Our MA Education programme is very popular with teachers and educators who are exploring aspects of their practice in greater depth. There are also several bespoke pathways within the MA Education. These programmes are suitable for professionals working in education-related fields. These are offered in a variety of formats – full and part-time, distance learning or taught on campus, and in other off-site locations.
Matthew Dell
Course Lead - MA Education
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Course content
Modules
The degree consists of five modules, with a choice of specialist modules allowing students to focus on an area of interest within leadership.
You will study all the core modules as well as selecting one module from within 'option one' and one module from within 'option two.'
Please note: it is possible that a module listed on the website will not be able to run due to reasons beyond our control. For more information please refer to our course information disclaimer.
Entry requirements
2:2
Previous degree
Candidates will normally be expected to possess a good honours degree (2:2 or above) from a UK university or an equivalent qualification approved by St Mary’s University.
St Mary's is committed to promoting equality of opportunity and nurturing an inclusive and diverse student population. As such, we welcome applications from all those interested in pursuing an academic programme of study. Throughout the application process and while a student is enrolled at St Mary's, we will ensure that individuals will not be discriminated against based on any of the characteristics protected by the Equality Act 2010.
Additional requirement information
Experience of working in an educational setting or a relevant professional interest is also required.
Accredited prior learning
Applicants with up to 90 Level 7 credits (for example from a PGCE or National Professional Qualification or National SENCo Award) are eligible to apply for exemption from up to three modules.
International Requirements
International students should check our country-specific pages for equivalents. If English is not your first language you will need to achieve an IELTS score of 6.5 overall with no less than 6.0 in any section .
We now accept IELTS Indicator test results as proof of your English language level.
The application process for international applicants will include an online interview.
Further Information
For more information about entry requirements please email apply@stmarys.ac.uk.
Fees & funding
September 2025
Home
£9,240
International
£17,820
Funding Information
Distance-learning
If you are studying the programme at distance, your fees may differ slightly:
- Home: £9,240
- International: £11,910
Additional costs
Your tuition fees will cover the cost of all mandatory elements of your programme. Additional costs could be incurred depending on optional modules chosen and other projects undertaken.
For further information about additional costs please see our additional costs webpage.
Alumni discount
A 20% tuition fee discount is available for our alumni (undergraduate and PGCE) planning to study this Master's degree. Those studying for a PGDip of PGCert are not eligible for the discount.
Funding
You can check on the UK government website to see if you may be eligible for a loan of up to £12,167 to help with course fees and living costs while you study a postgraduate programme.
Home and international students may also be eligible for external sources of funding. International students should check their eligibility for our International Scholarship.
For more information, please look at our postgraduate funding page.
How the degree is taught
Assessment methods
Learning is assessed through a variety of methods: reflective journals; research proposals; essays, case studies; portfolios and both seminar and conference presentations.
Career opportunities
This Master's programme supports your long-term career development. This is demonstrated by the high proportion of graduates who achieve internal or external promotion to middle and senior educational leadership positions.
Graduates of this programme are also well placed to pursue doctoral studies on either a Professional Doctorate (Doctor of Education) or a PhD.
Apply now
September 2025
Distance-learning 2025
Make sure to check our step-by-step guide to application process.
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