Educational Leadership and Management (with Professional Experience) (Taught)

Overview
Get valuable sector experience and earn a Master's qualification on this 2-year MSc Educational Leadership and Management (with Professional Experience) degree.

During year 1, you'll study with us at University, learning how to rethink the practices of leadership and management in education. Alongside other students, industry specialists and our expert academics, you'll debate the big issues affecting the sector, such as school reform, policies and spending, and child development. You'll hone the critical perspectives you'll need to come up with fresh approaches to common challenges, such as accessibility, classroom management and budgeting.

In your second year, you'll apply your studies on an educational work placement, developing your management skills in a school or college, or within a setting such as early years, SEN or pupil referral.

You'll graduate with first-hand experience and the objective mindset needed to succeed as an educational leader. You'll be ready to take on senior management roles that improve the delivery of teaching and education for all.

Course highlights

• Work for 12 months in an educational setting, such as a school, sixth form or independent training provider, applying your learning and building a professional network

• Learn to critique the hierarchies, structures and practices within education, exploring the gaps in a given argument in order to find new approaches

• Benefit from the rich industry knowledge and experience of teaching staff, and get theoretical knowledge and professional know-how on this industry led course

• Use the skills you acquire to ready yourself for promotion to senior leadership, change jobs or take your career overseas

• Debate and network with industry professionals from the education sector, guest lecturers and other students through events, lectures, seminars and social media channels

Careers and opportunities
You'll develop the skills and experience that make an effective, open-minded leader in education. You can seek out ambitious job roles and take on new responsibilities in educational leadership and management across school, college and higher education settings. Or explore other fields, such as marketing, recruitment and policy-making.

Graduates of this course have gone onto work in areas such as:

• school management

• higher education institutions management

• teacher education

• course leading and management

Placement year
The second year of this degree is dedicated to gaining professional experience. You'll do this by doing either a 12-month work placement or a 12-month professional experience programme, after you've completed your year of taught studies.

Work placement
A work placement gives you the opportunity to get valuable professional experience in the education sector.

Placement opportunities are likely to be in the following areas:

• primary or secondary schools

• early years care and education settings

• sixth forms or colleges

• higher education institutions

• pupil referral units

• SEN-specialist schools

• independent training providers

• voluntary/third sector education providers

• local authorities

Examples of likely placement roles include:

• project manager

• audit/quality manager

• setting administrator

• procurement manager

• human resource manager

• marketing executive

Note that work placements can't be guaranteed because it depends on their availability and the specific needs of placement providers. We'll give you information, advice and support so that you're able to secure your placement.

Professional experience programme
If you're unable to secure a work placement, you'll complete a professional experience programme designed to meet your career aspirations.

You'll further develop your employability and teaching skills and prepare yourself for the workplace.

Year 1

Core modules

• Human Resource Management in Education (30 credits)
• Leadership, Policy and Strategy: the Management of Educational Change (30 credits)
• Research Methods in Education (30 credits)

Optional modules

• Decision Making in Education (30 credits)
• Dissertation (60 credits)
• Education in a Global Context (30 credits)
• Project Management: Tools and Techniques (30 credits)
• Theory & Practice of Tesol (30 credits)
• Work Based Project (30 credits)

Year 2

• Professional Experience - 120 credits

Other modules you'll study
You'll also do a Placement Preparation module, which isn't worth any credits but gets you ready to identify, secure and apply for a relevant work placement.

We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies.

Therefore, course content is revised and regularly reviewed. This may result in changes being made in order to reflect developments in research, learning from practice and changes in policy at both national and local levels.

You'll be assessed through:

• essays
• digital presentations
• exam
• blogs
• research proposal
• dissertation

You’ll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark.

You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future.

Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

• Chartered Management Institute