MA

Education (Wales)

Shape the future of education with a postgraduate course that blends real-world application and critical insight. Grounded in Wales, it explores key reforms and challenges through both national and international lenses—equipping educators to lead, influence, and inspire across diverse educational landscapes.

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Key Course Details

  • Start Date

    September

  • Location

    Newport

  • Campus Code

    C

Fees

  • Home students

    £1,083*

  • Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits.
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Enhance your knowledge, engage with research, and drive educational change—reflecting Welsh priorities and professional practice.

DESIGNED FOR

Teachers and practitioners working in schools and further education, from early career teachers to senior leaders. This course is perfect for those committed to advancing their practice while continuing their careers, and all provision is available in the medium of Welsh.

Career paths

  • Lecturer
  • Educational leadership roles
  • Specialist ALN role
  • Pedagogy specialisms

Skills taught

  • Curriculum development
  • Leadership
  • Approaches to ALN
  • Wellbeing and equity practice

Course Highlights

Flexible learning

Online teaching lets you balance work and study, with the option to visit campus whenever you choose.

Expert teaching team

Learn from our dedicated team of leading experts and university lecturers, with contributions from other Welsh institutions.

Government funding

Funding is available through the Welsh Government for eligible applicants.

Module Overview

Students who have completed a PGCE with 60 credits at Level 7 are likely to be exempt from the first year of study. Those students who do not have this award will study three modules in the first year:

  • Pedagogy and Practice
  • Collaboration and Professional Practice
  • Evidence-Informed Practice

Year 2 will see students taking one core module , alongside any 2 optional modules (all 20 credits)

  • Advanced Research Enquiry Skills (core)

Optional modules:

  • Leadership and Management of ALN
  • Inclusive Classroom Practice
  • Leading and Managing Education Professionals
  • Leading Organisational Change
  • Curriculum Design and Realisation
  • Curriculum Leadership and Innovation
  • Exploring Pedagogies
  • Emotional and Mental Wellbeing
  • Equity and Diversity
  • Responding to Poverty and Disadvantage in Education
  • ALN: Excellence in Practice
  • Leading Within and Across Systems

The third and final year will see students focus on their dissertation.

  • Dissertation

Course Highlights

How you’ll learn

You’ll learn through a blend of national online conferences held on Saturdays and interactive twilight sessions, all designed to fit around your professional life. These sessions bring students from across Wales together, creating a unique peer-to-peer learning experience. Expect active learning with breakout rooms, engaging discussions, and opportunities to ask questions in an online environment. Collaborating with students from various universities and regions enriches your experience, allowing you to share insights and perspectives. While all learning is online, you're welcome to visit campus to use the facilities and library. This dynamic approach ensures a rich, collaborative learning environment.

Teaching staff

You’ll be taught by leading experts who bring diverse perspectives and deep expertise to the course. Our teaching team isn’t just made up of academics—they’re active researchers with well-established links to policymakers and are at the forefront of developments in the education field.

The online format of the course also allows for collaboration with specialists from multiple institutions, ensuring a well-rounded and global approach. With a focus on real-world experience and research, the teaching staff creates a dynamic, supportive environment where you can uniquely learn from the best in the field.

Facilities

Although teaching is online, you’re also welcome to visit our Newport campus, giving you access to fantastic facilities. From modern learning hubs to well-equipped IT suites and an extensive library, everything you need is readily available. There is also a dedicated education librarian and online databases to support your literature research and dissertation module. Bookable study rooms, the Learning Centre, and Advice Zone are also accessible during your time at USW.

Careers and Employability

Graduate Careers

This course is designed to help you progress in your career, offering pathways into middle and senior leadership roles within schools, local authorities, and college environments. You'll gain the skills necessary to lead educational change, manage teams effectively, and influence policy decisions at various levels. Whether you’re leading in the classroom or higher this course provides a solid foundation for climbing the career ladder in the education sector.

Possible Career Paths

Graduates of this course have a range of career paths available to them. Many go on to take on leadership roles in schools, local authorities, or further education settings, applying their knowledge to improve educational practices. There are also exciting opportunities to engage in collaborative research networks, contributing to innovative approaches in education. For those looking to deepen their expertise further, this course provides a strong basis for pursuing doctoral study, allowing you to continue shaping the future of education.

Career Support

This course will provide you with strong networking opportunities, connecting you with educators and lecturers from across Wales, at various stages of their careers. You’ll have the chance to build relationships within your own region, getting to know teachers and educators in your local clusters. These connections open doors to collaborative opportunities, career development, and professional growth, helping you expand your network and advance in your educational career. In addition to this, you’ll also be able to access the USW careers service, which will help you discover your career possibilities both during and after your degree.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Teachers must hold Qualified Teacher Status (except in exceptional circumstances) and be currently employed in the compulsory education sector in the UK. The course is also open to those working as lecturers in FE colleges, ITE partner school staff, Teaching Assistants who meet the academic entry requirements for the programme, School Improvement Partners, Regional Consortia staff, Estyn and Local Authority staff.

Please upload the following to your online application:

Evidence of your DfES Number – official letter from the teaching council
Reference on institution/company letter headed paper

Supplementary Application Form (please download the document below)

Recognition of Prior Learning Form (please download the document below)

 

Unfortunately MA Education (Wales) is not suitable for overseas (Non EU) students. However both MA Education (Innovation in Learning and Teaching) and MA Leadership & Management (Education) are open to overseas (Non EU) students.

See National MA Education (Wales) website for more information, FAQ's and funding details.

Closed for International applicants 

Unfortunately, this course is not currently open to international applicants, please visit our course pages where you can find an alternative course choice. 

 

Contextual offers

We may make you a lower offer based on a range of factors, including your background (where you live and the school or college that you attended, for example), your experiences and individual circumstances (as a care leaver, for example). This is referred to as a contextual offer, and we receive data from UCAS to support us in making these decisions.

USW prides itself on its student experience and we support our students to achieve their goals and become a successful graduate. This approach helps us to support students who have the potential to succeed and who may have faced barriers that make it more difficult to access university.

 

We're here to help

Whether you a have a question about your course, fees and funding, the application process or anything else, there are plenty of ways you can get in touch, and we'd love to talk to you. You can contact our friendly admissions team by phone, email or chat to us online.

 

Fees and Funding

UK Part-time Fee

£1,083

per 20 credits*

Further Information

Studying at university is one of the most significant investments you'll ever make. Whilst you’re studying, you’ll have two main financial obligations – tuition fees and living costs. There’s lots of financial help available from the University of South Wales and external funding sources, that may provide loans (which have to be paid back) and grants, scholarships and bursaries (that don't).

*Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits. Once enrolled, the fee is anticipated to remain at the same rate throughout the duration of your study on this course except as described below.

Please be aware that we may increase the maximum fee for home students on full-time undergraduate courses only where the Welsh Government increases the permitted level of inflation of fees. Fees for all students (including part-time, postgraduate and international students) may be amended in accordance with our applicable Fees and Debt Management Policy.  We will ensure that students are given clear, intelligible, unambiguous and timely information about our courses and costs in good time, ahead of the next academic year.

 

Fees and Funding Scholarships and Busaries Alumni Discount

Additional Costs

As a student of USW, you’ll have access to lots of free resources to support your study and learning, such as textbooks, publications, online journals, laptops, and plenty of remote-access resources. Whilst in most cases these resources are more than sufficient in supporting you with completing your course, additional costs, both obligatory and optional, may be required or requested for the likes of travel, memberships, experience days, stationery, printing, or equipment.

University Quality Assurance

At USW, we regularly review our courses in response to changing patterns of employment and skills demand to ensure we offer learning designed to reflect today’s student needs and tomorrow’s employer demands.

If during a review process course content is significantly changed, we’ll write to inform you and talk you through the changes for the coming year. But whatever the outcome, we aim to equip our students with the skillset and the mindset to succeed whatever tomorrow may bring. Your future, future-proofed.

THIS COURSE DEEPENED MY UNDERSTANDING OF LEADERSHIP STYLES, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT, WHICH ARE KEY FOR MY FUTURE ROLE.

MA Education (Wales) Student

Studying at USW

Our courses are designed with industry leaders and provide the practical skills and experiences industry demands. Our flexible courses reflect the need for life-long learning. If you value education in practice, not just in theory, then USW is for you.

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Postgraduate fees and funding
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How to apply

There is an online application process for this course. Please choose the application form for your preferred start date and mode of study (i.e. full-time or part-time).

International admissions

Please see our international admissions advice for further information about how to apply as a prospective international student.

Next Steps

How to Apply
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