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MA

SEN/ALN (Autism)

The MA SEN/ALN (Autism) is designed for those who wish to become an advanced practitioner in autism by acquiring a relevant qualification.

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Key Course Details

  • Start Date

    September

  • Location

    Newport

  • Campus Code

    C

Fees

  • Home students

    £10,800*

  • International students

    £16,900*

  • Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits.

  • Start Date

    September

  • Location

    Newport

  • Campus Code

    C

Fees

  • Home students

    £1,200*

  • Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits.

The MA SEN/ALN (Autism) course at University of South Wales is unique in Wales. It is the only practice-based study of autism in the region and draws a wide range of students from south Wales and the west of England, as well as international students.

DESIGNED FOR

The course will be of interest to professionals working in the field of education, health, social care and the third sector who have contact with autistic children or adults.

Career Paths

  • Advanced Practitioner 

Skills taught

  • Research
  • Evaluation

Course Highlights

Placement Opportunities

Gain experience of working professionally in relation to autism education and support

Outstanding Facilities

Students will have access to facilities in the Postgraduate Study Centre at Newport City campus.

Interactive Learning

Learning takes place in teacher and student-led seminars, group discussions, individual tutorials and through active learning tasks.

Life-changing Research

Deepen your knowledge and find out more about current research and relevant theoretical ideas.

Module Overview

The autism course explores theory, policy and practice in relation to all aspects of autism as it is currently understood within different contexts. Modular content is designed to provide the opportunity to tailor your postgraduate degree to meet your individual professional or personal needs.

There are two specified modules focused on autism:

Autism: Contexts and Concepts
This module examines the development of current theories of autism and explores the implications of these for autistic individuals, families and practitioners. It is designed to deepen your knowledge and understanding of the sensory perceptual differences of autism and consider the ways in which these may give rise to a different way of being in the world.

Managing and Supporting Autism
This module will enable you to evaluate the continuum of provision for autistic people in the light of theories of learning and with reference to important models of disability.

In common with all of the Professional Learning programmes, you must take the core module Research Methodology if you are studying the full Masters course.

In addition to these two modules, you are able to select two or three additional modules from the Professional Learning Programme, for example:

Child and Adolescent Mental Health (optional)
This module focuses on the causation, presentation and implications of mental health difficulties in children and young people.

SEN: Contexts and Concepts (optional)
This module examines practice in SEN/ALN, learning disabilities and inclusive education and critically reflects on the tension between identification of need and the philosophy of inclusion

Leading and Managing SEN/ALN (optional)
This module is designed to provide students with a better understanding of theory and practice in relation to the role of SENCo/ALNCo and so respond to the changing landscape of SEN/ALN.

Course Highlights

How you’ll learn

This Autism course runs on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday evenings, 5-8pm at Newport City campus. For part-time students, attendance is one evening a week, 5-8pm for two terms (autumn term and spring term). 

Content is delivered in engaging and interactive ways, with clear direction and support provided for critical reading and academic-level writing. 

Teaching staff

  • Yasmeen Multani, module leader

Teaching is delivered by the module leader together with guest speakers

Placements

If you are not in professional practice, but would like to gain experience of working professionally in relation to autism education and support, help with setting up an internship can be provided.

Facilities

Students will have access to facilities in the Postgraduate Study Centre at Newport City campus. 

Careers and Employability

Graduate careers

A number of students have gone on to present at national and international conferences on an aspect of autism. Other students have secured promotion and or employment in organisations that specifically support or educate autistic individuals.

Possible career paths

Most students who study the part-time autism course already work in this specific field. Our full-time students quickly find work locally within education or the care sector, which offers them opportunities to apply theory to practice.

Careers support

  • Careers Support

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Typical qualification requirements:

First degree and/or sufficient relevant experience of autism and evidence of recent study.

Additional requirements include:

Full-time students who want support with finding an internship will also need to provide evidence of a current enhanced DBS check (or its equivalent if an EU or international student).

International applications welcomed:

We welcome international applications with equivalent qualifications of our entry requirements. For more details related to your country of residence, please view our dedicated country pages.

English language requirements

International applicants will need to have achieved an overall of IELTS 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component/TOEFL 72 overall and a minimum of 18 in reading, 17 in listening, 20 in speaking and 17 in writing or equivalent.

Equivalents can be located on our English Language pages.

If you have previously studied through the medium of English, IELTS might not be required, please visit our country specific page for further details. If your country is not featured, please contact us.

If you do not meet the English entry criteria, please visit our Pre-Sessional course pages.

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 Full-time Fee

£10,800

per year*
International Full-time Fee

£16,900

per year*
UK Part-time Fee

£1,200

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.

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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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.

Related Courses

SEN/ALN (Additional Learning Needs) - MA Learn more
Education (Innovation In Learning and Teaching) - MA Learn more
Education (Wales) - MA Learn more

Next Steps

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