MA/PgDip/PgCert Education
Part-time
Location • City Campus
Subject area • Teacher education
Related subjects • Education studies • Childhood studies
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View profiles of students on this course
This course offers you flexible professional and personal development opportunities. It is ideal if you are a teacher, either experienced or recently qualified, or another educational practitioner working in an educational setting a role supporting some aspect of learning an education care role.
The course is practice-oriented so your work is focused on your workplace or community setting. You develop a reflective and critical approach to issues arising from your practice. You draw on your professional experience and link this to research, policy and new approaches to develop your knowledge base and critical evaluation skills. Through this learning you are able to develop and influence practice in your current and/or future context.
We advise you on the best route through the course by helping you to select modules most appropriate for your context and requirements. These are often delivered at the University on Saturdays or in the evenings. In the enquiry phase, the final stage to achieve a masters award, you undertake a substantial enquiry into an area of professional concern.
There is considerable flexibility in the delivery of our accredited professional development packages for groups of staff in schools and other educational institutions. For example, we can customise the modules in the course to your needs and can often deliver aspects of the course off-site.
The course helps you to develop your professional knowledge and understanding of practice in your context enquiry and practitioner research skills academic skills employability skills that link closely to your education specialism and career aims.
You can focus your studies on
primary or secondary education
further education and/or higher education
professions allied to education such as learning mentor, arts education officer or those responsible for professional development
You develop the following knowledge and skills
building a knowledge base to enable critique of policy and practice
professional work-based learning
professional reflection
practitioner enquiry
developing practice and innovation
leadership of change
Your employment opportunities following this course are many and varied. The changing education context creates opportunities for postgraduate professionals who are able to
lead change in complex work environments
work across different agencies and teams to secure improvements in learning and inclusion
draw on a broad knowledge base to develop and influence practice and policy
use reflection and research skills to understand the needs of learners, colleagues and partners in education
There is also a full-time version of this course.
This course provides you with the opportunity to specialise in your own area while working with and alongside professionals from other contexts.
Find out more about MA/PgDip/PgCert Education
Related courses
Part-time typically one year to certificate, two years to diploma and three years to masters, maximum six years
Starts September
Complete the application form available at www.shu.ac.uk/study/form
2013/14 academic year
Typically £5,355 for the course
The course fee may be subject to annual inflationary increase. For further information on fees and funding see www.shu.ac.uk/funding
2013/14 academic year
Typically £10,980 for the course
2014/15 academic year
Typically £11,250 for the course
The course fee may be subject to annual inflationary increase. For further information on fees, scholarships and bursaries see www.shu.ac.uk/international/fees
Assessment is by 100% coursework and includes presentations reflective accounts individual and group activities essays research reports.
This course helps you to develop and influence practice in your context
Lisa Higginbottom
MA Education
`This course prepared me for the job I currently do, teaching dance at Sheffield Springs Academy. As part of the course I was able to choose which area of education I would like to research. I worked closely with dance students at different secondary schools, and had the opportunity to investigate educational issues in my chosen subject area. This means that I am able to consider how to reduce barriers to learning in my current job; ensuring students are fully included in the dance curriculum.
`I developed leadership and team work skills on the course by being a student representative and taking a leading role in research. I was able to liaise with local schools, the university and my fellow research peers to investigate areas of education that were of most interest to me, this was extremely rewarding. This has aided me in my current role as a dance teacher because it is important to be confident and assertive with your ideas when teaching others and to understand the importance of collaboration when working with fellow colleagues in a large department.
`The course has given me the ability to think more broadly about the challenges of teaching in secondary education and given me more confidence to try new ideas. It has also given me a deeper understanding of the students points of view. I was able to gain their perspectives in the education research I conducted. The course has also given me a big confidence boast and personal satisfaction from being able to research a subject that I am passionate about.
`Studying this course definitely helped me to gain my position at Sheffield Springs Academy. There is a lot of competition in the dance and education sector and I felt that the Academys links with Sheffield Hallam University meant that it valued the MA qualification and gave me extra confidence in the interview.
`I have also been able to work towards the completion of my statutory induction year so that I will have full qualified teacher status in secondary dance education.'
Katie Kennedy
Current student, MA Education
'I wanted to study education in a new and different education system than the one I grew up in. I chose Sheffield Hallam because it offered taught classes as well as a hands-on placement. Plus Sheffield is a great city for students.
'We get the best of both worlds on this course seminars with knowledgeable tutors as well as experience in a classroom. The teaching and learning facilities are all central and well equipped. I have mostly used online resources and been very impressed with the amount of resources available to students.
'Hopefully the course will inform my future teaching and make me a better teacher. I hope it will better qualify me to teach in the UK and elsewhere in the world. I have met amazing people both on and off my course.'
Mel Scott
Current student, MA Education studies, operations manager in a work-based training provider
'I chose choose to study with Sheffield Hallam because of its reputation as an education specialist. I wanted to build on my knowledge and practice within the education sector to improve my career opportunities in the future.
'I'm enjoying the opportunity to explore my organisation in a constructive way, and to meet different leaders from different types of educational organisations and explore the commonalities and differences to enhance my practice.
'The resources provided by the tutors have been exceptional. The learning centre is a valuable resource, with a wide variety of sources available and the flexibility to borrow books for some time. This is important to me as a part-time student who lives a considerable distance away. It means the resources remain accessible to me.
'I hope this course will allow me to progress to the next level of management in the lifelong learning sector. I have found it suitably challenging and I would recommend it to colleagues.'
Lynn Marr
Graduate, Primary school teacher - Year 6
'I chose this course as I was hoping to inspire the children within my classroom by becoming an outstanding teacher. Everything about it was relevant and invited teachers to reflect and evaluate current practice as well as giving ideas for future teaching and learning.
'The course has helped me to reflect on my current practice and to also think about my future practice and has enabled me to develop home and school links with the children in my class.
'The course content is excellent and inspires teachers to evaluate, reflect, and to become the best that they can be. I would recommend the course to colleagues as it was so interesting and enjoyable.'
Diana Fang
MA/MSc Education for International Students, 2006 graduate, speaking in 2008
'Four years ago, I decided to study at Sheffield because it is a convenient city being in the middle of England, and I can travel easily to most places in the country. Also, Sheffield is a great choice because of cheap living expenses, and I can save a lot of money studying here.
'I chose Sheffield Hallam because it offers a wide variety of options for educational studies, for example, education management and early years. Most of the courses are practitioner based, which I think will be helpful for my future career.
'I really enjoyed studying for my MA here. The main reason is that the tutors were really supportive. They have extensive experience not only at research but also at practitioner level so they always explain abstract or difficult things in an interesting way.
'Most of the class sizes were small, and this allowed great teacher-student interaction. Because I enjoyed my MA so much, I decided to continue at Sheffield Hallam and study for a PhD.
'To any other students thinking about coming here I would say to them to appreciate the chance of studying at Sheffield Hallam, and to make full use of the resources that are provided for you. I'm sure you'll benefit a lot from studying here!'
Christine Houghton
MA Teaching and Learning graduate, independent trainer, Philosophy for Children
'In 1968 I was fast-tracked into teacher training college before completing my A levels. I always felt I had missed out on the university experience, so when the opportunity arose to study on this course I grabbed the chance. When I finished the MA I was 60 years old. It was a long time coming but worth it.
'When my service offered to sponsor masters study I had a choice of three universities, but having met some of the teaching and learning professionals at Sheffield Hallam I was confident of receiving first-class mentoring and support there.
'The course provided great opportunities for sharing ideas and experiences with others, but without doubt the mentorship has been the highlight for me. It was a steep learning curve and without our tutor sessions and support through email messages I would never have completed the final extended project to the required standard. My critical thinking and writing improved immeasurably.
'I have always believed that the buildings of Sheffield Hallam University bring vibrancy to the city. Being able to use the facilities within the buildings was a great source of pride. The technology on site is impressive and the website for remote learning is reliable and informative.
'I believe having the opportunity to study this course has helped me produce work of significance which will be welcomed by others in the field of inclusion, especially those who work with exceptionally able young children.'
Christine has gone on to win the Gervase Phinn prize, awarded to those with the highest standard of Masters dissertation within an education related programme.
Profiles
Lisa Higginbottom
MA Education
Katie Kennedy
Current student, MA Education
Mel Scott
Current student, MA Education studies, operations manager in a work-based training provider
Lynn Marr
Graduate, Primary school teacher - Year 6
Diana Fang
MA/MSc Education for International Students, 2006 graduate, speaking in 2008
Christine Houghton
MA Teaching and Learning graduate, independent trainer, Philosophy for Children
