MA/PgDip/PgCert Educational Leadership
Attendance
Part-time
Part-time – typically one year to certificate, two years to diploma, three years to masters, maximum six years
Starts October or March
For each module you typically attend four Saturdays over six month periods.
Module dates for 2012-13
Effective educational leaders will run on 6 October, 10 November, 8 December and 12 January.
Leading and managing organisation change will run on 20 April, 25 May, 8 June and 6 July.
Managing professional learning will run on 13 October, 17 November, 15 December and 19 January.
Values, policy and strategy in educational leadership will run on 23 March, 25 May, 8 June and 6 July.
At a glance
Develop your ability to manage and lead in educational environments on this postgraduate distance-learning course. Whichever educational setting you work in, from from children’s centres to higher education establishments, this course can help you to progress to middle or senior leadership positions.
Key points
• Suitable for staff in many educational settings including health-and-social-care-related education.
• Choose from two routes of study depending on your career aims.
• Enjoy flexible learning via distance learning each Saturday, alongside email and phone contact with lecturers.
• Improve your specialist knowledge in a work-specific area with a research project.
About this course
If you are currently in a position of responsibility in education or would like to take on leadership roles, this course is designed for you. It has been developed to improve your effectiveness as a manager, by helping you to think through wider strategic and ethical issues, whilst also developing your leadership skills. It acts as a valuable tool in helping you progress your career to move into middle and senior leadership positions.
The course is suitable if you work in
• schools and children's centres
• further and higher education
• health and social care related education
• local authorities
Typically, you choose from one of two study pathways. Your route through this course is made up of four modules and an extended professional project.
You develop
• your ability to engage in and lead collaborative, partnership and team working in educational contexts
• your own understanding of issues and solutions through the 'enquiry' process
All modules are taught on Saturdays with Blackboard (our online learning environment), phone and email support.
Associated careers
This award is highly valued by employers seeking to promote staff to middle senior leadership posts. It may also provide the basis for registration for a research degree in education.
Course content
Modules
Effective educational leaders
This module introduces you to theory, debate and practice in educational leadership. It includes • personal leadership • leading learning, organisational analysis • developing a research interest.
Your assignment is a critically reflective account of your leadership experience to date, drawing on your interests in wider themes and issues from the literature.
Leading and managing organisational change
This module looks at the nature and implementation of organisational change. It includes • framing organisational change • implementation strategies • the role of the change agent.
Your assignment examines a change initiative from your organisational experience through a past, present or future perspective.
Collaboration, partnership and team working
This module enhances your ability to lead collaborative partnership and team working practices within or outside your setting. As an educational leader you consider the value and practical applications of key theories, concepts, models and practical tools to develop your own understanding of issues and solutions. It also focuses on coaching and mentoring. Your case study assignment blends theory with practice where you lead a team or a group collaboration or develop/manage a mentoring/coaching network.
Practitioner enquiry
This is a core rather than elective module that introduces you to the nature and process of practitioner enquiry in preparation for your masters project. It includes • reviewing literature • trialling a method • positionality in research. Your assignment is a pilot study and proposal for your major project.
Enquiry-based masters project
This module is your major project and requires you to formulate, research and carry out a major piece of enquiry into an aspect of educational leadership. It might be an implementation project or a more traditional research dissertation. The assignment is the project report.
Developing others through mentoring and coaching
In this module you develop innovative practice drawing on a wide knowledge base of mentoring and coaching literature. Your assignment is a commentary where you critically reflect on a mentoring/coaching relationship as it develops using theories, models and literature discussed in the practical sessions. The module is designed to help you to develop a deep conceptual understanding of the complexities of the mentoring/coaching process and support a much higher skill level: you practice your coaching and mentoring in each session.
Assessment
Each module is assessed by a single assignment of 5-6,000 words. The report for the major project is 12-15,000 words.
Entry requirements
You normally need a degree or equivalent, and some relevant professional experience. We encourage non-graduates with relevant managerial experience to apply.
If English is not your first language, you need an overall IELTS score of 6.5 with 6.5 in reading and 6.5 in writing.
Fees
Home and EU students
2013/14 academic year
Typically £5,355 for the course
International students
2014/15 academic year
Typically £11,250 for the course
How to apply
Complete the application form available at www.shu.ac.uk/study/form