Everything you need to know...
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What is the fee?
Home: £10,940 for the course
International/EU: £18,600 for the course -
How long will I study?
1 Year
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Where will I study?
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When do I start?
September 2026
Course summary
- Focus your studies on your interests, including any age of education.
- Explore contemporary debates and comparative understandings of education.
- Examine innovative practice across a range of educational sectors.
- Develop a leading voice rooted in theory, research, policy and practice.
- Evaluate evidence, challenge assumptions and critically reflect on values and practices.
On this course, you’ll critically engage with contemporary theories and practices in education, tailored to your interests and specialisms. The course equips you with the skills and knowledge to lead and innovate within the education sector, while also enhancing your employability and aligning your learning to your career ambitions.
Student satisfaction
This course scored 93% for overall student satisfaction in the Postgraduate Taught Student Satisfaction Survey 2025.
How you learn
On this course our teaching approach strives to create an inclusive learning experience that encourages independent thought and critical inquiry.
You learn through:
- in-class discussion and debate
- group tasks and peer discussion
- individual projects
- tasks utilising digital platforms
- case study analysis
Key themes
You’ll extend your critical understanding of education in its broadest sense. You’ll engage with real-world educational problems across a range of different contexts. The course will prepare you to be an independent, critically-minded scholar in the educational field.
You’ll engage in inter-sessional tasks and ongoing formative assessments that provide continuous feedback. These assessments are designed to support your learning across each module – giving you the skills and knowledge to succeed in your final research project.
Course support
You’ll be guided and supported throughout your studies. Our dedicated team of tutors and academics bring a wealth of expertise from various educational fields. We’ll help prepare you for highly skilled, graduate-level employment through a number of key areas. These include:
- Access to three student support advisers to help with your personal, academic and career development
- Access to our Skills Centre with one-to-ones, webinars and online resources, where you can get help with planning and structuring your assignments
Graduate view
'My teachers helped me to pursue my interests, and my thinking was constantly challenged. I am now working as a graduate intern at Sheffield Hallam.'
Sehrish Tahir, MA Education, 2018 graduate
Applied learning
The skills you develop on this course are designed to be directly applicable to your personal growth and career advancement in a variety of educational roles – both in formal and non-formal settings. We take a problem-centred approach to educational issues that allows you to put your knowledge into practice in real-world scenarios.
Networking opportunities
You'll have the opportunity to connect and network with like-minded peers, industry professionals and experts in the field. By sharing experiences and insights, you'll build valuable relationships that enhance your personal growth and professional development.
Course leaders and tutors
Emma Rempe-Gillen
Senior LecturerStaff profile for Dr Emma Rempe-Gillen, Senior Lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University.
Modules
Important notice: The structure of this course is periodically reviewed and enhanced to provide the best possible learning experience for our students and ensure ongoing compliance with any professional, statutory and regulatory body standards. Module structure, content, delivery and assessment may change, but we expect the focus of the course and the learning outcomes to remain as described above. Following any changes, updated module information will be published on this page.
Final year
Compulsory modules
This module aims to develop your capacity to reflect on an educational issue within your chosen area of interest and examine an alternative approach to that issue. You will work with frameworks, tools and reflective models to support critical analysis.
You’ll study topics such as:
- Current professional issues
- Critical analysis
- Frameworks/tools
- Reflective models
This module critically examines contemporary issues, interrogating current discourse in educational contexts.
You’ll study topics such as:
- Current contemporary issues
- Critical analysis
- Frameworks / tools
- Applied theory
This module aims to develop your knowledge of social research methods and practices, and to support you in writing a research proposal.
Module Content:
Philosophies of research/ research paradigms
Research methodologies
Research methods
Ethical research processes and considerations
Evaluating empirical studies
Identifying key literature sources
This module is your final module and is your opportunity to bring theory to life through a small-scale empirical study. Your contextualized research output will contribute to the academic realm and shape your own growth as an educator.
You’ll study topics such as:
- Design a meaningful research project relevant to your professional context
- Challenge existing notions within the field
- Engage critically with the profession's issues and debates
- Write a critical literature review
- Design a robust methodology
- Analyse data
- Disseminate findings and provide recommendations
Elective modules
This module aims to develop your knowledge and understanding of curriculum theory and design and innovative practice in an area of specialist interest.
You’ll study topics such as:
- Spiral curricula
- Play-based curricula
- Competence models
- Andragogical models
- Social justice curricula
- Inclusive curricula
This module explores contemporary ideas in second and multilingual language acquisition.
You’ll study topics such as:
- Learn how languages are learned individually and with other people
- Apply your understanding and practice for effective language teaching
- Reflect on your own language-learning experiences, motivations and techniques
- Challenge and reshape your understandings of the teaching and learning process
- Analyse various language learner profiles (e.g., ESOL, EAL, EAP, CLIL)
Future careers
This course offers a valuable qualification for professionals engaged in, or aspiring to enter, the education sector. Students come from diverse educational contexts, including teaching, educational leadership, policy and administration, research, and coaching. The course can accommodate working professionals, with many students undertaking their studies alongside work. Graduates often go on to progress within their organisation or take on further responsibility, drawing on the skills and expertise developed throughout the course.
Equipment and facilities
You’ll have access to modern learning environments and a wide range of digital and online resources to support your learning.
In recent years, we’ve invested over £100m in new facilities to help you study how and when you want. This means 24-hour libraries and study spaces designed by our students.
Where will I study?
You study at City Campus through a structured mix of lectures, seminars and practical sessions as well as access to digital and online resources to support your learning.
City Campus
City Campus is located in the heart of Sheffield, within minutes of the train and bus stations.
City Campus map | City Campus tour
Adsetts library
Adsetts Library is located on our City Campus. It's open 24 hours a day, every day.
Learn moreEntry requirements
All students
You normally need a BA (Honours) degree or equivalent. We take account of your degree classification and may ask to see an example of academic writing.
If English is not your first language you typically need an IELTS 6.0 score with a minimum of 5.5 in all other skills or equivalent.
Accreditation of Prior Credit and Learning (APCL)
If you have existing masters level credit from previous postgraduate study, you may be eligible for exemption from some elements of the early stages of this course. In order to be considered for possible exemptions which, if approved, would also reduce your overall course fee, you would need to provide a full transcript of your postgraduate credits with your application form by the end of July.
If you do not have such academic qualifications we may consider your application individually, based on your personal, professional and work experience, and other formal qualifications. You may also be able to claim credit points which can reduce the amount of time it takes to complete your qualification at Sheffield Hallam. Find out more
Additional information for EU/International students
If you are an International or non-UK European student, you can find out more about the country specific qualifications we accept on our international qualifications page.
For details of English language entry requirements (IELTS), please see the information for 'All students'.
Fees and funding
Home students
Our tuition fee for UK students starting full-time study in 2026/27 is £10,940 for the course.
If you are studying an undergraduate course, postgraduate pre-registration course or postgraduate research course over more than one academic year then your tuition fees may increase in subsequent years in line with Government regulations or UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) published fees. More information can be found in our terms and conditions under student fees regulations.
International students
Our tuition fee for International/EU students starting full-time study in 2026/27 is £18,600 for the course.
Scholarships and financial support
Find information on scholarships, bursaries and postgraduate student loans.
International scholarships up to £3000 ›
Alumni scholarships up to £2000 ›
Postgraduate loans for UK students ›
Additional course costs
The links below allow you to view estimated general course additional costs, as well as costs associated with key activities on specific courses. These are estimates and are intended only as an indication of potential additional expenses. Actual costs can vary greatly depending on the choices you make during your course.
General course additional costs
Additional costs for Sheffield Institute of Education (PDF, 154.2KB)Legal information
Any offer of a place to study is subject to your acceptance of the University’s Terms and Conditions and Student Regulations.
