MEd Education Studies
Belfast, United Kingdom
Master degree
DURATION
1 year
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Jan 2027
TUITION FEES
GBP 21,500 *
STUDY FORMAT
* international fee
Key Summary
About: The MEd Education Studies at Queen's University Belfast lets teachers and professionals select modules across learning and teaching, assessment, leadership, inclusion and special educational needs. You engage with research, reflect on practice, and may transfer PGCE credits (if earned within ten years). Flexible exits (PgCert, PgDip) and short courses are offered by a research-intensive, student-centered department.
Career Outcomes: Graduates improve practice, lead professional development, and secure promotion or continue to doctoral study. Queen's employability initiatives support skills. Career opportunities include school leader, curriculum developer, educational consultant, higher education lecturer, policy advisor; graduates gain pedagogy, assessment, inclusion and leadership skills.
This programme offers teachers and educational professionals opportunities to learn across a range of areas within the broad field of education.
Education professionals in the twenty-first century are expected to have strong knowledge and skills in core areas as well as an ability to move flexibly in and out of a variety of specialist areas. This Educational Studies programme is designed to meet these diverse needs by offering students the opportunity to select modules from a wide range of topics including learning and teaching, assessment, educational leadership, inclusion and special educational needs.
The programme offers students an opportunity to familiarise themselves with current research on these topics. In addition, students are encouraged to consider and reflect on the practical implications of theoretical perspectives and research findings.
The MEd in Educational Studies is open to teachers in primary-, secondary- and tertiary-level institutions as well as to professionals in other fields of education.
Educational Studies Highlights
Internationally Renowned Experts
- The core discipline of Education at Queen’s is one of the leading areas for educational research in the UK and Ireland.
Student Experience
- The diversity of topics is particularly appreciated by students who want to learn across a range of topics, rather than focusing on one specialist subject.
- Students who have completed a PGCE, within the last 10 years are eligible to credit transfer.
- The credit transfer application must be submitted at the same time as the online programme application as retrospective applications are not accepted.
- Flexible exit qualifications (PgCert, PgDip) are available and individual course modules can also be taken as short courses.
Course Structure
Students will normally take three taught modules in spring semester (60 CATS), followed by an independent research module in the summer semester (60 CATS). The programme will then be completed with a further three taught modules in the autumn semester (60 CATS).
Successful completion of a module requires a minimum attendance of 70% at all planned teaching sessions.
Students will have the opportunity to resit failed modules once, at the next available opportunity—usually at the end of the following semester.
Students who do not pass all modules by the end of a semester will be given academic advice on how best to manage their workload. In particular, students who have failed all taught modules in a semester will normally be advised to defer all or some of their resits in order to ensure a manageable and balanced academic load. Opportunities to resit or defer assessments will be discussed on a case-by-case basis, taking into account individual progress and circumstances.
Progression after each semester will be determined by the Board of Examiners at the relevant stages.
The MEd programme includes exit pathways at both Postgraduate Diploma and Postgraduate Certificate level. A Postgraduate Diploma can be awarded for successfully completing a minimum of 120 CATS but less than 180 CATS of any modules on the programme. A Postgraduate Certificate can be awarded for successfully completing a minimum of 60 CATS but less than 120 CATS of any modules on the programme.
Modules
Core Modules
- An Introduction to Research Methods: Young People and Education (20 credits)
- Independent Research Module (IRM) (60 credits)
Optional Modules
- E-learning: Concepts and Pract (20 credits)
- Behaviour Analysis for Effective Teaching (20 credits)
- Leadership: Theoretical Perspectives (20 credits)
- Leadership in Practice (20 credits)
- Engaging difference in divided & multicultural societies: concepts & practices for educational conte (20 credits)
- Leadership for School Improvement and Change (20 credits)
- The Role of Education in Ethnically Plural Societies (20 credits)
- Behaviour Change in Education and Supervising Others (20 credits)
- Education Policy & Society: analysing reform and ideology (20 credits)
- Social Justice in Special Needs Education and Inclusion: A Capability Approach (20 credits)
- Epistemic Injustice: The Ethics of Knowing in Special Educational Needs/ Inclusion (20 credits)
- Deconstructing Special Needs Education and Inclusion (20 credits)
- Fundamental elements of behaviour change (20 credits)
- Bilingualism, Literacy and Disciplinary Literacy Development (20 credits)
Queen’s University Belfast is ranked 174th in the QS World University Rankings 2027
On completion of the modules students will be able to:
- demonstrate a broad-based knowledge and understanding of educational research, policy, practice and theory covered by the modules of their choice
- analyse and critically apply examples of the research literature in the chosen modules (and, where appropriate, skills)
- reflect critically on their own personal practice.
How do I fund my study?
The Department for the Economy will provide a tuition fee loan of up to £6,500 per NI / EU student for postgraduate study. Tuition fee loan information.
A postgraduate loans system in the UK offers government-backed student loans of up to £11,836 for taught and research Masters courses in all subject areas (excluding Initial Teacher Education/PGCE, where undergraduate student finance is available). Criteria, eligibility, repayment and application information are available on the UK government website.
Graduates from this degree have found the skills and knowledge learned to be beneficial in their workplace by improving their professional practice. In the case of teachers this has meant the development of research-informed practice and the ability to lead professional development within their schools.
Furthermore, a higher degree can enhance employment prospects to help secure future promotion. Having deepened their knowledge in a specific area, other students have chosen to continue academic study to doctoral level.
Queen's postgraduates reap exceptional benefits. Unique initiatives, such as Degree Plus and Researcher Plus bolster our commitment to employability, while innovative leadership and executive programmes help our students gain key leadership positions both nationally and internationally.
Prizes and Awards
The Northern Ireland Centre for Educational Research (NICER) offers two awards to support teacher researchers working on classroom-based projects aimed at improving teaching and learning (eligibility criteria apply).
Graduate Plus/Future Ready Award for extra-curricular skills
In addition to your degree programme, at Queen's you can have the opportunity to gain wider life, academic and employability skills. For example, placements, voluntary work, clubs, societies, sports and lots more. So not only do you graduate with a degree recognised from a world leading university, you'll have practical national and international experience plus a wider exposure to life overall. We call this Graduate Plus/Future Ready Award. It's what makes studying at Queen's University Belfast special.
Find out what it means