Part-time MA Educational Leadership in Practice

Who this course is for

If you’re a teacher or an educator looking to move into a leadership role within an education organisation, this course is for you. It will give you vital knowledge and skills to take your career to the next level, empowering you to lead with confidence and have a real impact.

Where and when you will study

This online, part-time master's means you can study from anywhere in the world and fit it around your day-to-day life. You will be expected to learn while you continue to work and to use examples from your work throughout your study.

You will complete four taught units in year one, followed by two taught units and a research project in year two. You'll learn through a mix of interactive teaching and have plenty of opportunities to work collaboratively with your peers.

Course units

Models of Educational Leadership

• Explore conceptualising educational leadership practice as adjectival models
• Consider what this means in diverse international contexts
• Examine and evaluate a range of key models

Leading Educational Change

• Examining what is meant by ‘change’
• Counter-productive and productive motivators for and mechanisms for change
• A critical perspective on leading change

Education Policy and Leadership

• What is policy and how is it ‘done’?
• Policy architecture
• Welfarism, social democracy and neoliberalism as policy architecture

Educational Leadership as a Social Practice

• Educational leadership practice in a globalising education system
• Getting and doing the job
• Using research evidence

Optional Course Units

• Digital Technologies and Educational Leadership
• Leadership of International Schools

Independent Supervised Study/Project

• Research Skills and the application of research to professional practice (30 credits)
• Project-based enquiry (30 credits)

Structure

Our online learning MA in Educational Leadership in Practice caters to the training needs of professionals around the world, whether you're looking to enhance your skills in leadership within schools or further your career in this area.

Successful education leaders require a wide range of transferable skills and subject-specific knowledge in areas such as education and social policy, leading organisational and educational change.

During your study with us, you will have the opportunity to study online with two face-to-face conferences and workshops each year. These conferences are held at The University of Manchester, Middle East Centre and provide you with the opportunity to interact with industry peers and experts, review the new teaching units and learn from academics in a face-to-face setting.

The Master's teaching comprises five core 20-credit units, one APL 20-credit unit or select an optional unit and a 60-credit research project.

Teaching and learning

The course is mostly delivered online, allowing you to study flexibly and at a pace that suits your requirements and lifestyle.

You will also participate and attend a conference at the start of the year in our Manchester centre.

The course itself is taught from a critical and applied perspective, meaning practical elements such as problem-solving and case studies will be able to be applied directly and immediately in your workplace.

Your teaching material and your study are via the University's e-learning system, which provides study materials, online resources and interactive online tutorial discussions with the module tutor and other course participants.

You benefit from access to the University's Library, with more than 25,000 electronic journals and 400,000 e-books.

Coursework and assessment

Each unit consists of 20 credits (excluding the final project) and requires a total of 150 hours of study per unit.

The units are mainly delivered in web-based format with each unit being studied over a three-month format period with a total of 150 hours of study (approximately 15 hours per week). There is also a three-day conference which takes place at the start of the teaching period each year.

There are no exams within the MA. Summative assessment comprises individual and group coursework, with two assessments per unit. We will provide online quizzes and activities through each unit as a method of formative assessment.

A final supervised project will consist of a 30-credit report on a literature or practice-based enquiry. This will be an individual project whereby you will investigate some elements of your educational leadership practice.

The remaining 30 credits will be made up of three of the University's Research Skills Modules:

• Module 1 - Selecting and formulating a dissertation question/topic;
• Module 2 - Study design and methodology;
• Module 3 - Ethical, safety, and social responsibility issues;

Each unit will be taught by an academic with extensive and valuable educational leadership experience delivering education courses nationally and globally.

While teaching on the course focuses on practical applications, it is informed by recent research and experience in the sector. A significant strength of our course is our institution's access to research-led teaching and the best collections of Manchester databases and learning materials in Europe.

What you will learn

• Gain a deep understanding of theories, research, intellectual debates, and best practices from across the globe.
• Reflect on how these could apply to your practice.
• Develop higher-order thinking skills to inspire you as a leader of education.
• Apply educational leadership skills and find solutions to real-world problems from local and global education organisations.

Course learning aims

The course will equip you and develop:

• A deep understanding of the theories, research and intellectual debates of the best leadership practice across the globe;
• The opportunity to develop networking opportunities with educational leaders in academia and within the sector;
• A personal development plan for the year ahead;
• The skills and knowledge to be the positive change your educational organisation requires by developing a critical approach to educational leadership and not a functionalist one;
• The skills to use collaborative tools for online interaction;
• Flexible and relevant transferable skills of leadership that educational leaders require in their careers and beyond.

The MA aims to equip you with the skills and knowledge that educators and other similar education practitioners require for a successful career in your education organisations. The course will offer you:

• a balance between strategic focus, theoretical foundations and practical applications to apply directly into the workplace;
• the chance to study a sector-inspired course that uses a Practice-Based-Learning approach;
• practical experience is gained through the use of case studies and other hands-on activities, requiring the ability to process and find solutions to real-world problems;
• insight into recent research and experience in the sector.