University College London (UCL)
Education and Technology MA
London, United Kingdom
MA
DURATION
5 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2026
TUITION FEES
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
The MA in Education and Technology is designed for individuals interested in exploring how digital tools and innovative methods can enhance teaching and learning. The program offers a broad look at the intersection of education and technology, equipping students with practical skills and theoretical knowledge. It covers key topics like digital pedagogy, online learning, and the role of technology in developing educational practices. Students can also delve into areas such as curriculum design, educational theories, and the impact of new media on education, preparing them to implement effective digital strategies in various educational settings.
The course is flexible, accommodating students who might be working or studying part-time. It encourages critical thinking about how technology shapes education today and into the future. The program emphasizes hands-on learning, with opportunities to engage in practical projects, research, and discussions that reflect real-world challenges. Students gain a strong foundation in analyzing digital tools and understanding their influence on teaching methods, aiming to improve learning experiences through thoughtful and informed use of technology. This prepares graduates for careers in education, training, research, or leadership roles within digital learning environments.
UCL Scholarships
There are a number of scholarships available to postgraduate students, including our UCL Masters Bursary for UK students and our UCL Global Masters Scholarship for international students. You can click the link below to search via the scholarships finder for awards that you might be eligible for. Your academic department will also be able to provide you with more information about funding.
External Scholarships
Online aggregators like Postgraduate Studentships, Scholarship Search, Postgraduate Funding and International Financial Aid and College Scholarship Search contain information on a variety of external schemes.
If you have specific circumstances or ethnic or religious background it is worth searching for scholarships/bursaries/grants that relate to those things. Some schemes are very specific.
Funding for disabled students
Master's students who have a disability may be able to get extra funding for additional costs they incur to study.
Teaching and learning
We make the most of digital methods in our teaching, and all students can expect to engage in active synchronous and asynchronous learning experiences. Campus based sessions are designed to maximise discussion, debate and developing practical and collaborative skills. Teaching is delivered through tutor presentations, individual and group work, student presentations and group discussions of reading and writing undertaken in preparation for sessions, both online and face-to-face. Some modules require regular weekly student collaboration in and outside the classroom, and it is thus expected that students who sign up for these can sustain the pace of this work.
Distance learners join in asynchronous learning activities and have dedicated Zoom sessions for live discussion of concepts and ideas.
Most modules are assessed by coursework (essays), but some include individual and group-work projects and practical, which can take various digital formats (e.g., video reflections, knowledge representations or learning designs).
The Dissertation module is an extended written assignment and allows students (with prior approval) the option of developing a prototype.
All modules combine synchronous and asynchronous contact time with staff. Synchronous in-person sessions for campus students or Zoom sessions for distance learners typically last between 1 and 3 hours. These are supplemented with asynchronous contact via Moodle-based learning activities (e.g., discussions). In order to complete all synchronous and asynchronous learning we estimate that you will need to allocate 15 hours study per module per week.
Modules
Full-time
The programme consists of two compulsory modules (60 credits). Students also choose two optional modules (60 credits) and a dissertation (60 credits). Exceptionally, students may choose three optional modules (90 credits) and a report (30 credits). All our compulsory and optional modules can be taken either in-person or online apart from Digital Design Thinking and Making which is only available in person. Students are free to select one of their optional modules from the wider range of MA level modules offered across IOE/UCL subject to availability.
Part-time
Students take a total of 180 credits over 2 years. In year one, students take Key Issues and Debates and two optional modules (total 90 credits). In the second year, students take Researching Digital Learning and either an optional module and a Report OR a Dissertation. All our compulsory and optional modules can be taken either in-person or online apart from Digital Design Thinking and Making which is only available in person. Students are free to select one of their optional modules from the wider range of MA level modules offered across IOE/UCL subject to availability.
Flexible
Students can take between 2 and 5 years to complete the programme (180 credits) to suit their own pace. It is recommended to take Researching Digital Learning in the same year as your Dissertation or Report. All our compulsory and optional modules can be taken either in-person or online apart from Digital Design Thinking and Making which is only available in person. Students are free to select one of their optional modules from the wider range of MA level modules offered across IOE/UCL subject to availability.
Compulsory modules
- Education and Technology: Key Issues and Debates
- Researching Digital Learning
- Report on Education and Technology
- Dissertation on Education and Technology
Optional modules
- Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics in Education
- Digital Design Thinking and Making
- Learning Design for Blended and Online Education
- Design and Use of Technologies for Education (DUTE)
- Digital Sociology of Education
Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MA in Education and Technology.
What this course will give you
The programme's combination of academic and practical multidisciplinary elements provides a unique skillset for a career in the rapidly developing Education and Technology sector, across academia and industry.
- The blending of research and design methods with key issues and debates in the field will equip you with critical thinking skills and the ability to appraise and/or lead evaluation studies.
- The optional modules provide the necessary background and skills to design and critically evaluate technology in a variety of contexts.
The teaching and learning strategies of the programme develop students' communication and collaborative skills, preparing them to work in interdisciplinary teams. The final dissertation/report gives them an opportunity to delve deeper in a topic that interests them and helps them develop transferable research project conceptualisation and management skills.
This programme is delivered by leading researchers in rapidly developing fields such as learning design, digital sociology, human- and child-computer interaction, artificial intelligence and learning analytics. It offers a number of opportunities for networking across different sectors in educational contexts, for example:
- The UCL Knowledge Lab runs regular seminars and talks from external academic visitors, providing networking opportunities with academics.
- Several projects within the UCL Knowledge Lab are in collaboration with edtech companies, providing potential opportunities to link with industry.
- The programme attracts students from across the world providing international networking links across different educational sectors.
The MA attracts students from a wide variety of backgrounds and nationalities, providing scope for broad intellectual discussion and debate, and opportunities for multidisciplinary working, and global networking.
The foundation of your career
The Education and Technology MA is highly regarded within education and industry. Graduates from our programme have gone on to develop their careers in the education sector as senior teachers and lecturers, learning technologists and digital education specialists, consultants, education researchers, and to undertake PhD research. Several entrepreneurs have chosen this Master's programme to bring concepts from the learning sciences to create evidence-informed learning technologies. Alumni work both in industry and non-profit sectors and many have set up their own businesses. Students have access to a lively alumni community, and we regularly invite alumni back to share their experiences with current students.
Employability
Our graduates have a combination of critical and practical skills that position them as leaders in education and technology. Graduates are able to appraise and design approaches to education technology from a diverse range of perspectives. Graduates who focus on learning analytics have the skills to research and evaluate learning with technology and the contributions of Artificial Intelligence for learning. Graduates who focus on digital design thinking and making have the skills to design new technological approaches to learning. Graduates who focus on learning design have the skills to lead the design of online and blended learning. Graduates develop their specialism through their dissertation and their research orientation to education and technology differentiates them from the crowd.
Networking
During the programme we endeavour to provide you with opportunities to engage with professionals working in the field of education and technology. This can be in the form of guest speakers on the programme or seminars/webinars held at UCL Knowledge Lab. We attempt to make all such sessions available to both campus and distance learners. Your greatest networking resource is your fellow students, who are studying on the MA to position themselves as leaders in education and technology around the world. After you graduate, we run a LinkedIn group so you can connect with past MA students.