Master of Education (M.Ed.)
Online United Kingdom
Master degree
DURATION
2 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
TUITION FEES
GBP 12,858 / per course *
STUDY FORMAT
Distance Learning
* £12,858 UK / £13,427 International (2025-26)
Key Summary
Prepare yourself for the teaching techniques of the future with our Master of Education (M.Ed.). Adding to the skills gained from our PG Cert and PG Dip programmes, this M.Ed. will explore how key findings of cognitive science relate to teaching and learning in an educational context, and how this may influence your own approach to learning and teaching.
During the programme, you'll discover how to describe the conventions and stages of academic investigation, including writing a proposal, framing a research question and selecting research methods. Working with fellow education professionals, you’ll also learn how to adapt confidently to a range of educational contexts, using skills and strategies to monitor progress, solve problems and alter your approaches where necessary.
Finally, you’ll plan, design and conduct an academic research project that impacts teaching, assessment or learning in a particular educational setting.
With transferable and practical skills for practitioners in almost every area of education, including early career and more senior staff, this programme provides the perfect opportunity for longer-term career development and reflection.
Shorter awards are available for this course; the 16-month postgraduate diploma (PG Dip) at 120 credits and the 8-month postgraduate certificate (PG Cert) at 60 credits.
Teaching methods
We’re a 100% online education provider, so we use a state-of-the-art virtual learning environment (VLE) to deliver our teaching, resources and assessments. Our system tracks and manages the learning process in real-time and provides you with immediate access to your learning materials. The VLE is accessible 24/7 and allows both students and tutors to actively take part in real-time conversations and live Q&As.
We believe you get the most out of your time spent studying when you are kept informed of your performance, and we achieve this by:
- assessing you throughout modules rather than waiting for the end of year assessments
- showing your marks in your grade book which can be viewed whenever you log onto the virtual learning environment (VLE)
- rapid turnaround on work assessed to ensure your grade book is always up to date
- ensuring you have regular contact with your Student Support team
Assessment methods
All assessments are delivered through our virtual learning environment (VLE). There is no requirement to travel to external test centres or to sit exams! Instead, you will submit assignments through the VLE, such as written reports, discussion forum participation or reflective journal entries.
We also have a policy of ensuring that the work submitted by students is authentic – we use a well-established electronic monitoring system to check for plagiarism.
Why Essex Online?
Study online. Graduate on campus.
You will complete your studies and assessments 100% online and your qualification will be awarded by the University of Essex, an award-winning university with a 60-year heritage of teaching and research excellence and one of the top 30 universities in the UK (Complete University Guide 2025). Upon completing your course, you will graduate with the same certificate as campus-based students – your mode of study is only mentioned on your academic transcript.
World-class academic and mentoring support
Our online tutors are leading authorities and specialists in their respective fields. They are passionate about what they teach and combine their knowledge of industry practice with high-quality academic delivery, offering you an unparalleled learning experience.
We also have a dedicated team of Student Advisers and Study Skills Advisers that will support you from your first day to graduation. They will be on hand to help and guide you as you progress through your studies. Whatever the question or issue, they will work with you to find a solution.
We're proud to be rated Gold in the Times Higher Education (THE) Online Rankings 2024. Our achievement, which is based on four pillars - resources, engagement, outcomes and environment - recognises our commitment to excellent online education.
Continuing professional development is the cornerstone of this programme, with the qualification being linked to the UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF), allowing participants to document evidence for recognised CPD programmes/affiliations.
This Masters will help education professionals to improve their practice as teachers, lecturers, training advisers and administrators, policy developers, and researchers, as well as other related professions. Additionally, this qualification could help to open doors to more senior roles or leadership positions.
You can study the following modules on the Master of Education (M.Ed.):
- Philosophy of Education and Theories of Learning & Teaching*
- Delivering Effective Teaching and Learning*
- Introduction to Educational Assessment
- Using Technology in Teaching, Learning and Assessment
- The Role of Research and Academic Literature in Developing Practice
- Introduction to Learning Analytics
- The Science of Learning – practical implications for teaching
- Research Methods in Teaching & Learning*
- Dissertation*
- From Teacher to Content Developer
- From Teacher to Manager
- From Teacher to Assessment Developer
*These modules are core and must be passed in order to achieve the award.
- Designated for postgraduate student loans in England.
- Simple monthly payment plan available, enabling you to spread the cost over the duration of your studies.
- Full payment discount of 5% if you pay upfront.
- Alumni discount of 10% of the tuition fee available if you are a previous graduate with the University of Essex or University of Essex Online.
- 10% corporate discount available when three or more of your employees study with us.
- Regional scholarship available for international students based overseas in eligible countries.
- Students residing in Africa can also enjoy a 20% scholarship for the April 2026 intake.
Please note, a maximum of two discounts or scholarships can be applied. The corporate discount can only be used in combination with our upfront payment discount, but not in conjunction with any other discount or scholarship.
To find out whether you're eligible for scholarships, please contact the school.
Teaching methods and style
We’re a 100% online education provider, so we use a state-of-the art virtual learning environment (VLE) to deliver our teaching, resources and assessments. Our system tracks and manages the learning process in real-time and provides you with immediate access to your learning materials. The VLE is accessible 24/7 and allows both students and tutors to actively take part in real-time conversations and live Q&As.
Assessment
All assessments are delivered through our virtual learning environment (VLE). There is no requirement to go to external test centres; instead you will submit written assignments through the VLE. For the few courses where exams are required, we use a virtual system which allows you to take academically rigorous exams from the comfort of your own home.
We believe you get the most out of your time spent studying when you are kept informed of your performance, and we achieve this by:
- assessing you throughout modules rather than waiting for end of year exams
- showing your marks in your grade book which can be viewed whenever you log onto the VLE
- rapid turnaround on work assessed to ensure your grade book is always up to date
- ensuring you have regular contact with your Student Support team
We also have a policy of ensuring that the work submitted by students is authentic – we use a well-established electronic monitoring system to check for plagiarism.