MSc in Education
Southampton, United Kingdom
MSc
DURATION
1 year
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2026
TUITION FEES
GBP 26,200 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* EU and international students | £9,700 - UK students
Our MSc Education course is a 12-month degree for ambitious students who want to pursue or advance their career in education. You’ll critically examine the relationship between educational research and practice so you can find work in a variety of educational institutions at different levels.
If you want to pursue a senior role in education, understand and apply educational research or enhance your current teaching practice but don’t know where to start, then our master's degree in education is the course for you.
On this MSc education course, you’ll take a research-first approach, using evidence and data to inform discussion points within your written work and seminar contributions. You’ll learn to critically reflect on your own teaching and learning practices based on analysis of different teaching methods.
We’ll help you navigate the educational system. You’ll analyse the challenges facing education and how regional, national and international policies can impact teaching and learning.
During the course, you’ll explore:
- how the influence of evidence from research can positively impact teaching and learning
- topics which impact education, including personal, cultural or social values
- international perspectives on different educational practices and policies from around the world
- methods and techniques required to collect and analyse data for educational research
- current debates in educational practice and research methodologies
The combination of taught lectures, interactive seminars and independent research study will help you to learn key professional skills.
We also offer 3 pathways on our MSc Education degree.
Your other MSc Education pathway options are:
- MSc Education Management and Leadership - you'll develop knowledge and understanding of how to lead and manage education institutions, and how to become an academic leader.
- MSc Education Practice and Innovation - study different teaching and learning methods and learn how to conduct and analyse educational research in the fields of innovation and inclusive practices.
Southampton Education Postgraduate International Scholarship
A scholarship of £3,000 is available to international students studying for a postgraduate master’s in Education.
Find out more about the Southampton Education International Scholarship, including eligibility and conditions, on our website.
During this one-year MSc education course, you'll study 8 modules across 2 semesters before completing a dissertation.
These modules will give you a broad knowledge of teaching and learning methods as well as applied research skills.
Three modules will be compulsory, and you can choose 3 optional modules across the pathway course options if you would like to learn about leadership and management or innovation and education practices.
Modules
The modules outlined provide examples of what you can expect to learn on this degree course based on recent academic teaching. As a research-led University, we undertake a continuous review of our courses to ensure quality enhancement and to manage our resources. The precise modules available to you in future years may vary depending on staff availability and research interests, new topics of study, timetabling and student demand.
You must study the following modules:
- Data Analysis for Educational Research
- Data Collection Methods in Education Research
- Digital education and innovation for an equitable future
- Inclusive Practices in Education
- Leadership in Education
- MSc Dissertation
- Management in Education Organisations
- Understanding Education Research
- Understanding Learning and Teaching
- Understanding Research Design
You must also choose from the following modules:
- Digital education and innovation for an equitable future
- Education and Society
- Globalisation and Education Policy
- Inclusive Practices in Education
- Leadership in Education
- Management in Education Organisations
- STEM Education: Addressing Global Challenges
Dissertation
The dissertation builds on work undertaken across other modules and gives you an opportunity to take on a piece of independent research on a chosen topic. Normally, your dissertation will be individually supervised. The dissertation will be between 15,000 and 17,000 words.
Education at the University of Southampton is ranked 5th in the UK (The Complete University Guide, 2026).
Learning
During the taught element of the course, you’ll learn through a combination of lectures, seminars and practical sessions.
Activities will depend on the modules that you take.
There are a variety of different learning activities to help you learn, including:
- Group work
- Research and case studies
- Online learning
Through group work, you'll collaborate with other students to produce a group report or presentation. You'll also work on research and case studies showing the reality of research design, decision-making and problem-solving activities in today’s organisational environment.
We also provide a learning environment called ‘Blackboard’, which gives you access to many additional resources and supporting learning materials. The School also has a dedicated website with links for online learning support.
Our students are from a wide range of cultural and geographical backgrounds, meaning you'll get the chance to set up learning networks that can extend beyond the time of your study at Southampton. You'll communicate in a variety of contexts and discuss problems and tasks together.
Assessment
You’ll be assessed by a combination of the following methods:
- written assignments
- academic posters
- research project reports
- dissertation