Education: Leading Innovation and Change MA, PGDip, PGCert

Take the next step in your teaching career with a Master's degree that develops your education practice through innovation.

• Flexible degree allowing you to participate via school hubs, in person at St Mary's University or through the blended and online options.
• Apply your learning to practical situations within your own school, using your learning to lead effective change.
• Access to excellent tutorial and supervisory support.
• Enables schools and staff to advance their professional skills and expertise in leadership through the development of a research culture.

Why study Education: Leading Innovation and Change?

If you currently work as a teacher or educational leader, our well-established Master's degree will ideally suit your professional development needs. It's also suitable for other education professionals, such as:

• Business managers
• Chaplains
• Librarians
• Data managers

The degree is designed to meet your needs, regardless of the educational phase you are working in or the stage of your career you're at.

It'll enable you, as a current or aspiring middle/senior leader, to reflect critically on your experience and understanding of leadership. You'll develop scholarly knowledge that allows you to link theory with your practice.

You'll have the opportunity to explore an area of interest and relevance to your professional role and career development as you undertake a small-scale practitioner research enquiry, leading to evidence-informed innovation.

Why St Mary's?

We have a long and proud tradition of excellence in teacher education. You'll work with a group of experienced MA tutors who provide you with high-quality teaching. The team have experience in teaching, management and leadership, as well as research and consultancy.

Leading Innovation and Change offers you a flexible approach to obtaining Master’s degree. You can choose to attend monthly Saturday schools in person or via distance learning.

You'll apply your learning to practical situations within you own school, using your knowledge to drive effective change, whilst critically engaging with contemporary educational debates.

Studying this degree will give you access to excellent online learning resources. You'll also have access to our dedicated library for Education students, which has a range of study spaces, open access IT facilities and a café.

Teaching methods

Teaching methods include a combination of lectures, group seminars, workshops and individual tutorials.

Modules are taught either at St Mary’s through intensive Saturday Schools (approximately monthly) or study days in school holidays or fortnightly twilight sessions.

Assessment methods

Learning is assessed through a variety of methods:

• Reflective journals
• Research proposals
• Essays
• Case studies
• Portfolios
• Seminar and conference presentations.

Career opportunities

This Master's programme supports your long-term career development. This is evident from the high proportion of graduates who achieve internal or external promotion to middle and senior educational leadership positions within a year of completing the programme.

Graduates of this programme are well placed to pursue doctoral studies on either a Professional Doctorate (Doctor of Education) or a PhD.