Program Overview

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.

Education at the University of Southampton is ranked 4th in the UK (The Complete University Guide, 2022)

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 to 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 on teaching and learning
• Topics which impact on 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.