MA Education (incorporating PG Cert and PG Dip)

Postgraduate Certificate stage

To achieve your Postgraduate Certificate you'll need to gain 60 credits.

If you choose to study the PG Cert in Primary Mathematics you'll study the following modules:

• Developing the Skills of the Specialist Practitioner (Mathematics) (30 credits) - This module will help you to develop your professional expertise in a specified curriculum subject area. In the context of your own professional setting, you'll be encouraged to reflect upon the effectiveness of the methods and techniques you employ for teaching and learning.
• Advanced Professional Practice (Mathematics) (30 credits) - This module allows you to demonstrate that you can locate your work role within wider professional practice. You'll adopt an ethical enquiry based approach with the aim of increasing your awareness of development possibilities within your own practice. This module is also available through e-learning.

If you choose to study the PG Cert in Telephone Guidance, you'll study the following e-learning modules:

• Approaches to Guidance from a Distance: Theory (30 credits) - This module is for you if you mainly deliver guidance through the telephone, the internet or using a mixture of new technologies. You'll explore the concept of guidance from a distance and engage with the theory which underpins guidance issues.
• Approaches to Guidance from a Distance: Practice (30 credits) - You'll contextualise guidance theory within practice. And you'll consider decision making theories and models, and the challenges of advanced professional practice in distance guidance.

If you choose to study the PG Cert in Emotional Education you'll study these modules which are only available at Atlow Mill:

• Relationships and Communication (15 credits) - You'll explore the dynamic interactions in inter-personal relationships and examine the critical issues which influence and affect communication.
• Principles of Emotional Education (15 credits) - You'll be introduced to the principles and experience of emotional education. This will enhance your understanding and facilitate your own emotional development. You'll also draw on your own research and reflections and consider possible improvements.
• Leadership and Power Issues in Emotional Education (30 credits) - This module enables you to critically evaluate your own knowledge and experience of leadership issues.

For all other Postgraduate Certificate stages you'll study:

• Evidence Based Practice (30 credits) - This will normally be the first or second module you'll study. You'll develop a critical knowledge of research methodologies which will help you to undertake your own ethically reliable and rigorous research.

You will then choose one other 30 credit module from your specialist pathway or if you choose the MA Education pathway you can choose from any of the modules offered.

Early Years' Pathway Modules

• Children's Places (30 credits) - You'll consider early years' environments in terms of how they are designed, organised and funded, and the support available. You'll also explore the place of children in society and how they are seen, heard and listened to.
• Children's Workplace (30 credits) - The attributes, competencies and behaviours of practitioners working with young children (birth to eight years old) will be explored. And you'll consider the concept of professionalism and the notion of professionalising the children's workforce.

Guidance Studies Pathway Modules

• Guidance in Context (30 credits) - Guidance in Context presents comparative models of guidance both in the UK and overseas. You'll explore the political drivers and their impact both strategically and operationally on the delivery of guidance provision. This module is also available through e-learning.
• Guidance Theory and Professional Practice (30 credits) - You'll explore the concept of guidance and engage with the multidisciplinary theoretical, ethical and political perspectives, which influence guidance issues. You'll be supported to critically review and reflect on the philosophy and theory which defines guidance practice. This module is also available through e-learning.

Leadership and Management Pathway Modules

• Principles of Leadership and Management (30 credits) - Learning to lead and manage in the educational arena now involves confronting issues including diversity, inclusion and equity and embracing change. You'll examine the concepts of leadership and management for the 21st Century, engaging in debates on leadership characteristics, styles and approaches at all levels of the institution. This module is also available through e-learning.
• Collaborative Leadership (30 credits) - Through collaboration stakeholders are playing an increasingly important role in education. You'll examine, explore and evaluate how knowledge of educational leadership and change through collaboration could improve professional practice.

Lifelong Learning Pathway Modules

• Aspects of Ability in Education (30 credits) - You'll explore theories of ability and educability, such as 'are abilities fixed?' and 'are they susceptible to change and development?'. You'll consider learning abilities from a biological, psychological and neuroscience perspective.
• Lifelong Learning (30 credits) - You'll consider contemporary principles and issues of lifelong learning. In addition to the 'costs' of lifelong learning you'll look at the individual, social and economic benefits.

Special Needs Pathway Modules

• Special Educational Needs: Current Issues and Concerns (30 credits) - You'll critically engage in debates regarding theory, legislation, policy and guidance in relation to current provision in Special Educational Needs (SEN). Through research you'll determine how far your practice incorporates SEN expectations, and you'll share your findings with the group, learning from one another's experiences.
• Specific Learning Difficulties (30 credits) - During this module you'll consider issues such as 'what are the causes of reading and literacy delay?' and 'can pupils with autism be considered as having specific learning difficulties?' We'll then focus on effective professional practice through critical analysis of policy and practice.

Postgraduate Diploma

To achieve your Postgraduate Diploma you'll need to gain 120 credits in total.

You'll study the other pathway module for your specialist pathway, and you'll choose one module from the list of optional modules. If you're not studying a specialist pathway, you'll choose from any of the modules offered, so you'll have a lot of flexibility in your choice. If you didn't study the Evidence Based Practice at certificate level, you'll study it at this stage.

Optional modules

• Advanced Professional Practice (30 credits) - This module allows you to demonstrate that you can locate your work role within wider professional practice. You'll adopt an ethical enquiry based approach with the aim of increasing your awareness of development possibilities within your own practice. This module is also available through e-learning.
• Beginning Teaching: Continuing Professional Development (30 credits) - If you're a newly qualified teacher (NQT) this module will provide you with the opportunity to build on the skills and experiences you've gained as part of your initial training.
• Developing the Curriculum (Subject) (30 credits) - This module will encourage you to recognise the potential for sustainable curriculum development within the context of change. You'll be encouraged to relate the module to your own professional situation so it's a practical module directly relevant to your work.
• Developing Equality Classrooms (30 credits) - You'll consider strategies for managing learning and teaching contexts, which could include those with emotional and behavioural difficulties, those displaying violent and aggressive behaviour, and those with cultural or ethnic differences and requirements.
• Developing the Skills of the Specialist Teacher (subject) (30 credits) - This module will help you to develop your professional expertise in a specified curriculum subject area. In the context of your own professional setting, you'll be encouraged to reflect upon the effectiveness of the methods and techniques you employ for teaching and learning.
• Issues of Assessment (30 credits) - There has been an increasing emphasis placed on the role of assessment in learning in recent years. You'll review research in this area and reflect on current practice in education.
• Learning Theories in Action (30 credits) - You'll reflect on educational professional practice appropriate to particular spheres of experience.
• Negotiated Module for Postgraduate Professional Development 1 (30 credits) - This module allows you to consider areas of educational professional practice, which don't fall within the content of the other modules. This module is available through e-learning and negotiated tutorials.
• Negotiated Module for Postgraduate Professional Development 2 (30 credits) - This module provides a further opportunity for you to identify a programme of study which will meet your own and your educational professional practice needs. This module is available through e-learning and negotiated tutorials.
• Studying at Masters Level (30 credits) - 'Reflective thought' and 'reflective practice' are encouraged in this module so that you can develop the key skills and competences you need to study at Masters level. If you choose this module it will need to be the first module you study, so it's only available at PG Cert stage. This module is available through e-learning.

Masters

To achieve your Masters you'll need to gain 180 credits in total. You'll study this core module:

• Independent Study (60 credits) - This module is the culmination of your course. You'll research an aspect of professional practice relevant to your chosen pathway in discussion with your pathway tutor.

Start dates

If you're from the UK or EU you can apply to study this course in:

• January 2012
• September 2012 (full time option also available - but subject to validation)

If you're from a country outside the EU you can apply to study this course full time in:

• September 2012