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Key details

Start date(s)
September 2026 January/April 2027 (for students joining with existing credits)
Study Mode
Part-time (2 years)
Location
On Campus and Online
School
Education and Childhood

The MA Education is a stimulating part‑time programme designed to support the professional and academic development of anyone working in education, whether you are in the early stages of your education career or have extensive professional experience. Our course aims to strengthen your critical thinking, enhance your understanding of practice and boost your academic confidence. Teaching is primarily based at our Leeds City Campus, with delivery designed to fit around professional commitments.


Students typically come from a range of backgrounds, including schools, colleges, policing, adult social care and other sectors, and we welcome applications from Teaching Assistants, Head Teachers, Training Officers and Business Managers.


Experienced educators from primary, secondary and higher education will support your progress and, together with guest speakers from our partner organisations, deliver engaging and dynamic teaching sessions. Assessments are flexible and balanced, enabling you to develop a broad range of academic and professional skills in line with your interests. Our Work-Based Project provides a practice-focused alternative to the traditional dissertation, allowing you to tailor the programme to your individual development priorities.

The Student Contract

About this course

We’ve designed the course to support professional development through engagement with established and emerging debates about educational policy and practice. The programme has been recently redesigned to include enhanced work‑based learning opportunities, including an alternative final project route designed around professional practice.

Through a developmental sequence of modules, you will strengthen your skills in critically reflective practice and practical enquiry. You’ll develop your ability to think further and deeper about the complexity and challenges of education, as well as its possibilities. Throughout the MA, you’ll be encouraged to reflect on your own professional priorities and interests, allowing you to apply learning in ways that are relevant to your workplace and context.

The course brings together educational professionals from a wide variety of settings, including early years, primary and secondary education, special education, and further and higher education. Students range from early‑career teachers to senior leaders, managers and those who support learning, and this diverse mix ensures sessions draw on multiple perspectives and professional experiences.

The programme is designed to meet the needs of busy professionals, with evening and weekend sessions sensibly spaced across the academic year. Learning is supported through access to online library and journal resources, a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), and a specialist team within our Learning Hub to support academic learning and development. Each module is supported by a comprehensive handbook, reading list and guidance for assessment.

As part of the programme, you can choose to complete either the Introduction to Postgraduate Study of Childhood, Education and Family Support module at our Main Campus (Horsforth), or the Develop your NPQ, CPD or Work Based Project module, which is delivered remotely. All other modules are delivered at our Leeds City Campus.

 

 

Why study with us

  • Choose from a range of modules that build on your existing professional experience and interests.
  • Contribute your individual experience to topical discussions and debates that explore contemporary issues and challenges in education.
  • Broaden your understanding of education policy and practice beyond your own institution, considering local, national and international perspectives across a range of education settings.
  • Develop your research skills and academic writing through learning with staff who are active researchers and practitioners, with professional experience spanning schools, work‑based learning, education publishing, academic research and assessment.
  • Study within a supportive learning environment that brings together education professionals from diverse backgrounds, supporting ongoing professional learning and reflective practice.
Student teacher working with two children.

Course modules

You will study a variety of modules across your programme of study. The module details given below are subject to change and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

Core modules

You will study the following modules throughout your degree. You must complete all core modules and choose one optional module.

Introduction to Postgraduate Study of Childhood, Education and Family Support – Optional

Alongside those on other MA programmes, you will develop the foundations of Level 7 academic knowledge and skills, critically reflecting across both academic and professional contexts. You will learn about theoretical underpinnings, competing frameworks and approaches, and the implications for ethical and effective practice. 

Develop your NPQ, CPD or Work Based Project – Optional

This module, which can be taken as an alternative to the ‘Introduction to Postgraduate Study of Childhood, Education and Family Support’ module, supports you in developing a substantial, practice-focused project that recognises your expertise, experience, or emerging interests as you begin the course. You will identify and investigate a meaningful issue within your own educational context, drawing on relevant concepts and literature related to effective continuing professional development (CPD), communication, and practice-based research.

The module encourages you to design and implement an evidence-informed project, exploring approaches to developing resources, activities, or workshops across different modes and media. As part of this process, you will gather and analyse data to evaluate the impact of your work and refine your approach. Structured support and professional guidance will be available throughout your project.

Assessment is negotiated, allowing you to produce a portfolio of outputs, such as teaching materials, media, or learning resources, that are directly relevant to your professional practice. The module culminates in a critical evaluation of your project, its outcomes, and its implications for your ongoing development as an educational practitioner and for your MA qualification.

Triangulating Theory and Practice – Core

This module will help you build confidence in examining theories that drive calls for action and prescriptions of best practice in education. You will be introduced to a small range of important thinkers who exert influence on educational thought and practice and discuss their relevance to your own working context.

Contemporary Issues in Education – Core

This is a sequence of lectures, guest lectures and seminars on different, highly topical issues in education. You’ll cover topics such as neuroscience and the learning brain, gender and transgender in education, social justice and disadvantage, teacher resilience and the evolving role of research in educational settings.

Research Methods for Childhood, Education and Family Support – Core

This module introduces you to research methods and processes used to address complex issues across the field of education. You will develop and consolidate your understanding of methodology in both academic research and pragmatic practitioner inquiry, enabling you to explore different approaches suited to your professional interests and context.

Designed to build on your emerging expertise, the module supports you in identifying key issues and considering your role as a researcher and/or practitioner. You will examine a range of methods and appropriate research and reflect on how these can be applied in practice. The module culminates in the development of a fully justified research proposal, preparing you for your final dissertation module and future research activity.

 

 

Dissertation or Major Study – Core

In this module you will finalise your research proposal and then carry out your research on an aspect of your own professional practice or a current issue in education. Bespoke support will be offered by a dedicated supervisor with regular top-up training throughout the dissertation year to support your independent study – for example in ethics, coding and data analysis.

Develop your NPQ, CPD or Work Based Project

This module, which can be taken as an alternative to the ‘Introduction to Postgraduate Study of Childhood, Education and Family Support’ module, supports you in developing a substantial, practice-focused project that recognises your expertise, experience, or emerging interests as you begin the course. You will identify and investigate a meaningful issue within your own educational context, drawing on relevant concepts and literature related to effective continuing professional development (CPD), communication, and practice-based research.

The module encourages you to design and implement an evidence-informed project, exploring approaches to developing resources, activities, or workshops across different modes and media. As part of this process, you will gather and analyse data to evaluate the impact of your work and refine your approach. Structured support and professional guidance will be available throughout your project.

Assessment is negotiated, allowing you to produce a portfolio of outputs, such as teaching materials, media, or learning resources, that are directly relevant to your professional practice. The module culminates in a critical evaluation of your project, its outcomes, and its implications for your ongoing development as an educational practitioner and for your MA qualification.

Please note: Introduction to Postgraduate Study of Childhood, Education and Family Support is the only MA Education Module taught at Horsforth Campus, all other modules are taught at the Leeds City Campus.

Course structure

September - Part-time
Year Term Module Credits Contact hours
1 Term 1
September - December		 Introduction to Postgraduate Study of Childhood, Education and Family Support

or

Develop your NPQ, CPD or Work Based Project		 30 10 x 3 hour lecture/seminar sessions plus tutorials


Online
Term 2
January - March		 Triangulating Theory and Practice 30 8 x 3 hour lecture/seminar sessions fortnightly plus tutorials and individual assessment support
Term 3
April - July		 Contemporary Issues in Education  30 8 x 3 hour lecture/seminar sessions fortnightly plus tutorials and individual assessment support
2 Term 4
September - December		 Research Methods for Childhood, Education and Family Support 30 10 x 3 hour lecture/seminar sessions plus tutorials
Term 5 and 6
January - July		 Dissertation/Major Study (submission September) 60 10 x 3 hour lecture/seminar sessions plus supervisions, tutorials and dissertation writing support

Learning and teaching

You’ll be assessed in a range of written and other forms, with many negotiated elements. This could include multimedia outputs, professional development course and learning materials, presentations, reports and proposals, reflecting the academic and professional skills developed within the programme.

Assessments are flexible so that you can focus on areas of professional practice or research interest, and in ways that align with your development priorities.

Module options allow you to choose between a professional practice or academic research path for the final 60‑credit project. Many students choose a final Dissertation, either through empirical research or a review of research literature focused on an area of educational research or practice.

The redeveloped programme now also offers an alternative Work Based Project. This enables you to identify a real‑world problem or issue in practice and develop an evidence‑informed plan to address it. Your final report will review the relevant evidence base, explain how the plan was implemented and rigorously evaluate its impact.

There are no exams in this programme.

 

 

Learning and teaching

At Leeds Trinity we aim to provide an excellent student experience and provide you with the tools and support to help you achieve your academic, personal and professional potential.

Our Learning, Teaching and Assessment Strategy delivers excellence by providing the framework for:

  • high quality teaching
  • an engaging and inclusive approach to learning, assessment and achievement
  • a clear structure through which you progress in your academic studies, your personal development and towards professional-level employment or further study.

We have a strong reputation for developing student employability, supporting your development towards graduate employment, with relevant skills embedded throughout your programme of study.

We endeavour to develop curiosity, confidence, courage, ambition and aspiration in all students through the key themes in our Learning and Teaching Strategy:

  • Student Involvement and Engagement
  • Inclusion
  • Integrated Programme and Assessment Experience
  • Digital Literacy and Skills
  • Employability and Enterprise

To help you achieve your potential we emphasise learning as a collaborative process, with a range of student-led and real-world activities. This approach ensures that you fully engage in shaping your own learning, developing your critical thinking and reflective skills so that you can identify your own strengths and weaknesses, and use the extensive learning support system we offer to shape your own development.

We believe the secret to great learning and teaching is simple: it is about creating an inclusive learning experience that allows all students to thrive through:

  • Personalised support
  • Expert lecturers
  • Strong connections with employers
  • An international outlook
  • Understanding how to use tools and technology to support learning and development

Entry requirements

Leeds Trinity University is committed to recruiting students with talent and potential and who we feel will benefit greatly from their academic and non-academic experiences here. We treat every application on its own merits; we value highly the experience you illustrate in your personal statement.

The following information is designed to give you a general overview of the qualifications we accept. If you are taking qualifications that are not included below, please contact our Admissions Office who will be happy to advise you.

The normal entry requirement is a good honours degree in a relevant subject (or equivalent), (usually 2.2 or above). However, if you have extensive experience in, and passion for, the area of education, please get in touch as we can interview candidates who might not fit this usual pattern, but who still have academic or professional experience and potential.

All students will normally need to meet one of the following additional requirement:

  • Hold a teaching/tutoring/training/managing/supporting learning role in an educational context;
  • Have regular and sustained access to such a context in a voluntary capacity.

OR

You will need to be in a paid or voluntary teaching/training/supporting/managing learning role in an educational context to allow you to complete the assignments.

This course is not available to students on a Student Route Visa.

Applications that do not meet these requirements may still be considered. Any such applicants will be required to attend an informal interview with the Admissions Tutor to discuss their suitability for the programme.

Please contact our Admissions Tutor, Dr Andrew Pearce, for more information about entry points and the Recognition of Prior Learning process. Andrew will be able to explain the RPL process, time frame, and how students are supported through the process. He can be contacted on 0113 283 7100 ext. 433 or at a.pearce@leedstrinity.ac.uk.

Recognition of Prior Learning 

Students can start in:

  • Year 1, Term 3 if you have already completed 60 credits from the Recognition of Prior Learning module list below.
  • Year 2, Term 1 if you have already completed 90 credits from the Recognition of Prior Learning module list below.

 

 

Recognition of Prior Learning

Modules for RPL
Module Title Credits
Learning, Teaching and Assessment in Higher Education 20
Innovation, Diversity and Inclusion in Higher Education 20
Investigating the Wider Context of Higher Education 30
Principles of teaching, learning and assessment in Higher Education 30
Planning for Progression 30
Supporting Individual Learners 30
Perspectives on Inclusive Leadership 30
Critical Approaches to Inclusive Leadership 30

Fees and finance

Funding

UK Home Students:

For information about our tuition fees please visit our Student Fees and Finance pages.

If you studied your undergraduate degree at Leeds Trinity University, you may be eligible for a discount of up to 50% on the cost of your tuition fees.

Leeds Trinity Alumni Discount

Some Leeds Trinity graduates are eligible for a tuition fee discount on postgraduate courses of up to 50%, excluding PGCE Delivery Partner Model and Lead Partner Model, and Masters by Research courses. You will need to achieve a 2:2 or above in a Leeds Trinity undergraduate course to qualify.

Postgraduate course Leeds Trinity Alumni Discount
MA programmes 50% for Leeds Trinity graduates with a 1st class honours degree
MA programmes  35% for Leeds Trinity graduates with a 2:1 honours degree
MA programmes 20% for Leeds Trinity graduates with a 2:2 honours degree

MA Childhood and Education/MA Education/MA Family Support

MA Mental Health in Children and Young People

 20% for Leeds Trinity PGCE graduates if none of the above apply

How to apply

This course is not available to students on a Student Route Visa.

There is no official closing date for applications, but the course will be closed when it is full. We therefore encourage you to make your application as early as possible.

Please ensure you complete the application form in full and supply all the required supporting documentation when you make your initial application. Incomplete applications may be rejected.

If you need advice on your application, please contact our admissions team on 0113 283 7123 (Monday to Thursday, 9.00am to 5.00pm, or Friday 9.00am to 4.00pm) or admissions@leedstrinity.ac.uk

What happens next?

Our admissions team will acknowledge receipt of your application by email. Where applications are submitted but references are still in progress, admissions will wait for the reference(s) to be received and then will process it, and forward to the relevant Programme Leader within five days of receipt of the reference(s).

The Programme Leader will make a decision based on your application. You may be asked to provide a reference to demonstrate your academic and non-academic experiences, or you may be invited to attend an interview. If you are successful and made an offer, the conditions will be outlined in your offer letter. 

Applications will be acknowledged within five working days. Applicants will be contacted within 15 working days with a request for additional information, an invitation to an informal interview or an application decision.

Made an offer?

You should accept or decline your offer by emailing admissions@leedstrinity.ac.uk.

If you accept, you'll need to prove you satisfy the conditions outlined in your offer letter.

You may be asked to present the relevant supporting documentation in person to the student information point on campus - if originals are not needed, you’ll be contacted and given details of how to provide the supporting documentation.

#LTEN

You will become a member of the Leeds Trinity Education Network (LTEN), and receive regular updates on blogs, podcasts, case studies, and CPD.

Meet the team

Aidan Gillespie.

Aidan Gillespie

Amanda Nuttall.

Amanda Nuttall