The MEd Educational Studies is designed to help education professionals build on existing knowledge and skills to develop academically, personally and professionally and progress to positions of responsibility.
With a focus on contemporary global developments and intercultural perspectives in education, students are encouraged to reflect on their own practice and make connections to international contexts, promoting a deeper understanding of the world and the impact they can have on it. By integrating an intercultural perspective into all aspects of their education, our students can be better equipped to navigate a rapidly changing world and make a positive impact in their communities.
Please note: This programme does not offer Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).
Teaching and learning is underpinned by cutting edge research and informed by a national and global perspective.
The programme has three key principles at its core: a) Inclusion and Diversity; b) Education, Innovation and Technology; and c) Policy and Social Justice. These three principles are underlying themes that run through all modules. This innovative and inclusive approach takes a holistic lens of education, reflecting the diverse and ever-changing needs of society.
In addition, to ensure all students are supported to maximise their success as a scholar and communicator, all students will engage in ‘mainstreamed’ English for Academic Purposes activities throughout their studies.
We welcome Scottish, UK and international students and consider all applicants on an individual basis.
Don’t worry if your qualifications are not listed here, we take a range of factors into account when assessing your application and are happy to consider other alternative combinations of qualifications and experience
If you are applying with an EU or non-EU qualification, please check our Postgraduate Entry Requirements page which gives more information about country-specific entry requirements.
You must satisfy one of the following criterion:
Graduates of the UWS PGDE Primary or Secondary who gained SCQF Level 11 credits in the course of their PGDE will be able to enter the programme with advanced standing.
For applicants whose first language is not English, the University sets a minimum English Language proficiency level. The qualifications below must have been gained within two years of the start of your course.
General English language requirements at UWS: International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic module (not General Training)
Exceptions to this level of IELTS scoring exist for some accredited or professionally-recognised courses (see section below for more details).
SOCIAL WORK DEGREES
For our BA (Hons) Social Work and MSc Social Work programmes, applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:
All stated English tests are acceptable for admission for both home/EU and international students for this programme:
For our research degrees (MRes, MPhil, PhD, DBA, DProf) applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:
For Health, Nursing & Midwifery courses that lead to, or require professional registration with the Nursing & Midwifery Council, applicants are required to have an IELTS or Occupational English Test (OET)*.
For such courses, the IELTS score is as follows:
* Note that the Occupational English Test (OET) will now be accepted in addition to IELTS as proof of a Nurse's English Language Competence (Nursing & Midwifery Council, 2019).
For our BSc (Hons) Applied Biomedical Science, BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science and MSc Advanced Biomedical Science programmes, applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:
For our Certificate of Higher Education courses, applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:
TOEFL IBT*: 78; no sub-test less than:
* Please note that TOEFL is still acceptable for admission to this programme for both home/EU and international students.
For international students, the Home Office has confirmed that the University can choose to use TOEFL to make its own assessment of English language ability for visa applications to degree level courses. We therefore still accept TOEFL tests taken in the last two years for admission to this programme.
West African Senior School Certificate of Education (WASSCE) including acceptance of WAEC Scratchcard*
*UWS will accept a WAEC scratchcard confirming that an applicant has achieved C6 or above as evidence of meeting English language requirement from Nigeria if the student graduated within the last 5 years. After 5 years applicants would be required to provide the WAEC Certificate.
Applicants who do not meet the minimum English language requirements have the option to study one of our preparatory and pre-sessional English courses. The UWS courses available are:
To achieve the MEd Educational Studies you must complete six 20-credit modules and one 60-credit module. There are three stages to the programme:
The PgCert stage comprises the core module, Research Design in Education, and two compulsory modules, Becoming Critical in Education and Global Perspectives on Education.
Successful completion of the PgCert allows you to proceed to the Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip) where you'll study one compulsory module, Research and Pedagogy, and two 20-credit modules, from the list below:
Successful completion of the PgDip allows you to proceed to the MEd stage where you'll have the choice of either completing a research module of Master's Disertation (60 credits), or a taught module of Critical Discourse in Pedagogy and Practices (60 credits).
LEARNING AND TEACHING
ASSESSMENT
Assessment methods will include:
As most students are already in professional employment, this programme offers an opportunity for further professional development opportunities that will enhance their CV and professional experience and underpin opportunities for promotion or new job opportunities.
It also opens up opportunities for graduates to commence PhD research if students choose to complete the Dissertation module.
All students should apply directly to the University through our online application system. Before you apply, you should check that you meet our entry requirements and you should have all your supporting documents ready.
The first stage of the process is to complete the initial application form. You will then receive a follow-up email with further instructions relating to your application including documents that you will need to forward to support your application, e.g. degree transcripts and certificates etc.
Most courses don't have a formal closing date, but they will close when they are full; apply early to avoid disappointment. There may also be funding deadlines that apply to you.
The Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) applies to all international students and researchers (apart from exempt nationalities) who are subject to UK immigration control and are intending to study or research at postgraduate level in certain sensitive subjects.
Students and researchers who are nationals of EU countries, the European Economic Area (EEA), Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland or the United States of America do not need an ATAS certificate.
An ATAS certificate may be required for certain taught postgraduate master's degrees for international students at UWS.
For the latest information on ATAS and details of eligibility and how to apply for a certificate check the UK Government's dedicated ATAS web pages.
Do you have a question about applying for this course? Get in touch. We are here to help!
Use the Link below to download details of our full-time, part-time tuition fees for Bachelor, Masters, Research, and English Language pre-sessional courses for session 2023-24.
Tuition FeesWith cutting edge facilities, specialist knowledge and world-leading and internationally excellent expertise, we aim to develop research outputs that have a tangible, early and positive impact on society across the globe.
DiscoverWe will always try to make sure that we publish accurate course information but we do not accept responsibility for any mistakes or omissions. We will also try to make sure that we deliver our courses in line with our published information. However, we may not always be able to do so and you can find further information about this in our enrolment terms and conditions.