
Overview
- Degree awarded
- Master of Arts (MA)
- Duration
- 1 year (FT); 24 months (PT); 2 or 3 years (DL)
- Entry requirements
-
We require a UK Honours degree with a First or Upper Second (2.1) classification or the overseas equivalent.
When assessing your academic record we take into account the grades you have achieved and the standing of the institution where you studied your qualification.
- How to apply
-
Please note, this course is now closed for applications from Overseas applicants as we reached capacity. Home applicants are still welcome to apply.
Course options
Full-time | Part-time | Full-time distance learning | Part-time distance learning | |
---|---|---|---|---|
MA | Y | Y | N | Y |
Course overview
- Join a top ten UK university for Education (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2021) and study an award-winning course that brings together theory and practice in teaching and learning for the 21st century.
- Explore a range of digital tools for blended and online classrooms.
- Apply your ideas to real projects, decided by you or your employers.
- Study full-time or part-time as a distance learner.
Open days
Fees
For entry in the academic year beginning September 2022, the tuition fees are as follows:
-
MA (full-time)
UK students (per annum): £10,500
International, including EU, students (per annum): £25,000 -
MA (part-time)
UK students (per annum): £5,250
International, including EU, students (per annum): £12,500 -
MA (part-time distance learning)
UK students (per annum): £875 per 15 credits £3,500 dissertation
International, including EU, students (per annum): £875 per 15 credits £3,500 dissertation
Further information for EU students can be found on our dedicated EU page.
The fees quoted above will be fully inclusive for the course tuition, administration and computational costs during your studies.
All fees for entry will be subject to yearly review and incremental rises per annum are also likely over the duration of courses lasting more than a year for UK/EU students (fees are typically fixed for international students, for the course duration at the year of entry). For general fees information please visit postgraduate fees
Self-funded international applicants for this course will be required to pay a deposit of £1,000 towards their tuition fees before a confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) is issued. This deposit will only be refunded if immigration permission is refused. We will notify you about how and when to make this payment.
Policy on additional costs
All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).
Scholarships/sponsorships
We offer a number of postgraduate taught scholarships and merit awards to outstanding applicants and international students, such as the Manchester Humanities International Excellence Scholarship for entry 2022. For more information, please see our scholarship webpage.
Also, the Manchester Institute of Education offers a Master’s bursary available to those studying in the department. Find out more information by visiting this webpage.
In addition, the Manchester Alumni Scholarship Scheme offers a £3,000 reduction in tuition fees to University of Manchester alumni who achieved a first-class bachelor's degree and are progressing to a postgraduate taught master's course.
For more information, see Fees and funding or research the University's postgraduate funding database .
Contact details
- School/Faculty
- School of Environment, Education and Development
- Contact name
- School of Environment, Education and Development
- Telephone
- +44 (0)161 275 2814
- MIE.admissions@manchester.ac.uk
- Website
- http://www.seed.manchester.ac.uk/subjects/education/postgraduatetaught/
- School/Faculty
-
See: The School .
Courses in related subject areas
Use the links below to view lists of courses in related subject areas.
Entry requirements
Academic entry qualification overview
We require a UK Honours degree with a First or Upper Second (2.1) classification or the overseas equivalent.
When assessing your academic record we take into account the grades you have achieved and the standing of the institution where you studied your qualification.
English language
English language test validity
Other international entry requirements
Professional entry qualification
Application and selection
How to apply
Please note, this course is now closed for applications from Overseas applicants as we reached capacity. Home applicants are still welcome to apply.
Advice to applicants
Please submit the following documents with your completed application form:
- copies of official degree certificates and transcripts of your previous study, showing the subjects taken and grades obtained. If these documents are in languages other than English, please provide official translations;
- your CV;
- copies of English Language Certification, eg IELTS, TOEFL or Pearson test score report.
Ensure that you enclose all the necessary documents to avoid any delays.
Staged admissions process
As there is a high demand for our courses, we operate a staged admissions process with selection deadlines throughout the year.
Due to the competition for places and high quality of applications that we receive, we give preference to students from high-ranking institutions and with grades above our minimum entry requirements.
Please ensure you submit all supporting documentation with your application before the application deadline to avoid a delay in processing.
- Stage 1: Application received by 3 December 2021 ; Application update by 10 February 2022
- Stage 2: Application received by 14 January 2022 ; Application update by 10 March 2022
- Stage 3: Application received by 18 March 2022 ; Application update by 12 May 2022
- Stage 4: Application received by 29 April 2022 ; Application update by 16 June 2022
- Stage 5: Application received by 1 July 2022 ; Application update by 28 July 2022
- Stage 6: Application received by 19 August 2022 ; Application update by 31 August 2022
While we aim to give you a decision on your application by the deadline date, in some instances due to the competition for places and the volume of applications received, it may be necessary to roll your application forward to the next deadline date.
Applications received after our final selection deadline will be considered at our discretion if places are still available.
Please note, all places are subject to availability and if you apply at one of the later stages, some courses may already be reaching capacity or be closed to further applications. We, therefore, recommend that you apply early in the cycle to avoid disappointment.
How your application is considered
Applications for MA Digital Technologies, Communication and Education are very competitive. Due to the high demand for the programme we may not be able to offer places to all applicants who have the entry qualifications that we require. If we are unable to consider you for an offer you may be placed on a waiting list. Candidates on a waiting list will only be considered for an offer if places become available.
Once your application has been received, our admissions team will contact you. We may ask you to submit additional information, if necessary.
Re-applications
If you applied in the previous year and your application was not successful you may apply again. Your application will be considered against the standard course entry criteria for that year of entry.
In your new application, you should demonstrate how your application has improved. We may draw upon all information from your previous applications or any previous registrations at the University as a student when assessing your suitability for your chosen course.
Course details
Course description
MA Digital Technologies, Communication and Education is an award-winning course that uses digital technologies, the broadcast media and/or interpersonal, group or organisational communications techniques to enhance practice, research and the professional and academic development of educators in technology- and information-rich environments.
This MA is designed to help teachers, lecturers, administrators, managers, e-learning designers, trainers and anyone else with an interest in education to understand the impact of digital technologies and media on learning, whether in formal or informal settings.
Aims
You will:
- further your career by improving your skills and knowledge base in the area of digital technologies and communication, in order that these can be applied in any educational setting;
- enhance your interpersonal and group communications skills in order to learn independently and make effective decisions through self-reflection on your own practice;
- develop the ability to design your own educational materials using digital technologies and in particular to develop creative and innovative approaches to this work;
- build your confidence and ability to identify and critically evaluate the use of digital technologies, whether in formal educational settings or the informal educational processes of society, and with specific reference to your own needs and practice;
- develop your ability to systematically understand and critically evaluate research and research methodologies relevant to digital technologies in education, and apply this knowledge in actual research projects;
- develop an ability to manage and understand rapid technological change and its effect on educational processes, institutions and policies.
Special features
- Education has been a discipline of study at Manchester since 1890.
- Our students come from all over the globe, and our qualifications are recognised across the globe.
- Our research improves the quality of education across the world, with 78% of our activity defined as `world-leading' or `internationally excellent' (Research Excellence Framework 2014).
Teaching and learning
Formalised lectures are infrequent. Instead, classes tend to mix lecturer input with group work, computer and video activities, simulations, problem-based learning and class discussions.
We make considerable use of enquiry-based learning (EBL), encouraging students' critical reflection on their own practice and beliefs: formed both by their professional experiences and intuitions, and theory and research.
We encourage both individual and co-operative learning and research and hope to foster an ethos of life-long-learning.
Some of our participants have professional experience in teaching, e-learning design, or as media professionals.
We appreciate the knowledge and practical experience that they bring to the course, and we encourage all participants to use all sources of professional insights including their fellow participants.
We provide training in the use of electronic databases, library resources, and computer-based statistics packages. Many other key skills will be developed during the course.
Coursework and assessment
The form of the assessment varies from unit to unit, including:
- practical project work (such as the creation of a website or other educational software);
- a written literature review or other essay of approximately 3,500 words;
- evaluations of existing software, websites;
- creation of a teaching portfolio;
- writing reports on schools or other educational settings;
- collaborative group work.
For dissertations, you can choose between a Mode A (traditional-type) or a Mode B (portfolio-type) dissertation.
Mode A dissertations report on a research project of your own design or, possibly, discuss or develop theoretical understanding relevant to the field and/or your professional development.
Mode B dissertations are more practical, and involve you designing, testing and implementing a technological solution to an educational problem, for example, a website or piece of interactive multimedia, and then reporting on this process.
Mode A dissertations are 15,000 words long. The length of Mode B work can be negotiated, but the overall workload is expected to be equivalent to that of Mode A.
Course unit list
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
---|---|---|---|
Engaging with Education Research | EDUC60011 | 15 | Mandatory |
Research Methods II | EDUC60452 | 15 | Mandatory |
Educational Technology and Communication | EDUC70141 | 30 | Mandatory |
Digital Education Research 2 | EDUC71272 | 15 | Mandatory |
Educational Technology and Communication (Distance) | EDUC77301 | 30 | Mandatory |
Theories of Teaching and Learning | EDUC60491 | 15 | Optional |
Intro to Educational Video Production | EDUC61632 | 15 | Optional |
Digital Media and Information Literacy | EDUC61712 | 15 | Optional |
Blended Learning in a Digital Age | EDUC70032 | 15 | Optional |
Teaching and Learning Online | EDUC70050 | 15 | Optional |
Displaying 10 of 27 course units | |||
Display all course units |
Facilities
The course is taught by the Manchester Institute of Education (MIE), which has its own Hub. Here you will find all of your teaching staff and support staff. It is also a place to relax with fellow students.
MIE is located in the University's Ellen Wilkinson building, which is centrally located on the University's Oxford Road campus, close to the Main Library, Alan Gilbert Learning Commons and the Students Union.
Disability support
Careers
Career opportunities
Manchester Institute of Education (MIE) graduates go on to shape education policy and practice through positions in NGOs and in the public and private sector.
Potential careers include:
- teaching;
- lecturing;
- research;
- teacher education;
- educational administration;
- leadership;
- consultancy;
- publishing;
- testing;
- assessment.
Careers support
The University has its own dedicated Careers Service that you would have full access to as a student and for two years after you graduate. At Manchester you will have access to a number of opportunities to help boost your employability .
Careers support for international students
The Careers Service provide specialist resources, advice and events for international students to help with career planning and making the most of your time while studying in Manchester.
- Working in the UK after study
- Working during study
- Professional and alumni networks for international students
Global networks
The University of Manchester is proud to have the largest global alumni community of any campus-based university in the UK.
International alumni groups are a great way to keep in touch with fellow Manchester graduates in your country. It is an opportunity to build professional and social networks.