MA International Education (Globalisation and International Development)

Year of entry: 2024

Overview

Degree awarded
Master of Arts (MA)
Duration
1 year
Entry requirements
We require a UK Honours degree with a First or Upper Second (2.1) classification or the overseas equivalent  in Education, Teaching or English.

Applicants without an education, teaching or English-related degree should have at least six months of relevant professional experience.

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.

Full entry requirements

How to apply
Apply online

Course options

Full-time Part-time Full-time distance learning Part-time distance learning
MA Y N N N

Course overview

  • We're ranked in the top ten universities in the UK for Education (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2021).
  • Benefit from outstanding teaching that draws on world-leading research.
  • Focus on professional learning, underpinned by critical scholarship.

Open days

The University holds regular open days , where you will have the opportunity to tour the campus and find out more about our facilities and courses.

You will find out more about the School of Environment, Education and Development, our resources, and meet academic and admissions staff who will be able to answer any questions you have.

Fees

For entry in the academic year beginning September 2024, the tuition fees are as follows:

  • MA (full-time)
    UK students (per annum): £12,500
    International, including EU, students (per annum): £27,000

Further information for EU students can be found on our dedicated EU page.

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 .

The Manchester Institute of Education also offers a Master's bursary available to those studying in the department.

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, visit the Funding opportunities page or explore the University's postgraduate funding database .

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, including:

  • MIE Postgraduate (master’s) bursaries : 10 awards of £7,500 each (issued as a reduction in your tuition fees). All self-sponsored EU and international student with an offer to study on any MIE master’s programme are eligible.
  • Manchester Humanities International Excellence Scholarship : 20% scholarship in the form of a discount on the tuition fees of selected master’s programmes, available to applicants from a number of international countries.
  • Manchester Alumni Scholarship Scheme : £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 further information on available scholarships and bursaries as well as their full eligibility criteria, please visit our funding page.

Contact details

School/Faculty
School of Environment, Education and Development
Contact name
School of Environment, Education and Development +44 (0) 161 275 2814
Telephone
+44(0) 161 275 2814
Email
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  in Education, Teaching or English.

Applicants without an education, teaching or English-related degree should have at least six months of relevant professional experience.

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

For the latest information on demonstrating your English proficiency for those whose first language is not English, please see our language requirements .

English language test validity

Some English Language test results are only valid for two years. Your English Language test report must be valid on the start date of the course.

Other international entry requirements

We accept a range of qualifications from across the globe. To help international students the university provides specific information for many individual countries. Please see our   country-specific information page   for guidance on the academic qualifications which may be accepted from your country.

Professional entry qualification

Applicants without an Education, Teaching or English-related degree should have at least six months of relevant professional experience.

Application and selection

How to apply

Advice to applicants

This course is not available for entry in September 2024

Deferrals

Applications for deferred entry are not accepted for this course. If you receive an offer and wish to be considered for the following year of entry, you will need to place a new application. Please be aware, there is no guarantee of receiving another offer, and offer conditions are subject to change in line with entry requirements.  

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 Education International (Globalisation and International Development) will provide you with the opportunity to engage in structured study of, and reflection upon, the application of educational theories, ideas and concepts to a range of international educational and community-based contexts. 

The course has been designed for teachers and other education professionals working in a range of national and international settings and is ideal if you're looking to develop your career by securing new posts or promotion in globalisation and international development. 

You'll work with an international cohort of students representing multiple unique perspectives. 

The course offers a unique combination of policy and practice-based perspectives on education, as well as globalisation and international development, and is taught by outstanding, world-leading researchers who focus on the realities of professional practice using the social sciences.

Aims

  • Develop participants' critical understanding of educational theories in order to enable an informed analysis of educational systems and practices in different countries.
  • Develop participants' capacity to engage in and use research to inform and develop both their practice and their understandings of differences in practice in contrasting systems.
  • Raise participants' awareness of the influence of key concepts across international contexts, as well as the particularity of local contexts.
  • Develop participants' professional knowledge, understanding and skills in relation to their prior and emerging professional interests.
  • Enable participants to gain evaluative and analytical skills that will help them to engage critically with education policies and practices across and within national systems.
  • Benefit from outstanding teaching that draws on world-leading research.
  • Work with an international cohort of students and tutors representing perspectives from throughout the globe.
  • Focus on professional learning, underpinned by critical scholarship.

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.

Additional course information

Optional units available include: 

  • International development and education;
  • Intercultural Communication and Education;
  • Key Issues in English Language and Education;
  • Early Years Education;
  • Education leadership;
  • Examining Educational Policy;
  • Digital, Media and Information Literacy;
  • Language Learning and Technology;
  • Multimedia Design and Development;
  • Equality, diversity and inclusion in international education;
  • Educating for Sustainability;
  • Higher education in international contexts;
  • Curriculum Internationalisation;
  • Employability in Education;
  • School Improvement;
  • Approaches and Methods in TESOL;
  • Approaches to Teaching and Learning;
  • Professional Development for Teachers;
  • Intercultural Engagement and Work and in Communities;
  • Schools working with children, families and communities;
  • Social Justice, Poverty and Place from the Global to the Local. 

We have several units that offer practical approaches to teaching and several that include visits or placements in local community organisations or schools. 

Some restrictions may apply to optional unit choices to allow as many students as possible.

Teaching and learning

The course is taught by world-leading researchers who focus on the realities of professional practice through social sciences, including:

  • Dr Jenna Mittelmeier (an expert on issues around international student experience);
  • Dr Kirstin Kerr (an expert on education and poverty);
  • Dr Miguel Lim (an expert on higher education policy and international education, quality and rankings);
  • Dr Susie Miles (an expert on inclusive education in international contexts);
  • Professor Carlo Raffo (an expert on education and poverty, and educational equity in urban contexts);
  • Professor Julian Williams (an expert on mathematics teaching and critical pedagogy);
  • Dr Sylvie Lomer (an expert on international student mobility);
  • Dr Josef Ploner (an expert on international student migration and cultural industries);
  • Dr Zeynep Onat-Stelma (an expert in TESOL);
  • Prof Helen Gunter (known internationally for her work on policy and leadership);
  • Prof Mel Ainscow (an international expert in inclusive education);
  • Dr Steven Courtney (an expert on school restructuring, change and leadership);
  • Dr Miriam Firth (an expert on employability);
  • Dr Michael O'Donoghue (an expert in teaching and learning in higher education, and use of video);
  • Dr Heather Cockayne (an expert in distance learning and international student experience);
  • Dr Zhuo Min Huang (an expert in intercultural education and creative education);
  • Dr Nahielly Palacios-Gonzalez (an expert in English Language teacher identities);
  • Dr Alexander Baratta (an expert in English Language, and English teaching);
  • Dr Juup Stelma (an expert in teaching English as a second language);
  • Dr Drew Whitworth (an expert in digital media literacies);
  • Susan Brown (an expert in distance technology education and multimedia);
  • Dr Gary Motteram (an expert in language learning and technology).

This is in addition to a wider team of contributors to the course with varied expertise in multiple aspects of international education.

Course units are delivered through lectures, tutorials, group-work, case-based approaches, and enquiry-based learning. We expect a high level of student participation in discussion and group work. 

Comprehensive training is provided in the use of electronic resources.

We encourage both individual and co-operative learning and research and hope to foster an ethos of lifelong learning.

We aim to build on the expertise of our students, many of whom are experienced teachers, and who bring with them a wealth of knowledge and practical experience from a wide range of different countries.

Coursework and assessment

You will study four course units in each semester, four of which are core to all students, one is core to this pathway, and three of which are optional. 

The form of assessment varies by course unit; however, most involve a 3,000-word written assessment, which may be in the form of an essay, a critical review of literature, or a research report. Formative and summative feedback is provided. 

The dissertation is the report of an empirical or conceptual research project investigation of an aspect of international education and is 15,000 words in length.

Course content for year 1

  • Concepts and Practices in International Education;
  • Theories of Teaching and Learning;
  • Engaging with Education Research;
  • International Development and Education;
  • Research Methods and Design.

In addition to a wide range of optional units, and a research-based dissertation.

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.

TitleCodeCredit ratingMandatory/optional
Engaging with Education Research EDUC60011 15 Mandatory
Theories of Teaching and Learning EDUC60491 15 Mandatory
International Development and Education EDUC70891 15 Mandatory
Concepts and Practices of International Education EDUC71331 15 Mandatory
Dissertation MA International Education EDUC84000 60 Mandatory
Digital Media and Information Literacy EDUC61712 15 Optional
Blended Learning in a Digital Age EDUC70032 15 Optional
Language Learning and Technology EDUC70061 15 Optional
Psychology of Language Learning EDUC70091 15 Optional
The Education of Language Teachers EDUC70132 15 Optional
Approaches and Methods in TESOL EDUC70162 15 Optional
Social Justice, Poverty and Place from the Global to the Local EDUC70252 15 Optional
Employability in Education EDUC70262 15 Optional
Schools working with children, families and communities EDUC70272 15 Optional
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in International Education EDUC70322 15 Optional
Contemporary Issues in Education Leadership EDUC70331 15 Optional
Educational Leadership and Diversity EDUC70372 15 Optional
Education Policy EDUC70531 15 Optional
Higher Education in International Contexts EDUC70552 15 Optional
Intercultural Communication in Education EDUC70621 15 Optional
Approaches to Teaching and Learning EDUC70632 15 Optional
Introduction to Sustainability Education EDUC70661 15 Optional
Internationalising the Curriculum EDUC70732 15 Optional
Key Issues for English Language and Education EDUC70811 15 Optional
School Improvement EDUC70882 15 Optional
Teacher Professional Learning EDUC70892 15 Optional
Intercultural Engagement at Work and in Communities EDUC71232 15 Optional
AI Perspectives on Learning EDUC71242 15 Optional
Human Resource Development & Leadership MGDI60162 15 Optional
Gender & Development MGDI70802 15 Optional
Displaying 10 of 30 course units

Facilities

The course is taught by the Manchester Institute of Education (MIE) which has its own Student Hub. Here you'll find all your teaching staff and support staff as well as a place to relax with fellow students.

MIE is based 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

Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service. Email: dass@manchester.ac.uk

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.

View our careers and employability  page for more information.

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.

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 and provide an opportunity to build professional and social networks.