Blended online course
Educational Leadership in Practice
- Qualification: MA
- Duration: 24 months
- Delivery: Online with two workshops annually
- Workload: Approx 20 hours per week
- Next enrolment: September 2025
- Fees: MA £17,000
Introduction
It's time to lead in education
Education is increasingly under pressure to meet external demands, particularly with the rise of standardisation and teach-to-test approaches, which are shaping policy and placing significant pressure on educational leaders across the globe.
Our MA Educational Leadership in Practice will equip you with the skills and confidence to navigate these challenges and take a leadership role within education. Through your studies, you will build your intellectual and practical confidence to engage at higher levels, lead effectively and influence change within your organisation.
This master's has a strong international focus, ensuring that what you learn is globally applicable and connecting you with educators across the world.
Key features
Learn on the job
Take a critical and theoretical approach with practice-based learning that enables you create change in the workplace from day one.
Build a global network
Network with peers and experts during workshops held twice a year at our prestigious Manchester Centre.
Practise new skills
Learn from world-leading academics in educational policy and educational leadership including Dr Paul Armstrong from the Manchester Institute for Education.
Martin Lipton, Alumnus
"The course offered me the opportunity to really reflect on my leadership practice, and work with some high-class, model class individuals within MIE. This has allowed me to progress, not only my academic abilities, but also my professional abilities as well."
Martin Lipton
Deputy Head Teacher
Phorms Campus Berlin Süd
Try our free MOOC: Educational Leadership: Working for Good
Our free MOOC covers the following topics
- Researching leadership in the context of education and individual professional contexts.
- Comparing and evaluating leadership models within education and how education, as an industry, is changing.
- Comparison between national and international schools leadership.
Key information
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Delivery
A mix of online content with face-to-face workshops twice a year
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Duration
24 months, part-time
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Enrolment dates
September 2025
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Applications
For more information on how to apply and what documents to submit with your application, please visit our application and selection section.
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Workload
Approx 20 hours per week
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Course director
Dr Paul Armstrong and Dr Bee Hughes
Fees and funding
Total course tuition fees for Manchester in September 2025 are:
MA - £17,000 (UK and International)
Course fee discounts available, please see our Fees and Funding section for more details. We also offer payment by instalments , so you can spread the cost of studying with us.
Explore a range of Scholarships and Bursaries available for this course, including our State School Bursary - offering 50% towards your tuition fees.
Entry requirements
A good honours degree (minimum 2:1) or the overseas equivalent, in a related area. An initial qualification in teaching, or at least one year's professional experience in a public or private educational organisation, are desirable but not essential requirements. Applicants with a 2:2 will be considered if you have at least three years teaching experience.
A copy of your CV detailing your full work experience.
Transform your career path
The course has given me so much personal development within myself. It has been exponential in my growth as a teacher and a leader. The University of Manchester has pushed me academically so that I could exceed my expectations and achieve my career goals.
Joleen Lewis
Teacher
Further Education
Teachers as learners: leadership can take the educational experience to the next level for teachers
Meeting with fellow students and educators and discussing common concerns, including global issues that affect education made my learning experience splendid.
Diana Wilson
Educational Leader
Request information
Course overview
Who this course is for
If you’re a teacher or an educator looking to move into a leadership role within an education organisation, this course is for you. It will give you vital knowledge and skills to take your career to the next level, empowering you to lead with confidence and have a real impact.
What you will learn
- Gain a deep understanding of theories, research, intellectual debates, and best practice from across the globe.
- Reflect on how these could apply to your own practice.
- Develop higher-order thinking skills to inspire you as a leader of education.
- Apply educational leadership skills and find solutions to real-world problems from local and global education organisations.
Where and when you will study
This online and blended, part-time master's means you can study from anywhere in the world and fit it around your day-to-day life. You will be expected to learn while you continue to work, and to use examples from your work throughout your study.
You will complete four taught units in year one, followed by two taught units and a research project in year two. You'll learn through a mix of interactive teaching and have plenty of opportunities to work collaboratively with your peers.
How it will benefit your career
- You'll develop links between your learning and practice
- You'll contribute to debates about research in educational leadership in a range of different contexts and from different perspectives
- You'll reflect on how these could apply to your own practice
- You'll demonstrate an understanding of education policy in and for understanding educational leadership and its relationship to wider changes at both national and international levels
- You'll develop critical skills on how reform agendas require problematisation to evaluate how they may disrupt or reproduce inequities
Changing the educational leadership landscape
This course not only provides you with a theoretical framework, but it also examines educational leadership issues in diverse international contexts.
David Buckley
Educational Leader
Course units
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Models of Educational Leadership
Mandatory for: MA
- Explore conceptualising educational leadership practice as adjectival models
- Consider what this means in diverse international contexts
- Examine and evaluate a range of key models
Knowledge and understanding
- Demonstrate an understanding of why leadership in education has come to be conceptualised as a series of models.
- Define and critique a range of models in educational leadership.
- Locate your own practice in a conceptualisation that moves beyond models.
Intellectual skills
- Through scholarly self-reflection, relate conceptual and theoretical understandings of educational leadership to own and/or local knowledge and practices of educational leadership
- Problematise knowledge production in the field.
Practical skills
- Apply the modelling of educational leadership to an analysis of practices in the professional field, and interrogate one’s own practices.
- Process and present information in an appropriate format.
Transferable skills and personal qualities
- Demonstrate the ability to apply conceptual knowledge about models of educational leadership to the analysis of real situations.
- Demonstrate the ability to study independently, gather, handle and process information effectively, and engage in reflective practice.
- Manage one’s time effectively.
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Engaging with Research in Educational Leadership
Mandatory for: MA
- What is educational leadership research?
- What topics can be researched in education?
- Why should research in education be taken seriously?
In this unit, you'll learn about the empirical literature base and develop the skills to review this literature purpose and practice as well as determine trustworthiness. You'll engage in theory and understand the impacts and uses of this research. You'll have the opportunity to reflect on your own practice and think about how your learning might influence your professional work.
Knowledge and understanding
- Demonstrate an understanding of literature sources and issues related to data retrieval and use.
- Undertake critical reading of academic, policy and other relevant literature.
- Structure the writing and presentation of a small-scale literature review.
- Make links between their learning and practice
Intellectual skills
- Critique research accounts
- Understand key concepts of validity, reliability and trustworthiness in qualitative research.
- Process and present information in an appropriate format.
Practical skills
- Effectively contribute to debates about research in educational leadership in a range of different contexts and from different perspectives.
- Conduct a small-scale literature review in a systematic manner
- Reflect on their own practice and think about how their learning might influence their professional work
Transferable skills and personal qualities
- Demonstrate the ability to apply conceptual knowledge about models of educational leadership to the analysis of real situations.
- Demonstrate the ability to study independently, gather, handle and process information effectively, and engage in reflective practice.
- Manage one’s time effectively.
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Leading Educational Change
Mandatory for: MA
- Examining what is meant by ‘change’
- Counter-productive and productive motivators for and mechanisms for change
- Critical perspective on leading change
In this unit, you'll examine how notions of ‘change’ are located within ideological, political and epistemological contexts and structures and how the ‘school effectiveness and school improvement’ movement exemplifies this. You'll develop critical skills on how reform agendas require problematisation to evaluate how they may disrupt or reproduce inequities. In other words, who benefits from the proposed changes? Who loses? What can be done about that as a leader? What place do values have in the proposed changes? Whose values are they?
Knowledge and understanding
- Demonstrate knowledge of why change is a policy imperative in many education systems and how discourses influence the changes required both inside and outside the school setting
- Apply differing models of educational leadership, and the perspectives on change their adoption produces, in their leadership practice
- Demonstrate knowledge of the relationship between school cultures, structures and change and how this applies in their practice.
Intellectual skills
- Critical thinking in relation to issues of educational change and development
- Critical examination of sociological perspectives on educational change, to argue what a ‘good’ or ‘better’ school is in relation to discourse
- A sophisticated and critical engagement with national and international education policy documents.
Practical skills
- Effective contributions to debates about educational change
- Synthesis from a range of sources to develop coherent and compelling arguments
- Critical analysis and interpretation of research and conceptual papers in educational change leadership.
Transferable skills and personal qualities
- Demonstrate an ability to critically examine the work of others in the field and policy positions; and to identify the discourses underpinning policy positions.
- Demonstrate effective skills in writing, an ability to describe, synthesise and explain sophisticated arguments; and to construct own arguments.
- Construct and defend arguments through effective oral and presentational skills.
- Demonstrate the ability to study independently, gather, handle and process information effectively, and engage in reflective practice.
- Manage one’s time effectively.
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Education Policy and Leadership
Mandatory for: MA
- What is policy and how is it ‘done’?
- Policy architecture
- Welfarism, social democracy and neoliberalism as policy architecture
This unit focusses on how international discourses variously enable or hinder certain policies and/or reform agendas. You'll examine the role of educational leadership in policy reform, welfarism and The Great Reform Movement (GERM). You'll demonstrate an understanding of education policy in and for understanding educational leadership and its relationship to wider changes at both national and international levels. You'll show an understanding of key ideas underpinning changes and developments in education policy and in education policy that concerns leaders.
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Educational Leadership as a Social Practice
Mandatory for: MA
- Educational leadership practice in a globalising education system
- Getting and doing the job
- Using research evidence
After completing this unit you'll be able to demonstrate an understanding of the literature sources and issues related to collaborative practice and have an enhanced appreciation of the opportunities of, and barriers to, collaboration. You'll develop links between your learning and practice. You'll contribute to debates about research in educational leadership in a range of different contexts and from different perspectives, with a specific focus on collaboration and conduct a small-scale investigation in a systematic manner. You'll reflect on your own practice and think about how your learning might influence their professional work.
Knowledge and understanding
- Demonstrate an understanding of literature sources and issues related to collaborative practice
- Have an enhanced appreciation of the opportunities of, and barriers to, collaboration
- Make links between their learning and practice
Intellectual skills
- Critique research accounts;
- Apply key concepts of validity, reliability and trustworthiness to qualitative research.
- Process and present information in an appropriate format.
Practical skills
- Effectively contribute to debates about research in educational leadership in a range of different contexts and from different perspectives, with a specific focus on collaboration
- Conduct a small-scale investigation in a systematic manner
- Reflect on their own practice and think about how their learning might influence their professional work
Transferable skills and personal qualities
- Demonstrate the ability to apply conceptual knowledge about educational leadership as a social practice to the development of collaborative practices in real situations.
- Demonstrate the ability to study independently, gather, handle and process information effectively, and engage in reflective practice.
- Manage one’s time effectively.
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Optional Course Units
Optional units for MA:
- Digital Technologies and Educational Leadership
- Leadership of International Schools
Leadership of International Schools unit is arranged into four themes:
Theme 1: Historical overview and Examining internationalism and Global Citizenship
- The birth and expansion of international schools.
- How notions of ‘internationalism and Global Citizenship’ are located within ideological, political and epistemological contexts and structures.
- How international schools and related bodies extoll and promote this.
Theme 2: A critical perspective on implementing emancipatory education- How private school organisation requires problematisation to evaluate how they may disrupt or reproduce inequities.
- In other words, who benefits from the proposed changes? Who loses? What can be done about that as a leader? What place do values have in the proposed changes? Whose values are they?
- How state sector professional preparation fails to equip leaders with the critical tools for high-stakes independent leadership.
Theme 3: Problematic influencers of change in international settings- Overarching responsibility.
- Permanent transformation.
- Balkanisation.
- Cultural considerations.
- How these impact teacher professionalism, motivation and retention.
Theme 4: Productive motivators for leading internationally- Human rights and educational focus.
- Breaking down hierarchies – working to develop educational values.
- Global Citizenship Education as leadership discourse.
After completing the Digital Technologies and Educational Leadership unit you'll be able to:
Knowledge and understanding
- Demonstrate an understanding of a range of frameworks and theories for the analysis of digitization and digital technologies as they impact on educational leadership, and how these can be applied to influence their own and their institution’s practice in this area. (e.g. models of technology adoption and innovation; theories of teaching and learning; models of organizational change and leadership; the social shaping of technology thesis.)
Intellectual skills
- Evaluate the impact of educational technologies and, more broadly, educational texts and utterances, on their own practice and that of others, by applying one or more of the frameworks mentioned above.
- Engage in discussion and analysis of relevant academic literature.
Practical skills
- Take decisions as part of a team and arrange an appropriate division of labour.
- Use and evaluate a range of technology tools for learning and the organization of work.
Transferable skills and personal qualities
- Actively engage with reflective practice and demonstrate its fundamental importance for the professional practice of educators, educational leaders, and educational technologists.
- Organise their work effectively.
- Communicate well and fluently, using appropriate online and offline techniques.
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Independent Supervised Study/Project
Mandatory for: MA
- Research Skills and the application of research to professional practice (30 credits)
- Project-based enquiry (30 credits)
Course structure
Our online learning MA in Educational Leadership in Practice caters to the training needs of professionals around the world, whether you're looking to enhance your skills in leadership within schools or further your career in this area.
Successful leaders in education require a wide range of transferable skills and subject-specific knowledge in areas such as in education and social policy, leading organisational and educational change.
At the start of your course in September, you'll have the chance to network with academics teaching the course, meet your peers and grow your network of global educational practitioners at a three-day workshop in Manchester.
The Master's teaching comprises five core 20-credit units, one optional unit or apply for APL (see info below) and a 60-credit research project.
Course learning aims
Through this course, you will develop:
- A deep understanding of the theories, research and intellectual debates of the best leadership practice across the globe.
- The skills and knowledge to be the positive change your educational organisation requires by developing a critical approach to educational leadership and not a functionalist one.
- The skills to use collaborative tools for online interaction.
- Flexible and relevant transferable skills of leadership that educational leaders require in their career and beyond.
- Networking opportunities with educational leaders in academia and within the sector.
- A personal development plan for the year ahead.
The aim of the MA is to equip you with the skills and knowledge that educators and other similar education practitioners require for a successful career in your education organisations. The course will offer you:
- A balance between strategic focus, theoretical foundations and practical applications to apply directly into the workplace.
- The chance to study a sector-inspired course that uses a Practice-Based-Learning approach.
- Practical experience is gained through the use of case studies and other hands-on activities, requiring the ability to process and find solutions to real-world problems.
- Insight into recent research and experience in the sector.
Teaching and learning
This is a blended learning course with two annual in-person workshops. The taught units are delivered via a virtual learning environment (VLE) where you can access all course materials, online reading lists, discussion boards, podcasts, newsfeeds and the University's extensive online library.
Academic teaching start date for September 2025 entry is 1 September 2025.
The welcome event and induction take place one week before the academic teaching start date. Our admissions team will confirm your induction start date closer to the time.
Please ensure that you complete your registration ahead of your chosen entry date to gain access to the online learning material and library services.
To study the course, you'll need a smart phone on Android 11.0 or greater and iOS 11.0 or greater, as you'll need to authenticate your credentials to access your learning materials.
Coursework and assessment
Each unit consists of 20 credits (excluding the final project) and requires a total of150 hours of study per unit.
The units are mainly delivered in web-based format with each unit being studied over a three-month format period with a total of 150 hours of study (approximately 15 hours per week). There is also a three-day workshop which takes place at the start of the teaching period each year. The start and finish times may vary in Centre.
There are no exams within the MA. Summative assessment comprises of individual and group coursework, with two assessments per unit. We will provide online quizzes and activities through each unit as a method of formative assessments.
A final supervised project will consist of a 30-credit report on a literature or practice based enquiry. This will be an individual project whereby you will investigate some element of your educational leadership practice.
The remaining 30 credits will be made up of three of the University's Research Skills Modules:
- Module 1 - Selecting and formulating a dissertation question/topic;
- Module 2 - Study design and methodology;
- Module 3 - Ethical, safety, social responsibility issues;
Each unit will be taught by an academic with extensive and valuable educational leadership experience delivering education courses nationally and globally.
While teaching on the course focuses on practical applications, it is informed by recent research and experience in the sector. A significant strength of our course is our institution access to research-led teaching and of the best collections of Manchester databases and learning materials in Europe.
Admissions information
From your initial expression of interest right through to graduation, you’ll receive all the support you need. We can support you with enrolment and subject assistance, administrative logistics and fee options, online learning skills, workload management and special circumstances including a possible professional entry route.
Entry requirements
Academic entry qualification overview
A good honours degree (minimum 2:1) or the overseas equivalent. An initial qualification in teaching, or at least one year's professional experience in a public or private educational organisation, are desirable but not essential requirements. Applicants with a 2:2 will be considered if they have at least three years teaching experience.
English language
In the case of non-native speakers of English an IELTS profile of 6.5 overall with no less that 6.5 in the writing component and no other subsection below 6.0
Or
TOEFL internet-based score of 90 or more overall, with a minimum writing score of 22 and no other section below 20.
Or
Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English (CAE) or Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) overall score of 176 or above, with 176 in writing and no sub-section below 169
Or
Grade C if taken before January 2015 (the Cambridge First Certificate in English is not acceptable).
Or
Pearson test of English score of 59 or more overall, with a minimum writing score of 59 and no other subsection below 51
English language test validity
Application and selection
How to apply
The deadline for applications is 18 August 2025.
If you have any questions regarding the course, please contact us on studyonline@manchester.ac.uk
- If you are applying to the China Centre please contact crystal.cheng@uom.ac.cn
- If you are applying to the Middle East Centre please contact elip@manchester.ac.ae
Academic teaching start dates for Manchester:
- September 2025 entry for MA - 1 September 2025
Advice to applicants
Documents to submit
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 with details of your work experience;
- Copies of English Language Certification, eg IELTS
- As part of the application process you will be asked to provide contact details for one referee, professional or academic. The University will contact your referees directly after you submit your application and direct them to complete our online reference form.
- We also require a personal supporting statement (up to 500 words) and shouldexplain what attracted you to apply to this course, what you hope to gain from this course and how it will help you achieve your aims or aspirations.
If we need any additional information or documents, our Admissions team - worldwideapplications@manchester.ac.uk will contact you directly.
APL
You can only take APL in place of one of the options if you have an equivalent course unit from prior study, or relevant professional experience (no older than 5 years) that maps with the learning outcomes of one of the optional course units.
You will need to formally apply and complete an application form which will include providing a portfolio of evidence to support your learning and experience. This goes to an academic panel for approval, and in exceptional cases, you may be called for interview to further demonstrate your learning and experience.
You can't use credits from a University of Manchester degree for APL without rescinding your previous degree and you're not able to use partial credits towards APL. They must come from a complete degree programme.
Please make initial informal enquiries to worldwideapplications@manchester.ac.uk
If you are applying to theChina Centre please contact crystal.cheng@uom.ac.cn
If you are applying to the Middle East Centre please contact elip@manchester.ac.ae
How your application is considered
Scholarships and bursaries
UK State School Teachers Bursary
Eligible teachers taking the MA Educational Leadership in Practice will receive a 50% bursary towards their course fees.
To receive the UK state school bursary on your tuition fees you must fit our eligibility criteria and provide evidence to support your discount claim. To process your discount claim, our admissions team must receive a letter from your employer, detailing your employment and contract type. This letter must be sent from a workplace email on official headed paper to verify your employment status. To qualify for the discount you must be employed at the start of the course and evidence must be provided before a discount is granted.
If you're an English or EU student living in the UK, you may be eligible for a loan from the government.
Manchester Master's Bursary (UK only)
We're committed to helping talented students access further education, regardless of background.
Fees and funding
Total course tuition fees for Manchester in September 2025 are £17,000.
The advertised fee covers your tuition. It does not cover your accommodation, travel costs or any other expenses that you may incur when attending face-to-face conferences/workshops/masterclasses/field trips.
Tuition fee discounts
- Alumni discount (15%): If you have successfully graduated from a credit-bearing qualification at The University of Manchester or UMIST, you can receive a 15% discount on the tuition fees that you are personally funding.
- Application discount (10%): Apply on or before 30 June 2025 to receive 10% reduction on your tuition fee. To be eligible, you will need to submit a complete application on or before 30 June 2025 and if offered a place, you will need to accept your offer within two weeks from the date of the offer.
One-discount policy: Discounts and scholarships are not accumulative. If you qualify for more than one, you will be awarded the one that is the highest amount.
Employer funding
If you are looking to secure funding from your employer, we can help you build a business case or talk to your employer directly. Contact us on studyonline@manchester.ac.uk to arrange a consultation.
Payment by instalments
During registration you will have the opportunity to pay your fees in three equal instalments. Learn more.
Additional cost information
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).
Regulated by the Office for Students
The University of Manchester is regulated by the Office for Students (OfS). The OfS aims to help students succeed in Higher Education by ensuring they receive excellent information and guidance, get high quality education that prepares them for the future and by protecting their interests. More information can be found at the OfS website.
You can find regulations and policies relating to student life at The University of Manchester, including our Degree Regulations and Complaints Procedure, on our regulations website.