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Lead schools and learning organisations with evidence and empathy
Online or on campus
Effective education leaders combine pedagogical expertise with organisational acumen. This MA covers school improvement, curriculum design, inclusive education, and education finance. You will analyse case studies from UK academies, African community schools, and international baccalaureate networks. Modules on coaching, conflict resolution, and community engagement prepare you for the human side of leadership. A school improvement project forms the capstone assessment. MA Education Leadership is taught as one award, not a list of unrelated modules. The published length is 24 months, and the credit total is 36. Students move from Foundations of Educational Leadership through Foundations of Educational Leadership; Curriculum Design & Assessment; School Improvement & Quality Assurance; Education Law & Policy; Inclusive Education & SEND Leadership; Education Finance & Resource Management, and finish on MA Education Leadership Dissertation. Each course has a question, a method, and a submission. In this field, students design a short sequence for a named group of learners and the criteria that would mark it fairly. Reading is a curriculum extract, an assessment specification, and an evaluation summary. The artefact a marker expects is a plan with outcomes, a task, criteria, and a note on bias. The award is built so that a graduate can do the following in practice: Develop school improvement plans grounded in inspection frameworks and research Lead curriculum design aligned with national and international standards Manage education budgets, staffing, and stakeholder relationships Teaching assumes the student can read a source, attempt a problem before the seminar, and revise after feedback. Attendance at live seminars is part of the design. The capstone or final course must use the methods of the earlier courses; a project that ignores them does not pass. This course does not confer a teaching licence, QTS, or equivalent registration. The pages for each course name the topics that are examined. Those topics are the syllabus. A brochure line is not a substitute for them.
Cohorts are practising teachers and leaders — discussions draw on your school context daily. The capstone is a live improvement plan for your institution, mentored by a serving headteacher. EdTech leadership modules cover AI policy and safeguarding.
Faculty spotlight
Headteacher-in-residence Emma Laurent coaches school improvement; Professor Alex Morgan researches rural education access in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Study online
Online tuition is free. Online examinations are free. There is no exam fee for online study.
On-campus study
Prefer to learn at our Edinburgh campus? Campus tuition and campus examinations are charged. The published campus price is on each programme page.
| Code | Course | Credits · hours |
|---|---|---|
| ED501 | Foundations of Educational Leadership Foundations of Educational Leadership (ED501) is a 3-credit course on MA Education Leadership, with 30 notional learning hours. By the end, students can design a short sequence for a named group of learners and the criteria that would mark it fairly, using Foundations of Educational Leadership as the working context rather than a generic management example. The course is taught in three movements. First, students establish the terms and the decision the course is about. Second, they apply the method to a case, dataset, text, or design and compare it with a weaker alternative. Third, they revise the work after feedback and state what the conclusion cannot support. Preparation uses a curriculum extract, an assessment specification, and an evaluation summary. Seminar time is for the decision, not for reading the materials aloud. Assessment is a plan with outcomes, a task, criteria, and a note on bias. A pass requires a clear method, evidence a marker can check, and an explicit limit. Credit is not awarded for summary alone. This course does not confer a teaching licence, QTS, or equivalent registration.
| 3 · 30 h |
| ED502 | Curriculum Design & Assessment Curriculum Design & Assessment (ED502) is a 3-credit course on MA Education Leadership, with 30 notional learning hours. By the end, students can design a short sequence for a named group of learners and the criteria that would mark it fairly, using Curriculum Design & Assessment as the working context rather than a generic management example. The course is taught in three movements. First, students establish the terms and the decision the course is about. Second, they apply the method to a case, dataset, text, or design and compare it with a weaker alternative. Third, they revise the work after feedback and state what the conclusion cannot support. Preparation uses a curriculum extract, an assessment specification, and an evaluation summary. Seminar time is for the decision, not for reading the materials aloud. Assessment is a plan with outcomes, a task, criteria, and a note on bias. A pass requires a clear method, evidence a marker can check, and an explicit limit. Credit is not awarded for summary alone. This course does not confer a teaching licence, QTS, or equivalent registration.
| 3 · 30 h |
| ED503 | School Improvement & Quality Assurance School Improvement & Quality Assurance (ED503) is a 3-credit course on MA Education Leadership, with 30 notional learning hours. By the end, students can map one named system, write a threat model, and specify the controls that would stop the most likely path, using School Improvement & Quality Assurance as the working context rather than a generic management example. The course is taught in three movements. First, students establish the terms and the decision the course is about. Second, they apply the method to a case, dataset, text, or design and compare it with a weaker alternative. Third, they revise the work after feedback and state what the conclusion cannot support. Preparation uses control catalogues, incident write-ups, and a short technical standard. Seminar time is for the decision, not for reading the materials aloud. Assessment is a defensive design with a test plan and a statement of residual risk. A pass requires a clear method, evidence a marker can check, and an explicit limit. Credit is not awarded for summary alone.
| 3 · 30 h |
| ED504 | Education Law & Policy Education Law & Policy (ED504) is a 3-credit course on MA Education Leadership, with 30 notional learning hours. By the end, students can say who decides, under which rule, and draft a note a professional could read, using Education Law & Policy as the working context rather than a generic management example. The course is taught in three movements. First, students establish the terms and the decision the course is about. Second, they apply the method to a case, dataset, text, or design and compare it with a weaker alternative. Third, they revise the work after feedback and state what the conclusion cannot support. Preparation uses a statute or instrument, a case or policy paper, and a commentary. Seminar time is for the decision, not for reading the materials aloud. Assessment is a memo or draft clause with sources and a revision note. A pass requires a clear method, evidence a marker can check, and an explicit limit. Credit is not awarded for summary alone. This course is academic. It does not admit the student to practise law and it is not a qualifying law degree.
| 3 · 30 h |
| Code | Course | Credits · hours |
|---|---|---|
| ED505 | Inclusive Education & SEND Leadership Inclusive Education & SEND Leadership (ED505) is a 3-credit course on MA Education Leadership, with 30 notional learning hours. By the end, students can design a short sequence for a named group of learners and the criteria that would mark it fairly, using Inclusive Education & SEND Leadership as the working context rather than a generic management example. The course is taught in three movements. First, students establish the terms and the decision the course is about. Second, they apply the method to a case, dataset, text, or design and compare it with a weaker alternative. Third, they revise the work after feedback and state what the conclusion cannot support. Preparation uses a curriculum extract, an assessment specification, and an evaluation summary. Seminar time is for the decision, not for reading the materials aloud. Assessment is a plan with outcomes, a task, criteria, and a note on bias. A pass requires a clear method, evidence a marker can check, and an explicit limit. Credit is not awarded for summary alone. This course does not confer a teaching licence, QTS, or equivalent registration.
| 3 · 30 h |
| ED506 | Education Finance & Resource Management Education Finance & Resource Management (ED506) is a 3-credit course on MA Education Leadership, with 30 notional learning hours. By the end, students can read a set of figures, build a small case, and state which assumption moves the result, using Education Finance & Resource Management as the working context rather than a generic management example. The course is taught in three movements. First, students establish the terms and the decision the course is about. Second, they apply the method to a case, dataset, text, or design and compare it with a weaker alternative. Third, they revise the work after feedback and state what the conclusion cannot support. Preparation uses financial statements, a recognition note, and a risk report. Seminar time is for the decision, not for reading the materials aloud. Assessment is a recommendation that separates the decision, the numbers, and the risk. A pass requires a clear method, evidence a marker can check, and an explicit limit. Credit is not awarded for summary alone. This course does not confer an accounting, audit, or financial-services licence.
| 3 · 30 h |
| ED507 | Coaching & Professional Development Coaching & Professional Development (ED507) is a 3-credit course on MA Education Leadership, with 30 notional learning hours. By the end, students can design a short sequence for a named group of learners and the criteria that would mark it fairly, using Coaching & Professional Development as the working context rather than a generic management example. The course is taught in three movements. First, students establish the terms and the decision the course is about. Second, they apply the method to a case, dataset, text, or design and compare it with a weaker alternative. Third, they revise the work after feedback and state what the conclusion cannot support. Preparation uses a curriculum extract, an assessment specification, and an evaluation summary. Seminar time is for the decision, not for reading the materials aloud. Assessment is a plan with outcomes, a task, criteria, and a note on bias. A pass requires a clear method, evidence a marker can check, and an explicit limit. Credit is not awarded for summary alone. This course does not confer a teaching licence, QTS, or equivalent registration.
| 3 · 30 h |
| ED508 | Research Methods in Education Research Methods in Education (ED508) is a 3-credit course on MA Education Leadership, with 30 notional learning hours. By the end, students can design a short sequence for a named group of learners and the criteria that would mark it fairly, using Research Methods in Education as the working context rather than a generic management example. The course is taught in three movements. First, students establish the terms and the decision the course is about. Second, they apply the method to a case, dataset, text, or design and compare it with a weaker alternative. Third, they revise the work after feedback and state what the conclusion cannot support. Preparation uses a curriculum extract, an assessment specification, and an evaluation summary. Seminar time is for the decision, not for reading the materials aloud. Assessment is a plan with outcomes, a task, criteria, and a note on bias. A pass requires a clear method, evidence a marker can check, and an explicit limit. Credit is not awarded for summary alone. This course does not confer a teaching licence, QTS, or equivalent registration.
| 3 · 30 h |
| Code | Course | Credits · hours |
|---|---|---|
| ED601 | Educational Technology Leadership Educational Technology Leadership (ED601) is a 3-credit course on MA Education Leadership, with 30 notional learning hours. By the end, students can design a short sequence for a named group of learners and the criteria that would mark it fairly, using Educational Technology Leadership as the working context rather than a generic management example. The course is taught in three movements. First, students establish the terms and the decision the course is about. Second, they apply the method to a case, dataset, text, or design and compare it with a weaker alternative. Third, they revise the work after feedback and state what the conclusion cannot support. Preparation uses a curriculum extract, an assessment specification, and an evaluation summary. Seminar time is for the decision, not for reading the materials aloud. Assessment is a plan with outcomes, a task, criteria, and a note on bias. A pass requires a clear method, evidence a marker can check, and an explicit limit. Credit is not awarded for summary alone. This course does not confer a teaching licence, QTS, or equivalent registration.
| 3 · 30 h |
| ED602 | Community & Stakeholder Engagement Community & Stakeholder Engagement (ED602) is a 3-credit course on MA Education Leadership, with 30 notional learning hours. By the end, students can design a short sequence for a named group of learners and the criteria that would mark it fairly, using Community & Stakeholder Engagement as the working context rather than a generic management example. The course is taught in three movements. First, students establish the terms and the decision the course is about. Second, they apply the method to a case, dataset, text, or design and compare it with a weaker alternative. Third, they revise the work after feedback and state what the conclusion cannot support. Preparation uses a curriculum extract, an assessment specification, and an evaluation summary. Seminar time is for the decision, not for reading the materials aloud. Assessment is a plan with outcomes, a task, criteria, and a note on bias. A pass requires a clear method, evidence a marker can check, and an explicit limit. Credit is not awarded for summary alone. This course does not confer a teaching licence, QTS, or equivalent registration.
| 3 · 30 h |
| ED603 | MA Education Leadership Dissertation MA Education Leadership Dissertation (ED603) is a 6-credit course on MA Education Leadership, with 60 notional learning hours. By the end, students can design a short sequence for a named group of learners and the criteria that would mark it fairly, using MA Education Leadership Dissertation as the working context rather than a generic management example. The course is taught in three movements. First, students establish the terms and the decision the course is about. Second, they apply the method to a case, dataset, text, or design and compare it with a weaker alternative. Third, they revise the work after feedback and state what the conclusion cannot support. Preparation uses a curriculum extract, an assessment specification, and an evaluation summary. Seminar time is for the decision, not for reading the materials aloud. Assessment is a plan with outcomes, a task, criteria, and a note on bias. A pass requires a clear method, evidence a marker can check, and an explicit limit. Credit is not awarded for summary alone. This course does not confer a teaching licence, QTS, or equivalent registration.
| 6 · 60 h |
Modules are assessed through a published mix of coursework, applied projects, and examinations. Exam windows are announced in advance so students in other time zones are not forced into overnight sittings. Alternative arrangements are available where documented.
The published duration is 24 months. Teaching language: English. Actual time-to-complete depends on mode and any recognised prior learning.
You may study this award fully online from your country, or — where published — on campus at Brigant. Online study does not require a student visa. Campus study may.
Degree tuition for this award is published as £0 / tuition-free on the online pathway. Examination or administrative fees may apply at checkout — never an annual tuition invoice. Check the Fees page for any extras.
Requirements are grouped on this page (academic, English, documents). Equivalent qualifications are considered. English may be waived after prior English-medium study.
Assessment is typically a mix of coursework, projects, and examinations. Doctoral awards include a thesis or dissertation and an oral examination. Details sit in the programme specification and module outlines.
Recognition of the award for local employment, professional licence, or ministry attestation is decided by your employer or regulator. University of Brigant publishes verification pages for certificates. We do not claim automatic equivalence in every country.
Start an application on this website. Progress is saved from the first step. Admissions: admissions@brigant.uk.
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