MSc Education Leadership and Management
Course options
Key Details
- Attendance
- Full Time
- Award
- Degree of Master of Science
- Course Length
- 1 year
- Course Start Date
- September 2025
Course Overview
The fast-moving policy changes and reforms in 21st-century education have created a high demand for professionals with advanced leadership and management skills. Our interdisciplinary MSc Education Leadership and Management course is designed to enable you to embrace the problematic aspects of leadership and management with confidence, understanding and insight.
This course is for aspiring and established leaders. Whether you’re already a leader-educator, or you aspire to a leadership role, or you’re a graduate interested in UK and global education policy, our MSc course is designed to enhance your professional development and career prospects across both the public and private sectors.
You’ll examine key developments in education policy and link these to your experience of leadership, or your experience of working under the leadership of others.
Our programme is informed by a range of academic disciplines relating to education leadership, management and administration, public policy analysis, and complex thinking. Our high-quality curriculum will support you in developing an expansive view of leadership and management in the context of national and international political and economic structures.
We’ll offer you practical skills for real-world challenges. Through our programme, you'll develop qualities, competencies and skills essential for success as a leader or manager in education, such as advanced people skills and critical insight, as well as cutting-edge knowledge of educational research. You’ll also learn practical strategies and techniques for solving complex organisational and educational problems.
Study and Modules
Structure
We’ve designed this course so that you'll have multiple opportunities to reflect on the practice of leadership and management; while also developing sound judgement in the way you analyse the complexities of educational improvement. Our course will also enable you to evaluate a range of approaches to education policy and strategy.
In addition to the core modules, there are optional modules to allow you to tailor the course to your personal interests.
In the first of our Autumn core modules, you’ll consider important recent developments in the education leadership and management field, discussing them in relation to practical issues arising from leading and managing for organisational improvement. On the second module, you’ll have the chance to develop an advanced understanding of policy and strategy and address the problems with policy implementation.
In the Spring, we turn to learning about educational improvement initiatives that are sensitive to the individual needs of children, young people or adults, learning in diverse local contexts. You’ll examine the complexity of initiatives aimed at improving teaching and learning.
Throughout the course, you'll develop advanced analytical and research skills that will enable you to critically evaluate diverse approaches to conducting research in the fields of education policy, leadership and management. You'll then have an opportunity to apply and further refine these skills while writing your Master’s dissertation.
To complement your specialist leadership and management studies, you'll be able to choose an optional module from the suite of MA courses in the School of Education and Lifelong Learning.
Compulsory Modules
Optional A Modules
(Credits: 20)Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Teaching and Learning
Teaching
You’ll be taught by leading specialists in the field of education policy, leadership and management, as well as experienced academic staff whose expertise has been honed through research on a range of educational topics.
Our course combines lectures, seminars and workshops, and we place an emphasis on interactive activities and problem solving to support the development of effective communication skills. Our tutors will also encourage you to use your initiative and originality to solve organisational problems, both hypothetical and real.
You can find further information about our teaching staff by visiting staff profiles available on School of Education and Lifelong Learning.
Enrichment activities
Guest lectures and visits to local schools and colleges form an integral part of the course. They'll provide vital opportunities for you to exchange knowledge and network with practising leaders and managers.
Academic support
All Master’s students in the School of Education and Lifelong Learning have access to enhanced English language tutoring to support the development of their academic writing. In addition, the ‘Critical Reading’ and ‘Key Concepts and Approaches to Education Leadership and Management’ modules will offer you focused activities and workshops designed to support your critical reading and advanced academic writing. You’ll also be encouraged to engage with your academic advisers, and module leaders on a regular basis, and you’ll have access to English language support.
Independent learning
To master your independent learning, you'll spend time carrying out independent study and research. You’ll benefit from access to our excellent library service, as well as specialist study spaces designated for postgraduate students at UEA.
Assessment
This course is assessed by coursework that you’ll submit at the end of each module, including a dissertation.
In addition to summative coursework, you'll have an opportunity to produce formative work, designed to provide you with an early opportunity to focus your coursework on specific learning outcomes. By utilising these early opportunities to plan your assignments and articulate your emerging ideas, you’ll be able to hone your arguments and present them in a coherent way in your summative assessments.
You’ll also receive regular feedback in the taught sessions, both face-to-face and via our online learning platform, which will enhance your learning and overall academic development.
Entry Requirements
- This course is open to
UK and International fee-paying students. Choose UK or International above to see relevant information. The entry point is in September each year.
- Typical UK Entry Requirements
Degree classification
Bachelors degree - 2.2
Degree Subject
Any subject area with relevant experience or an education related degree with no relevant experience.
- Additional Entry Requirements
Applicants with a 2:2 (or equivalent) may be considered based on relevant professional experience, and/or voluntary work. Relevant experience of working in an educational setting or education-related activity is desirable.
- This course is open to
UK and International fee-paying students. Choose UK or International above to see relevant information. The entry point is in September each year.
- Typical International Entry Requirements
Degree classification
UK Bachelors degree - 2.2 or equivalent
Degree Subject
Any subject area with relevant experience or an education related degree with no relevant experience.
- Additional Entry Requirements
Applicants with a 2:2 (or equivalent) may be considered based on relevant professional experience, and/or voluntary work. Relevant experience of working in an educational setting or education-related activity is desirable.
- English Foreign Language
Applications from students whose first language is not English are welcome. We require evidence of proficiency in English (including writing, speaking, listening and reading):
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IELTS: 6.5 overall (minimum 6.0 in all components).
We also accept a number of other English language tests. Review our English Language Equivalencies for a list of example qualifications that we may accept to meet this requirement.
Test dates should be within two years of the course start date.
If you do not meet the English language requirements for this course, INTO UEA offer a variety of English language programmes which are designed to help you develop the required English skills.
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Fees and Funding
Tuition fees for the Academic Year 2025/26 are:
-
UK Students: £10,675
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International Students: £22,700
If you choose to study part-time, the fee per annum will be half the annual fee for that year, or a pro-rata fee for the module credit you are taking (only available for Home students).
We estimate living expenses at £1,136 per month.
Further Information on tuition fees can be found here.
The University of East Anglia offers a range of Scholarships; please click the link for eligibility, details of how to apply and closing dates.
Course Related Costs
Please see Additional Course Fees for details of additional course-related costs.
How to Apply
How to apply
Applications for Postgraduate Taught programmes at the University of East Anglia should be made directly to the University.
To apply please use our online application form.
Further information
If you would like to discuss your individual circumstances prior to applying, please do contact us:
Postgraduate Admissions Office
Tel: +44 (0)1603 591515
Email: admissions@uea.ac.uk
International candidates are also encouraged to access the International Students section of our website.
Employability
After the Course
Upon successful completion of the course, you'll be able to demonstrate the advanced skills essential for strategy and policy development and implementation.
Depending on your previous professional experience and career aspirations, you'll also gain knowledge, understanding and advanced problem-solving skills to succeed in a range of education-related roles. Our course is designed to open career paths in schools, the post-compulsory sector and not-for-profit organisations, as well as leadership and management research and consultancy.
The high-quality, interdisciplinary curriculum will also offer you a solid foundation for progressing to doctoral research.
Careers
Example of careers that you could enter include:
- Compulsory and post-compulsory public education sectors and local government
- Middle leadership and senior management roles in schools and colleges
- NGOs, not-for-profit and private educational development organisations
- Education policymaking in the public and private sectors, think tanks, research organisations and charities
Discover more on our Careers webpages.