As education becomes increasingly globalised, schools and education systems around the world are being shaped and reshaped by what are often a common set of global education policies and ideologies.

The aim of our MSc in Education, Policy and Society is to help you develop your ability to critically analyse these dominant educational ideologies, policies and practices; to understand the forces that are driving them, their shortcomings and likely outcomes; and most importantly, to discover and engage with alternative models of education, training, teaching and learning, at the early childhood, primary, secondary and post-secondary levels, and in non-formal and informal contexts outside the formal education system altogether.

This course is designed for all students wanting to develop their capacity to critically analyse educational practice, policy and ideology, to develop a more clear “big picture” understanding of the broader structures and forces that are affecting schools, universities and education systems today, and to find out about and deepen their understanding of alternative ways of thinking about and doing education.

This may include those who have recently completed undergraduate courses of study, as well as individuals currently working as practitioners, whether in schools, colleges or universities, youth or community groups, international development organisations, workforce and skills development programmes, or in different levels of government.

Distinctive features

This course has been designed to be of value and relevance to students both from the UK and overseas; so interested individuals from all nations are encouraged to apply.

The programme is unique in that it is one of the few Master’s level courses focusing on education in the UK, or anywhere else in the world, that is offered by an interdisciplinary School of Social Sciences. As such, the approach to education offered here is shaped by a strong belief in the value of interdisciplinary social science theory and research for enhancing our collective ability to re-think, re-imagine and enhance educational practices, policies and principles, whether at the local, national or global level.