Education at UEA
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Find out moreMSc Education Leadership and Management
Key Details
- Attendance
- Full Time
- Award
- Degree of Master of Science
- Course Length
- 1 year
- Course Start Date
- September 2026
Other Course Options
Other Start Dates
Other Start Dates
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Why you should choose us
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 in Education Leadership and Management is designed to empower you with the confidence, knowledge and strategic insight needed to navigate this evolving landscape.
This course is for both aspiring and established leaders. Whether you're currently in a leadership position, working towards one, or a recent graduate with a passion for UK and global education policy, our MSc will equip you with the skills to take your career to the next level across both the public and private sectors.
You’ll explore key developments in education policy and connect these to your own leadership experience—or your experience working under the leadership of others.
Our MSc is informed by a rich blend of disciplines, including educational leadership, public policy analysis, administration, and complex systems thinking. This interdisciplinary approach equips you with a broad and critical understanding of leadership and management within both national and international political and economic contexts.
We focus on equipping you with the practical skills needed to address real-world challenges. You’ll develop the qualities, competencies, and insights essential for success as a leader or manager in education—including advanced interpersonal skills, critical thinking, and up-to-date knowledge of educational research. You’ll also learn practical strategies and techniques to tackle complex organisational and educational issues with confidence.
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Study and Modules
Structure
We’ve designed this course to give you multiple opportunities to reflect on leadership and management practices whilst developing sound judgment in analysing the complexities of educational improvement. You’ll also gain the ability to evaluate a range of approaches to education policy and strategy.
As well as the core modules, you’ll have the flexibility to tailor your studies to your personal interests through a selection of optional modules.
You’ll explore important recent developments in the education leadership and management field, discussing them in relation to practical issues arising from leading and managing organisational improvement. You’ll develop an advanced understanding of policy and strategy and critically address the challenges of policy implementation.
You’ll then turn to learning about educational improvement initiatives that are sensitive to the individual needs of children, young people or adults, 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 dissertation.
To complement your specialist leadership and management studies, you'll be able to choose an optional module from an exciting suite of courses in the School of Education and Lifelong Learning.
Compulsory Modules
Optional A Modules
(Credits: 60)Important Information
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 by experienced academic staff whose expertise has been honed through research on a range of educational topics.
Our course combines lectures, seminars, and workshops, with 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 the staff profiles available at the 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 share knowledge and network with practising leaders and managers.
Academic support
You’ll have access to enhanced English language tutoring to help you develop your academic writing. You’ll also take part in activities and workshops designed to support your critical reading and advanced academic writing. You’ll 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 during our taught sessions, both face-to-face and via our online learning platform, which will enhance your learning and overall academic development.
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 needed 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.
Our rigorous, interdisciplinary curriculum also provides a strong foundation for progressing to doctoral research.
Careers
Examples 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.
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
Relevant experience of working in an educational setting or education-related activity is desirable.
- Admissions Policy
Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all postgraduate applicants.
- 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
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, UEA International Study Centre offer a variety of English language programmes which are designed to help you develop the required English skills:
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- UEA International Study Centre
If you do not meet the academic requirements for this course, you may be able to study the International Pre-Masters programme offered by our partner International Study Centre. This programme guarantees progression to selected Master's degrees if students achieve the appropriate grade. For more details, please click here:
International Pre-Masters in Business, Economics and Social Sciences
- Admissions Policy
Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all postgraduate applicants.
Fees and Funding
Tuition fees for the Academic Year 2026/27 are:
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UK Students: £11,200
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International Students: £23,850
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.