Online MA Education: Flexible Postgraduate Study | Walbrook

Get your Master’s in Education, the Walbrook Way

Study 100% online, from anywhere
- Graduate in as little as 1 year.
- Start any month from September 2026.
- Competitive tuition – £6,960 total.
12th in UK for employment and further study
- Beating Russell Group unis on career outcomes*
- Shaped by practice, grounded in research.
- Career support and a 24/7 job portal.
For educators balancing work, home and life
- Study flexibly within a weekly structure.
- Flex between full and part-time.
- Online learning for busy educators.

MA Education online degree

The government has committed over £330 million to attract and retain expert teachers, with leadership salaries up 5.5% since 2023 (Department for Education). This level of investment reflects the need for strong, thoughtful leaders in the education sector. Specifically, those who can understand "what works here, in this context, and why?" Our MA Education gives you the tools to answer that question, and reshape practice and policy for the students who need it most.

Why this master's degree?

Build the judgement the education sector needs to analyse policy, drive change, and think across borders.
Designed for teachers and education professionals ready to move into education leadership or specialist roles.
Created in London, by educators advising UNESCO, ministries, and global organisations.

Headshot of Prof Robert White with the quote "Few master's degrees in education ask the big questions: what education is for, who it serves, and how it could be reimagined to expand human potential."

Your online MA Education at a glance

Location:

‣ 100% Online, distance learning

Start dates:

‣ Start any month from September 2026

Duration:

‣ Full-time: 1 year or 13 months

‣ Part-time: 2 years

Tuition fees and funding:

‣ Total programme cost is £6,960

‣ Secure your place by paying for your first one or two modules, depending on whether you choose full-time or part-time study.

Entry requirements:

‣ 2:2 honours degree and above (or equivalent)

‣ Alternatively, you can apply with 2+ years’ relevant professional experience in one or more education-related roles.

Fees for your online MA Education degree

The prices shown below are for our online MA Education degrees only. They are inclusive of your first module(s) payment and don't include any reductions.

Total programme cost
Full-time: 1 year or 13 months | Part-time: 2 years

£6,960
in total
You'll study 10x 15-credit modules and 1x 30-credit Dissertation module in total (approx. 17-30 hrs/week).
Apply now
Cost per module
Full-time: 1 year or 13 months | Part-time: 2 years

£580
per 15-credit module
You'll study 10x 15-credit modules. Your final 30-credit Dissertation module will be charged at £1,280.
Apply now

Total tuition fees: £6,960.  You can pay for your MA Education degree per module, or in full before you start your studies. 

If you choose to pay in full, you’ll receive a 15% reduction on your total tuition fees.

If you choose to pay per module, your payment schedule will depend on whether you choose full or part-time study:

If you apply as a full-time student, you’ll need to pay for two modules upfront to confirm your place, then continue to pay in two-module instalments as you progress.
If you apply as a part-time student, you’ll pay for one module upfront, then continue to pay per module before each one begins.

If you’re a UK student, you may be eligible for a government master's loan from Student Finance England for our online master's degrees. The Student Loans Company (SLC) will pay the loan directly to you after you start your studies. So, it’s your responsibility to make your module payments to us directly. Find out more about funding your Walbrook master's with a UK master's loan >
Want to see exactly when payments are due? Open the payment schedule for our next two start dates below.

September 2026 start date
- Full-time payment schedule – September 2026
- Part-time payment schedule – September 2026
October 2026 start date
- Full-time payment schedule – October 2026
- Part-time payment schedule – October 2026
Alumni receive a 10% tuition fee discount. If you’re eligible, our enrolment team can provide your personalised payment schedule.

Entry requirements for your online MA Education degree

Every application is different. If you’re not sure whether you meet the MA Education entry requirements, or you have any questions, contact us for advice. 

To apply, you’ll need to meet the following entry requirements:
- A UK honours degree at 2:2 or above (or equivalent international qualification).
Or
- 2+ years’ relevant professional experience in one or more education-related roles.
Thinking of transferring institutions or have you studied before? You can apply to transfer up to 60 credits towards your master's degree. Please note that credits can’t be awarded for the research module of this programme.

These credits must be relevant, current, and aligned with the subject matter of your chosen MSc Computer Science pathway.
- Review our recognition of prior learning process.
- Speak to our Enrolment Team.
- Submit a recognition of prior learning form alongside your application.
Overseas qualifications may be accepted and will be subject to evidence of equivalency normally verified through ECCTIS (UK ENIC).
If English is not your first language, you’ll be asked to provide proof of your English language proficiency. Ideally, your test should be no more than two years old when your course begins. If your test is older, please still apply and our admissions team can review your circumstances.

Alternatively, you may be accepted if you have previously studied in English at an appropriate level and attended a recognised institution.

IELTS
- Evidence of a score of IELTS Level 6.0 or above with no element below 5.5.
TOEFL iBT®
- Evidence of a score of 79 overall (with 18 in reading, 17 in listening, 20 in speaking and 21 in writing).
Duolingo
- Evidence of an overall minimum score of 110 with no component score below 100.
Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English
- Evidence of a score of 170 overall, with 160 in each component.

I would say just go for it. I am currently in full time employment, so being able to study at my own time and being able to be in control of my own studying was really important, and Walbrook provided that as part of their online degrees.

Aleksandra Anastasova
Walbrook online master's student

The course content is engaging and easy to follow, and the lecturers are really responsive, which makes a huge difference when you’re studying online. I like that there’s pacing built in to keep you on track, but also the flexibility to fit around work, life and kids. I’ve really learnt a lot that I can already put into practice in my role at work. 

Hayley Coates
Walbrook online master's student

MA Education programme details

This MA Education programme is built for educators who want to go deeper into the ideas, systems, and decisions that shape education around the world.

Throughout your studies, you’ll critically analyse education, not just as a practice, but as a moral, political, and human effort. You'll explore topics from curriculum design and global policy to education research methods, finishing with an independent dissertation on a topic that matters to your professional practice. This is a postgraduate degree in education studies that rewards intellectual curiosity and gives you the confidence and ability to lead with it.

On this online MA Education programme, you’ll study a series of carefully designed modules. With flexible monthly starts, you’ll join the next available module and study alongside a cohort of education studies master's level students learning the same subject at the same time.
- Comparative and International Education
  What can one education system teach another – and what gets lost in translation? You'll develop the ability to critically analyse global systems, moving beyond your own national context to the cultural, historical, and political forces underneath.
- Professional Learning and Teacher Development
  Most professional development doesn't work – and this module explores why. You'll examine what meaningful professional learning actually looks like, learning to evaluate, design, and lead it more effectively in your own context.
- Education, Ethics and Human Purpose
  What is education actually for – and who does it serve? This module explores the philosophical and ethical foundations of educational practice, helping you think more clearly about purpose, fairness, and responsibility, and develop principled positions on the big questions.
- Global Education Systems and Policy Context
  Why do education systems look so different around the world? You'll examine how politics, governance, and economics shape schools and policy across the UK and internationally, building the critical thinking tools to assess what educational reform actually achieves.
- Learning, Knowledge and Pedagogical Practice
  What gets taught, why, and by whose authority? You'll explore how decisions about knowledge, curriculum, and assessment affect learners, developing the confidence to make and defend your own professional judgements with clarity.
- Education Policy and Reform
  Policy shapes classrooms, but policy implementation is rarely simple. Drawing on political theory and policy sociology, you'll examine how education reform is made, contested, and put into practice across national and international contexts.
- Curriculum Theory and Design
  Curriculum is more than just a list of topics. A good curriculum reflects social, political, and ethical priorities. You'll explore how knowledge is chosen, ordered, and assessed, and gives you the tools to design the right curricula for your students.
- Education, Power and Social Justice
  On this module, you'll develop a critical understanding of how race, class, gender, and inequality play out in education systems, and build the skills to respond in ways that are grounded in educational research and ethics.
- Research Methods in Education
  Good research skills start with good thinking. This module takes you from the fundamentals of research process and design (including qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods) through to a full, coherent research proposal ready to take into your dissertation.
- Research Development
  This module bridges your taught study and your dissertation. You'll refine your research question, build your conceptual framework, review the literature on your topic, and develop a full research proposal.
- Dissertation
  This is your chance to investigate a topic within educational practice that genuinely matters to you. An independent research project, you'll design and execute original research aligned to your professional context and your own interests within education.

Your module schedule depends on the month you start, and whether you study full or part-time. You'll study each module once, completing all taught modules before moving on to your final two modules: Research Development and Dissertation.

Full-time students: start a new 8-week module every month.
Part-time students: start a new 8-week module every other month.

Module start date	Module name	Assessment details
7 September 2026	Education, Ethics and Human Purpose	1. Philosophical Position Paper - 20% 2. Applied Ethical Case Evaluation - 30% 3. Integrative Contested Issue Essay - 50%
5 October 2026	Global Education Systems and Policy Context	1. Comparative Policy Commentary - 20% 2. Governance Analysis Report - 30% 3. Reform Impact Evaluation - 50%
2 November 2026	Learning, Knowledge, and Pedagogical Practice	1. Epistemological Commentary Essay - 20% 2. Curriculum and Assessment Coherence Analysis - 30% 3. Pedagogical Judgement Synthesis Paper - 50%
7 December 2026	Education Policy and Reform	1. Policy Formation Analysis - 20% 2. Implementation Case Study - 30% 3. Reform Evaluation Paper - 50%
4 January 2027	Curriculum Theory and Design	1. Curriculum Theory Critique - 20% 2. Curriculum Coherence Analysis - 30% 3. Curriculum Design Justification Project - 50%
1 February 2027	Education, Power and Social Justice	1. Theoretical Framing Essay - 20% 2. Institutional Equity Analysis - 30% 3. Integrated Social Justice Position Paper - 50%
1 March 2027	Research Methods in Education	1. Research Article Critique - 20% 2. Comparative Methods Analysis - 30% 3. Critical Analysis of Research Methods in Education - 50%
5 April 2027	Comparative and International Education	1. Theoretical Foundations Commentary - 20% 2. Contextual Comparative Analysis - 30% 3. Global Reform Evaluation Paper - 50%
3 May 2027	Professional Learning and Teacher Development	1. Theoretical Foundations Analysis - 20% 2. Institutional Professional Learning Audit - 30% 3. Professional Learning Design Proposal - 50%
7 June 2027	Education, Ethics and Human Purpose	1. Philosophical Position Paper - 20% 2. Applied Ethical Case Evaluation - 30% 3. Integrative Contested Issue Essay - 50%
5 July 2027	Global Education Systems and Policy Context	1. Comparative Policy Commentary - 20% 2. Governance Analysis Report - 30% 3. Reform Impact Evaluation - 50%
2 August 2027	Learning, Knowledge, and Pedagogical Practice	1. Epistemological Commentary Essay - 20% 2. Curriculum and Assessment Coherence Analysis - 30% 3. Pedagogical Judgement Synthesis Paper - 50%
6 September 2027	Education Policy and Reform	1. Policy Formation Analysis - 20% 2. Implementation Case Study - 30% 3. Reform Evaluation Paper - 50%
4 October 2027	Curriculum Theory and Design	1. Curriculum Theory Critique - 20% 2. Curriculum Coherence Analysis - 30% 3. Curriculum Design Justification Project - 50%
1 November 2027	Education, Power and Social Justice	1. Theoretical Framing Essay - 20% 2. Institutional Equity Analysis - 30% 3. Integrated Social Justice Position Paper - 50%
6 December 2027	Research Methods in Education	1. Research Article Critique - 20% 2. Comparative Methods Analysis - 30% 3. Critical Analysis of Research Methods in Education - 50%
3 January 2028	Comparative and International Education	1. Theoretical Foundations Commentary - 20% 2. Contextual Comparative Analysis - 30% 3. Global Reform Evaluation Paper - 50%
7 February 2028	Professional Learning and Teacher Development	1. Theoretical Foundations Analysis - 20% 2. Institutional Professional Learning Audit - 30% 3. Professional Learning Design Proposal - 50%
6 March 2028	Education, Ethics and Human Purpose	1. Philosophical Position Paper - 20% 2. Applied Ethical Case Evaluation - 30% 3. Integrative Contested Issue Essay - 50%
3 April 2028	Global Education Systems and Policy Context	1. Comparative Policy Commentary - 20% 2. Governance Analysis Report - 30% 3. Reform Impact Evaluation - 50%
1 May 2028	Learning, Knowledge, and Pedagogical Practice	1. Epistemological Commentary Essay - 20% 2. Curriculum and Assessment Coherence Analysis - 30% 3. Pedagogical Judgement Synthesis Paper - 50%
5 June 2028	Education Policy and Reform	1. Policy Formation Analysis - 20% 2. Implementation Case Study - 30% 3. Reform Evaluation Paper - 50%
3 July 2028	Curriculum Theory and Design	1. Curriculum Theory Critique - 20% 2. Curriculum Coherence Analysis - 30% 3. Curriculum Design Justification Project - 50%
7 August 2028	Education, Power and Social Justice	1. Theoretical Framing Essay - 20% 2. Institutional Equity Analysis - 30% 3. Integrated Social Justice Position Paper - 50%

Final research modules

Module name

Assessment details

Research Development

1. Research proposal – 45%

2. Critical literature review – 55%

Dissertation

1. Dissertation – 100%

Across your MA, you’ll complete a mix of assessment methods designed to stretch your thinking, strengthen your communication skills, and bring your learning to life. Each module (except your final research modules) includes three assignments – helping you build confidence, test ideas and apply theory in more than one way.

Here’s a snapshot of the main types of assessments you’ll complete across your core modules.
- Critical commentary or theoretical analysis: examine a key concept, framework, or tradition in depth while evaluating its assumptions, strengths, and limitations within educational contexts.
- Case study or contextual analysis: apply theoretical frameworks to a specific institution, policy, reform, or setting. You'll interrogate what's actually happening in the case study, and why.
- Comparative analysis: look at two systems, methodologies, or approaches and construct an evidence-informed evaluation of what distinguishes them and why it matters.
- Position paper or argument essay: develop and defend a theoretically grounded position on a complex or contested issue in education – integrating multiple perspectives and demonstrating clear analytical judgement.
- Curriculum or professional learning design: produce a structured proposal (for a curriculum framework, professional learning strategy, or improvement plan) grounded in research and justified through theory.
- Research proposal: start planning your dissertation by identifying a research problem, shaping your ideas, and designing a study that fits your professional practice.
- Critical literature review: explore the research around your topic, identify key themes and gaps, and build the critical awareness and foundation for your dissertation.
- Dissertation: your final independent research project that brings together theoretical perspectives and future practice, showing your understanding of research methodology in your chosen area.

Find an MA Education degree that reflects your professional interests

Alongside our core MA Education, we offer focused master's in Educational Leadership, Early Childhood Education, and Special and Inclusive Education.

Discover all MA Education degrees

Discover all MA Education degrees

How you'll study

Studying online with Walbrook is designed to be flexible and engaging, giving you access to everything you need to succeed:

Full-time students should set aside around 30 hours per week.
- You'll start a new 8-week module each month, so while you’re beginning your learning in one module, you’ll be preparing for assessment in the other.
Part-time students should set aside around 17 hours per week.
- You'll start a new 8-week module every other month, making it easier to fit your studies around work, family and everyday life.
Your self-study will include:
- Engaging programme content delivered via our online study platform.
- Case studies and applied tasks that link theory to real business scenarios.
- Preparation for assessments including reports, proposals and project work.
Our support is built around you and your success. From enrolment to graduation, you’ll have access to digital academic tools that help you study in a way that works for you, and people who are here to help.

You'll benefit from:
- Digital learning materials including key readings, videos, and research resources.
- Access to a digital library to support your independent research.
- Support to help you stay on track and direct you to the right teams when needed.

Apply to start your MA Education degree this September

Applying to study an online master's at Walbrook is simple, and you can do it directly.

1. Check programme entry requirements
Review our entry requirements to make sure you meet them.
2. Complete your application online
Apply through our secure online application portal and upload your documents as you go.
3. Accept your unconditional offer
By paying for your first module (part-time) or first two modules (full-time).

Contact us about our online degrees

Any questions about our online degrees or studying at Walbrook? Our Enrolment Advisors are here to help.

Our office is open Monday to Friday from 8.00am to 5.30pm UK time (excluding UK public holidays).

contact-image-enrolment-team

Career opportunities: MA Education

The government has committed over £330 million in financial incentives to attract and retain expert teachers (Department for Education, 2026). On top of this, leadership salaries are up 5.5% since 2023 (Department for Education, 2025). Schools, trusts, and policy bodies need people who can step into education leadership and do more than manage teaching and learning. They need people who can think, question, and lead with purpose.

An MA Education puts you in that position. You’ll graduate with strong analytical and research skills, along with a global perspective, helping you move into senior roles or lead with more confidence in your current one. You’ll be better equipped to shape institutions, support professionals, and make a real difference to students’ futures. Here are some of the careers your MA Education, combined with your experience, could lead to as you apply and build on the skills from this programme. Please note that this MA does not award qualified teacher status or professional accreditation – but it can strengthen your expertise and support progression when combined with relevant experience and any role-specific requirements.

Headteacher
Average UK salary: £83,464 (Department for Education, 2025)

Headteacher: job description

Set the vision, culture, and direction of a school. As a headteacher, you’ll lead staff, shape the curriculum, respond to policy changes, and make decisions that affect every student. This programme supports education leadership by building your strategic thinking and ethical understanding through modules such as Education Policy and Reform, Curriculum Theory and Design, and Education, Ethics and Human Purpose.

Average UK salary: £83,464 (Department for Education, 2025)
Head of School
Average UK salary: £55,245

Head of School: job description

Lead the day-to-day running of a school or campus and drive improvement. As a head of school, you’ll use your leadership and management skills to turn strategy into professional practice, managing teams, supporting professional development, and keeping teaching and learning at the centre. Modules such as Learning, Knowledge and Pedagogical Judgement, Professional Learning and Teacher Development, and research methods help you lead strong, evidence-based practice.

Average UK salary: £55,245
Senior Education Policy Adviser
Average UK salary: £49,805

Senior Education Policy Adviser: job description

Help shape education systems at a wider level. In this role, you’ll analyse policy, advise decision-makers, and contribute to reforms across different contexts. You could work in government, think tanks, or international organisations, drawing on areas like international education and social justice, alongside modules such as Global Education Systems and Policy Contexts. This builds your ability to approach complex issues with a clear, informed perspective.

Average UK salary: £49,805

FAQs: Why study for an MA Education online degree?

The MA Education degree is the broadest of the four education studies programmes we offer, designed for educators who want to explore education from multiple perspectives. It covers areas such as policy, curriculum, professional learning, and international and comparative contexts, helping you understand how education systems work and how they can improve.

Walbrook’s other online MA Education programmes offer a specific learning journey for educators with a clear specialist focus:
- MA Educational Leadership: focused on education leadership, strategy, and organisational change
- MA Early Childhood Education: centred on early years development, pedagogy, and policy
- MA Special and Inclusive Education: focused on inclusive practice, equity, and supporting diverse learners
If you're not sure which programme aligns with your career progression goals, our MA Education degree is a strong choice – it's flexible, intellectually ambitious, and designed to support your own research interests.
For most students, the MA Education is a direct route into a more senior or specialised role – but what that looks like can vary. You could move into school, college or university leadership, curriculum design, or education consultancy. If you prefer looking at the bigger picture, the programme opens doors into policy analysis, research, and advisory roles within government, think tanks, and international organisations.

This programme can also help you become better at the job you're already doing, bringing greater analytical depth and a clearer sense of purpose to your everyday work.
This master's-level Education programme is built on a simple but powerful idea: that education plays a moral and human role in society. As Prof. Robert White, Academic Lead for Education, puts it: "You'll explore education not just as a field of study, but as a human practice. One that is shaped by moral values, relationships and real-world impact."

In practical terms, that means:
- graduating with the ability to design curriculum that genuinely serves all learners
- leading sustainable development that actually changes professional practice
- engaging with policy in ways that keep students (not systems) at the centre.
Whether you're leading a single classroom, a whole school, or influencing education at a wider level, the thinking you develop in this programme will stay with you. Successful completion of educational research will inform not just your own practice, but could transform practice in a broad range of educational settings.
One of the things that sets this programme apart is its commitment to research that is grounded in the realities of your own setting. This approach – often called place-based inquiry – treats your professional context as a strength. That might mean:
- examining why a particular policy is landing differently than intended
- exploring how curriculum decisions are affecting the learning experience for a specific group
- understanding what professional development actually looks like in your institution.
By the time you've successfully completed your dissertation, you'll have findings that could genuinely inform practice in your own setting and beyond.
Yes – and the course structure is designed with exactly that in mind. Our MA Education degree is delivered fully online with no fixed lecture times, no campus visits required, and no clashing with your working timetable. You study when it suits you.

If you choose to study part-time, you’ll complete the programme in around 2 years, studying around 17 hours per week. Part-time students start a new module every other month, making it easier to balance studying with work, family, and everyday life. Each module is broken into manageable study chunks, so you can fit your learning around the realities of a busy professional life rather than the other way around.

If you choose to study full-time, you can complete the programme in as little as 1 year, studying around 30 hours a week. Full-time students start a new eight-week module each month – so while you're getting started with new content in one module, you'll be preparing your final assessment in another. Depending on your start date, the full-time programme might require 13 months of study instead of 12. This is because the schedule of modules differs with each start month, and if your schedule places one of the modules that directly informs your research at the end of your taught stage, you'll finish it in full before moving into the Research Development and Dissertation modules.
You don't need to be a qualified teacher or hold a specific teaching qualification to apply for this master's level education degree. What matters is that you are ready to critically engage with education – whether that's as a classroom teacher, a school leader, an education support professional, or someone working in a related role such as policy, curriculum development, or education consultancy.

At Walbrook, the standard entry requirement is a 2:2 honours undergraduate degree or above from a recognised institution (or international equivalent qualification), or 2+ years' relevant professional experience in education or a related field. If you don't hold an undergraduate degree, we still encourage you to apply if you can provide evidence of relevant professional experience in education or a related field. The best step is simply to get in touch and talk it through with our Enrolment Team.
Your master’s degree is delivered through an online study platform, where you’ll study either one or two modules at a time depending on your study mode. Full-time students take two modules in parallel (with a short gap between start dates), while part-time students complete one module at a time.

Here’s what you can expect:
- Weekly learning units to guide your progress
- Readings and case studies
- Videos and narrated presentations (mini-lectures)
- Online discussion forums
- Quizzes and tasks to check your understanding
You’ll have the freedom to plan your study time around work and life – but within a guided schedule that helps you stay focused, connected, and on track to succeed.
Yes – both home and international students are welcome to apply. If your first language isn’t English, you’ll need to meet our English language requirements – further information can be found in the 'entry requirements' section above. This 100% online learning MA Education programme allows you to study from anywhere in the world, connect with a diverse network of fellow students, and develop skills to make a real difference in the future of education in your country.

The Walbrook Way: Digital from day one. Designed for your career.

Graduate in as little as 1 year, or flex to part-time.
Ranked 12th for employment outcomes in the UK*
Total fees: £6,960 – pay in full or pay per module.

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Walbrook: recognised for education excellence

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