Education MRes

This course is designed for those who may already be working as a professional in the education sector and are keen to develop the critical and analytical skills needed to progress with your career. It is also suited for recent graduates, or those who are retraining and returning to the education sector after a break. If you are an educator, including teachers and senior leaders, or if you are in the wider education sector such as in museum education, prison education, early years, mentoring and youth work, community education, then this is the course for you.

You will learn how to carry out new and independent research. You will engage in critical debate about current policy issues and developments in education. We will encourage you to explore the interconnected nature of education across the world and how global issues impact national and local policy and practice. You will have networking and support opportunities from our community of postgraduate scholars.

You will develop critical skills, knowledge of professional responsibility, integrity and ethics and the ability to reflect on your own progress. You will use diverse reading material reflecting voices which are often marginalised in traditional academic literature. These will all prepare you for carrying out your own independent research project.

You will be supported by an academic team who have expertise in social justice in education, especially regarding children, young people, student, practitioner and parent voices in education. We also specialise in several other research areas including:

• Critical pedagogies
• Mental health and wellbeing
• Inclusion
• Governance
• Education policy
• Early childhood

How you will study

You can study this postgraduate course full time. The course will take 1 year to complete.

You will study 2 modules worth 30 credits each, as well as 1 module worth 120 credits.

You can find out which modules are available in each term in the course specifications.

Modules

Teaching and learning

You will be allocated an academic tutor in your first week of study. You will be able to develop a supportive relationship with your tutor whilst also working on a set programme of personal, academic and professional development. This includes developing your research skills and critical reflection of your work and the work of others.

Independent exploration of your practice and research is vital to success on this course. Guided by your tutor, you will develop and enhance your research and investigation skills, identifying key resources to extract relevent information. In essence, this is self-guided learning. Throughout, you will have access to the University's resource library but will be encouraged to find your own research materials.

We keep our group sizes small so we can get to know your creative personality and support your aspirations. We deliver your modules through:

• Seminars
• Lectures
• Reading groups
• Interactive presentations and workshops
• Guided research tasks
• Dissertation supervision

Your learning will be informed by the most current thinking in the subject area. Our academic teams are constantly investigating, interrogating and contributing to their respective fields. You can find out more about our research and backgrounds by visiting our staff pages.

Assessment

You'll be required to demonstrate your research and increasing knowledge through different assessed mediums. These include:

• Thesis research report
• Short research skills portfolio
• Exams
• Oral presentations

A significant proportion of your time will be dedicated to the completion of your thesis, which is an independent research project. This will be supervised by academic staff members, who are nationally and internationally recognised for research excellence. Your thesis makes up the majority of your final grade.

Our assessment methods will evaluate both your theoretical knowledge and practical research skills. You will participate in critiques of published work in the style of peer-review. Your final assessment is your thesis that will report the findings of your research.

Qualifications

Qualifications

If your first degree is not in Education but you have covered sufficient levels of experience and research methods, we will consider your application. Applications such as this will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

If we have further questions about your application, you may be invited to a short interview.

International students

If you are an international student you will need to show that your qualifications match our entry requirements.

Information about international qualifications and entry requirements can be found on our International pages.

If English is not your first language you will need to show that you have English Language competence at IELTS level 6.5 (with no skill below 6.0) or equivalent.

International entry requirements

Terms and conditions

Our terms and conditions, policies and procedures contain important information about studying at York St John University. You can read them on our Admissions page.

UK 2025 - 2026 entry

The tuition fee for 2025 entry to the Education MRes is:

• £7,000 for full time study

These costs apply to all UK, Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man students.

Postgraduate loans are available to help you pay for your master's course. Find out more about funding your postgraduate studies.

Funding opportunities

International 2025 - 2026 entry

The tuition fee for 2025 entry to the Education MRes is:

• £11,800 for full time study

These costs apply to all students living outside the UK.

Due to immigration laws, if you are an international student on a student visa, you must study full time. For more information about visa requirements and short-term study visas, please visit the International Visa and Immigration pages.

Find out more about funding your postgraduate studies.

International Fees and Funding

Tuition fees

Alumni Scholarships

If you are alumni of York St John University we have scholarships available to help you continue your studies.

Scholarships for alumni

Additional costs and financial support

Course-related costs

While studying for your degree, there may be additional costs related to your course. This may include purchasing personal equipment and stationery, books and optional field trips.

Accommodation and living costs

View our accommodation pages for detailed information on accommodation and living costs.

Where could Education MRes take you?

A research degree is your opportunity to develop incredibly transferrable and desirable skills in investigation and data analysis.

You are also preparing yourself for a potential career within the academic sector. These roles include a lecturer of higher education or a university researcher.

Stand out from the crowd with postgraduate study.

Far fewer people have postgraduate degrees than undergraduate qualifications. This gives you something extra to set yourself apart in a competitive graduate job market. Those with a postgraduate qualification will earn an average of £8,000 a year more than those with only an undergraduate degree. (Department For Education Graduate Labour Market Report 2019)

Our careers service, LaunchPad, provides career support tailored to your ambitions. Through this service you can access:

• Employer events
• LinkedIn, CV and cover letter sessions
• Workshops on application writing and interview skills
• Work experience and volunteering opportunities
• Personalised career advice

This support does not end when you graduate. You can access our expert career advice for the rest of your life. We will help you gain the experience and confidence you need to succeed.