Overview

Who this course is for

If you’re a teacher or an educator looking to move into a leadership role within an education organisation, this course is for you. It will give you vital knowledge and skills to take your career to the next level, empowering you to lead with confidence and have a real impact.

What you will learn

Gain a deep understanding of theories, research, intellectual debates, and best practice from across the globe.
Reflect on how these could apply to your own practice.
Develop higher-order thinking skills to inspire you as a leader of education.
Apply educational leadership skills and find solutions to real-world problems from local and global education organisations.

Where and when you will study

This online, part-time master's means you can study from anywhere in the world and fit it around your day-to-day life. You will be expected to learn while you continue to work, and to use examples from your work throughout your study.

You will complete four taught units in year one, followed by two taught units and a research project in year two. You'll learn through a mix of interactive teaching and have plenty of opportunities to work collaboratively with your peers.

How it will benefit your career

Gain a deep understanding of theories, research, intellectual debates, and best practice from across the globe.
Reflect on how these could apply to your own practice.
Develop higher-order thinking skills to inspire you as a leader of education.
Apply educational leadership skills and find solutions to real-world problems from local and global education organisations.

Key information

Duration
2 years
Dates
September 2025
Location
This part-time master's programme is delivered through a blended learning format, with workshops in Dubai.
Admissions
A good honours degree (minimum 2:1) or the overseas equivalent.
An initial qualification in teaching, or at least one year's professional experience in a public or private educational organisation, are desirable but not essential requirements. Applicants with a 2:2 will be considered if they have at least three years teaching experience.
IELTS Test score of 6.5 (or equivalent) if English is not your first language.
Contact
elip.me@manchester.ac.uk / +971 (0)4 446 8664

Course units

Models of Educational Leadership

Explore conceptualising educational leadership practice as adjectival models
Consider what this means in diverse international contexts
Examine and evaluate a range of key models

Leading Educational Change

Examining what is meant by ‘change’
Counter-productive and productive motivators for and mechanisms for change
Critical perspective on leading change

In this unit, you'll examine how notions of ‘change’ are located within ideological, political and epistemological contexts and structures and how the ‘school effectiveness and school improvement’ movement exemplifies this. You'll develop critical skills on how reform agendas require problematisation to evaluate how they may disrupt or reproduce inequities. In other words, who benefits from the proposed changes? Who loses? What can be done about that as a leader? What place do values have in the proposed changes? Whose values are they?

more info

Education Policy and Leadership

What is policy and how is it ‘done’?
Policy architecture
Welfarism, social democracy and neoliberalism as policy architecture

This unit focusses on how international discourses variously enable or hinder certain policies and/or reform agendas. You'll examine the role of educational leadership in policy reform, welfarism and The Great Reform Movement (GERM). You'll demonstrate an understanding of education policy in and for understanding educational leadership and its relationship to wider changes at both national and international levels. You'll show an understanding of key ideas underpinning changes and developments in education policy and in education policy that concerns leaders.

more info

Educational Leadership as a Social Practice

Educational leadership practice in a globalising education system
Getting and doing the job
Using research evidence

After completing this unit you'll be able to demonstrate an understanding of the literature sources and issues related to collaborative practice and have an enhanced appreciation of the opportunities of, and barriers to, collaboration. You'll develop links between your learning and practice. You'll contribute to debates about research in educational leadership in a range of different contexts and from different perspectives, with a specific focus on collaboration and conduct a small-scale investigation in a systematic manner. You'll reflect on your own practice and think about how your learning might influence their professional work.

more info

Optional Course Units

Digital Technologies and Educational Leadership
Leadership of International Schools

Leadership of International Schools unit is arranged into four themes:

Theme 1: Historical overview and Examining internationalism and Global Citizenship

The birth and expansion of international schools.
How notions of ‘internationalism and Global Citizenship’ are located within ideological, political and epistemological contexts and structures.
How international schools and related bodies extoll and promote this.

Theme 2: A critical perspective on implementing emancipatory education

How private school organisation requires problematisation to evaluate how they may disrupt or reproduce inequities.
In other words, who benefits from the proposed changes? Who loses? What can be done about that as a leader? What place do values have in the proposed changes? Whose values are they?
How state sector professional preparation fails to equip leaders with the critical tools for high-stakes independent leadership.

Theme 3: Problematic influencers of change in international settings

Overarching responsibility.
Permanent transformation.
Balkanisation.
Cultural considerations.
How these impact teacher professionalism, motivation and retention.

Theme 4: Productive motivators for leading internationally

Human rights and educational focus.
Breaking down hierarchies – working to develop educational values.
Global Citizenship Education as leadership discourse.

more info

Independent Supervised Study/Project

Research Skills and the application of research to professional practice (30 credits)
Project-based enquiry (30 credits)

Structure

Our online learning MA in Educational Leadership in Practice caters to the training needs of professionals around the world, whether you're looking to enhance your skills in leadership within schools or further your career in this area.

Successful leaders in education require a wide range of transferable skills and subject-specific knowledge in areas such as in education and social policy, leading organisational and educational change.

During your study with us, you will have the opportunity to study online with two face-to-face conferences and workshops each year. These conferences are held at The University of Manchester, Middle East Centre and provide you with the opportunity to interact with industry peers and experts, review the new teaching units and learn from academics in a face-to-face setting.

The Master's teaching comprises of five core 20-credit units, one APL 20-credit unit or select an optional unit and a 60-credit research project.

Course learning aims

The course will equip you and develop:

A deep understanding of the theories, research and intellectual debates of the best leadership practice across the globe;
The oppportunity to develop networking opportunities with educational leaders in academia and within the sector;
A personal development plan for the year ahead;
The skills and knowledge to be the positive change your educational organisation requires by developing a critical approach to educational leadership and not a functionalist one;
The skills to use collaborative tools for online interaction;
Flexible and relevant tranferable skills of leadership that educational leaders require in their career and beyond.

The aim of the MA is to equip you with the skills and knowledge that educators and other similar education practitioners require for a successful career in your education organisations. The course will offer you:

a balance between strategic focus, theoretical foundations and practical applications to apply directly into the workplace;
the chance to study a sector-inspired course that uses a Practice-Based-Learning approach;
practical experience is gained through the use of case studies and other hands-on activities, requiring the ability to process and find solutions to real-world problems;
insight into recent research and experience in the sector.

Teaching and learning

The course is mostly delivered online, allowing you to study flexibly and at a pace that suits your own requirements and lifestyle.

You will also participate and attend a conference at the start of the year in our Manchester centre.

The course itself is taught from a critical and applied perspective, meaning practical elements such as problem solving and case studies will be able to be applied directly and immediately into your workplace.

Your teaching material and your study is via the University's e-learning system, which provides study materials, online resources and interactive online tutorial discussions with the module tutor and other course participants.

You benefit from access to the University's Library, with more than 25,000 electronic journals and 400,000 e-books.

Coursework and assessment

Each unit consists of 20 credits (excluding the final project) and requires a total of 150 hours of study per unit.

The units are mainly delivered in web-based format with each unit being studied over a three-month format period with a total of 150 hours of study (approximately 15 hours per week). There is also a three-day conference which takes place at the start of the teaching period each year.

There are no exams within the MA. Summative assessment comprises of individual and group courseworks, with two assessments per unit. We will provide online quizzes and activities through each unit as a method of formative assessments.

A final supervised project will consist of a 30-credit report on a literature or practice based enquiry. This will be an individual project whereby you will investigate some element of your educational leadership practice.

The remaining 30 credits will be made up of three of the University's Research Skills Modules:

Module 1 - Selecting and formulating a dissertation question/topic;
Module 2 - Study design and methodology;
Module 3 - Ethical, safety, social responsibility issues;

Each unit will be taught by an academic with extensive and valuable educational leadership experience delivering education courses nationally and globally.

While teaching on the course focuses on practical applications, it is informed by recent research and experience in the sector. A significant strength of our course is our institution access to research-led teaching and of the best collections of Manchester databases and learning materials in Europe.

Admissions Info

From your initial expression of interest right through to graduation, you’ll receive all the support you need. We can support you with enrolment and subject assistance, administrative logistics and fee options, online learning skills, workload management and special circumstances including a possible professional entry route.

Entry requirements

Academic entry qualification overview

A good honours degree (minimum 2:1) or the overseas equivalent. An initial qualification in teaching, or at least one year's professional experience in a public or private educational organisation, are desirable but not essential requirements.

Please provide two satisfactory professional or academic references and a copy of your CV detailing your full work experience. You will also need to provide a personal statement (approx. 500 words) detailing why you're interested in studying on the course.

English language

In the case of non-native speakers of English an IELTS profile of 6.5 overall with no less that 6.5 in the writing component and no other subsection below 6.0

TOEFL internet-based score of 90 or more overall, with a minimum writing score of 22 and no other section below 20.

Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English (CAE) or Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) overall score of 176 or above, with 176 in writing and no sub-section below 169

Grade C if taken before January 2015 (the Cambridge First Certificate in English is not acceptable).

Pearson test of English score of 59 or more overall, with a minimum writing score of 59 and no other subsection below 51.

English language test validity

Some English Language test results are only valid for two years. Your English Language test report must be valid on the start date of the course.

Application and selection

How to apply

Application Checklist

Complete and submit the online application form and upload the following documents:

Statement of Purpose (Essay)
Academic qualification documents
CV
One reference (academic reference or professional reference)
Evidence of English language proficiency (if applicable).

Click here to start your online application

Academic Qualification Documents

You will need to upload a scanned copy of your official degree with both transcript(s)/certificate(s). If your original document is not in English, you must provide a translation from a certified translator. If your degree is not from the UK, you need to provide the grading scale from the university where you are studying.

Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Your CV is an important part of our assessment and should also be uploaded with your application. Your CV/résumé should have a simple clear well-formatted layout, no more than two pages in length. Please make sure your CV includes the following information.

Academic credentials

Details of all your qualifications; including your Bachelor's degree, any Master's degree, postgraduate diplomas/specialisations and professional qualifications.
Professional experience

If you have work experience, please include the following: Each job you have taken since graduating from your undergraduate degree in reverse chronological order, starting with your current position. Include the month/year start and end date, company name and job title for each position undertaken.

Reference (one required)

We do not need to receive your reference at the same time as you submit your application, however we will normally need to receive at least one reference before making an offer. In the application form please provide the details of two people (referees) who have knowledge of your academic or professional ability and contact them to provide a reference for your application that you can upload with your application.

If you do not have professional experience, choose two lecturers or professors at your last University who can provide an academic reference. If you have professional experience you can select both referees from your area of work, or provide one academic and one work-related reference. If you are unable to provide a reference when submitting your application form we will send a reference template to your referees directly.

Evidence of English language competence

Please review the admissions requirements for details of our English language requirements for this programme and ensure that you submit the evidence required with your application. This is an important element of your application.

How your application is considered

We will review your application when it is complete, including the application form and all the required supporting documents (CV, degree transcript(s), evidence of English competence and at least one reference). We will assess your whole application against the entry requirements and if your application is complete, we will aim to give you a decision within two weeks.

APL

You can only take APL in place of one of the options if you have an equivalent course unit from prior study, or relevant professional experience (no older than 5 years) that maps with the learning outcomes of one of the optional course units.

You will need to formally apply and complete an application form which will include providing a portfolio of evidence to support your learning and experience. This goes to an academic panel for approval, and in exceptional cases, you may be called for interview to further demonstrate your learning and experience.

You can’t use credits from a University of Manchester degree for APL without rescinding your previous degree and you’re not able to use partial credits towards APL. They must come from a complete degree programme.

Please make initial informal enquiries to elip.me@manchester.ac.uk

Fees & Finance

Please find below the tuition fee for the MA Educational Leadership in Practice commencing September 2024. If you need any assistance or would like to speak to a course counsellor please contact us and we will be happy to help.

Total Tuition Fee - GBP 17,850 paid as follows:

		MA ELiP Fees
Total Course Fees	=	GBP 17,850
Upon Acceptance	=	GBP 1,000
Balance of 1st instalment for Sept 2025	=	GBP 3,462.5
2nd instalment for Feb 2026	=	GBP 4,462.5
3rd instalment for Sept 2026	=	GBP 4,462.5
4th instalment for Feb 2027	=	GBP 4,462.5

University of Manchester Alumni Bursary

If you have successfully graduated from a degree at the University of Manchester or UMIST, you can receive an alumni loyalty bursary, which is a 15% discount on the tuition fees that you are personally funding.

ESAAD card holder get 15% off on MA Educational Leadership in Practice.

Company sponsorship

Many companies sponsor employees on the Global Part-time MBA. We can help you put together a business case that outlines the benefits to your organisation. We can also schedule a meeting or call with your HR department to talk through the programme. Please get in touch with us to find out more. Click here to find out more about our corporate partnerships >>

0% interest instalment plan with Emirates NBD

Our students can pay the semester or entire fees using Emirates NBD credit card and get 6-12 months instalments at 0% interest.

One time AED 49 processing fee per transaction.
Log on to ENBD Online / Mobile Banking or Call 600 540000 to assist with the 0% interest instalment plan. More details are listed on this page
Students can apply for free for life Emirates NBD credit card thru this link
This offer is only valid for UAE residents

Part-time MA Educational Leadership in Practice

Overview

Who this course is for

What you will learn

Where and when you will study

How it will benefit your career

Key information

Course units

Models of Educational Leadership

Leading Educational Change

Education Policy and Leadership

Educational Leadership as a Social Practice

Optional Course Units

Independent Supervised Study/Project

Structure

Course learning aims

Teaching and learning

Coursework and assessment

Admissions Info

Entry requirements

Academic entry qualification overview

English language

Application and selection

How to applyApplication Checklist

Fees & Finance

Total Tuition Fee - GBP 17,850 paid as follows:

How to apply

Application Checklist