Education with Leadership and Management MA

Postgraduate degree

Develop an expert understanding of educational leadership, enhance your skills and advance your career in an educational setting with our master’s in education leadership. This online MA Education Leadership and Management offers the flexibility to study around your life commitments.

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Key facts about your online degree

How you'll study

This course is studied 100% online

Application deadline

Our next deadline is 27th May 2026

Course length

Choose to study over 1 or 2 years

Fees: £9,000

Payment plans available

Start dates

Start in January or September

Course overview

This 100% online MA Education Leadership and Management is ideal if you're passionate about driving education forward. You’ll deepen your understanding of leadership and management in education, enhance your research and operational skills, and apply your learning directly to your workplace. National and international approaches to educational leadership are explored, helping you reflect on the connections between theory, policy and practice.

Specialist tutors will support you as you develop critical thinking and create sophisticated academic arguments, while tailoring your studies and research project to your professional interests. The course supports career progression into roles such as management, mentoring, lecturing, consultancy or specialist coordination, and may lead to broader leadership positions including deputy head teacher or principal.

No prior leadership experience is required, though it may support your application, and part of the assessment requires reflection on a current place of work within a wider educational context, although this does not need to be your own.

Why choose this course?

Develop expert leadership, research and operational skills
Study flexibly around your professional and personal commitments
Tailor your studies and research project to your interests
Enhance your critical thinking and academic argumentation
Learn from specialist educational leaders and apply new theoretical frameworks directly to your workplace
Choose to study over 1 or 2 years depending on your other commitments

What you’ll gain

A deeper understanding of leadership and management in education
Skills in evaluating connections between theory, policy and practice
The ability to critique national and international educational research
Enhanced confidence in creating sophisticated academic arguments
Practical insight to improve your everyday professional practice
Knowledge that supports progression into leadership, mentoring or consultancy roles

Next application deadline: 27th May 2026

Apply now

Course modules and assessments

Core modules

Due to the structure of this course, there will be instances where you will study two modules simultaneously during a trimester. You will be supported by your tutors to help manage your workload and assessment deadlines.

Please contact one of our advisers to discuss the pacing of this course and the options available to match your circumstances.

Please also be aware that your start date will determine which modules you study. If you start in January you will study our Specialist Studies in Learning and Teaching module and if you join us in September you will study our Professional Enquiry for Education module.

Professional Enquiry for Education (September starts only)

This module offers you the opportunity to develop specialist knowledge and expertise in an area of personal and professional interest, relating to education. The notion of enquiry used in this module is broad and is intended to reflect the contributions which you bring to advanced study from both academic and professional contexts. You may pursue individual or small group enquiries, or a larger group of students may work with a specialist tutor to investigate an agreed subject area. The use of enquiry is based on approaches to learning that reflect a belief that our thoughts about the world and our ways of knowing are developed through our shared perceptions of it. Central to this is the use of critical thinking which underpins reflexive learning. Professional development is argued to be of particular value when it occurs through collaborative enquiry and dialogue. This module gives you the opportunity to engage in professional enquiry, which may be predominantly work based or exclusively literature based (in circumstances where you do not have access to a work setting or placement). The aim is to develop a deep understanding of factors which shape ways of thinking, working and learning in educational environments.

Specialist Studies in Learning and Teaching (January starts only)

This module is designed to enable you to explore a subject that is relevant to your role as a teacher in compulsory or post compulsory education. You'll be required to focus on one of the specialist areas provided by the course team and to work with other students to successfully achieve the learning outcomes. You will chose from a range of subject specialisms which will include but not necessarily be limited to: Developing Assessment for Learning in the classroom context Enhancing learning and teaching using learning technologies Supporting students with Special Educational Needs Outdoor Learning Critical Education and Social Justice Students will be expected to work collaboratively with their peers to meet the learning outcomes and will be expected to demonstrate a high level of theoretical and applied knowledge and skills. The module is informed by a sociocultural view of learning which emphasises the dynamic process of knowledge construction in which staff and students collaborate and share new knowledge. The module also requires you to maintain the important connections between theory and practice, in that practice is understood as dynamic and emergent. The module will provide you with the tools to develop a critical understanding of the perspective which can be applied to analyse and evaluate your own and others' practice in any kind of educational institution or situation, including the workplace.

In addition the module will help you to take forward your understanding of learning, and help you begin to consider what that might mean for your approach to pedagogy. To help with this, the module introduces you to ideas and tools to use to interrogate your own and others' practice in order to further develop your view of learning and begin to relate it to practice and pedagogy. The learning experience will be through guided study where tutors will support the students to explore and analyse conflicting evidence, approaches and theoretical viewpoints in the chosen area. They will also explore and analyse the nature of conflicting evidence, and ways in which that evidence is communicated to the workforce and society.

Leading Education

Designed to deepen your understanding of educational leadership both nationally and internationally. Engage in theory and wider research with relation to leadership and management, including change management, performance evaluation and improvement planning. You’ll use key indicators and knowledge and understanding of benchmarking performance in order to identify an area of practice that would benefit from improvement. This practice does not necessarily need to be within your own organisation and can be linked to education in a broader sense. By the end of the module, you’ll have a rooted understanding of key principles within educational leadership, leadership for social justice and the importance of context within leadership.

Into ARU

Entering third level education is exciting; but it can also be a daunting experience. At ARU, we want all students to make the most of the opportunities Higher Education provides, so they reach their potential, become lifelong learners, and find fulfilling careers. However, we appreciate that the shift from secondary education, or a return to formal education is, in itself, quite a journey. This module is designed to ease that transition. You'll be enrolled on it as soon as you receive an offer from ARU so you can begin to learn about university life before your course starts. Through Into ARU, you will explore a virtual land modelled around ARU values: Courage, Innovation, Community, Integrity, Responsibility, and Ambition. This innovative module is designed as a game, where you collect knowledge and complete various mini tasks. You will proceed at your own pace, though we expect all students to have completed their ‘Into ARU’ exploration by week 6. Students who, for whatever reason, are unable to complete by that date, will be signposted to existing services so that we can be confident that they are supported.

Developing Educational Research

You’ll be supported to develop a high quality research proposal to implement for your postgraduate major project. A workbook approach will guide you through the various elements you’ll need to consider during the process of planning and preparation for a small-scale educational research study. There will be opportunities to discuss your ideas with your tutor and peers and to present your developing research proposal for feedback. You’ll also learn by giving constructive feedback to your peers. By the end of the module, you’ll be prepared to submit an application for ethical review, to the appropriate research ethics panel, and to embark upon research for the postgraduate major project.

Postgraduate Major Project in Education

The Major Project enables you to demonstrate your ability to raise significant and meaningful questions in relation to your specialism which may involve working at the current limits of theoretical and/or research understanding. It will involve the ability to develop solutions to ethical dilemmas likely to arise in your research or professional practice. Gaining an understanding of an appropriate methodology, appropriate methods and an ability to draw meaningful and justifiable conclusions from information that may be complex or contradictory. Expand or redefine your existing knowledge, to develop new approaches to changing workplace situations and/or to contribute to the development of best practice. You’ll communicate these processes in a clear and elegant fashion, and evaluate your work from the perspective of an autonomous reflective learner. Research topics will be negotiated with your appointed supervisor. The project may take the form of a written dissertation, a formal presentation and full research paper, an exhibition, a performance, an artefact or the development of software, or other written, aural or visual material. The project may be formed from a combination of these modes but will normally include a written component.

Optional modules

You must also successfully complete one of the following optional modules (subject to availability).

Exploring Educational Research

Designed to familiarise you with the various research approaches that you may read about, critique and use during your Masters course and beyond. It will provide a forum for exploring, discussing and evaluating different types of education research. You’ll have the opportunity to: look at a range of research methodologies; to find, read and review research studies; and to discuss the relevance of research for practice in education across different sectors (from birth to life-long learning). You’ll be encouraged to learn about research methodologies and methods through critical reflection on published work.

Montessori Method: Child, Adult and Environment

Gain further insight in the Montessori method which is a widely recognised pedagogical approach around the world. The approach is inspired by ‘integral humanism’, which considers children as unique individuals fully able to act with freedom, dignity, and intelligence. It considers Montessori from a historical perspective, her contributions to early childhood and offers the opportunity of exploration of Montessori through contemporary perspectives. Mindful of the importance of the child as an agent of change, you’ll consider the role of the adult and the environment in supporting children in reaching their full potential. Montessori considered leadership at different social levels, literature is considered through the lens of leadership and reflecting on these ideas, encouraging you to develop a personal philosophy of professionalism, that blends individual strengths and interests with the needs of colleagues, parents/families, and the children in their care. Together, these strands will support you, as a Montessori practitioner, to develop a firm but broad foundation for reflective and reflexive practice in Montessori education.

Intervention for Special Educational Needs and Disability

This module explores main areas of special educational need and disability, and personalised intervention that is inclusive of stakeholders, underpinned by the principle of equality of opportunity. You’ll consider the tension between identification of need and the philosophy of inclusion, and implications of Quality First Teaching within new frameworks and for sustaining children/young adults in the 0-25 years age range in their communities. Areas of need explored will include communication and interaction, cognition and learning, emotional, social and mental health, and sensory and physical needs. Implications will be considered for children/young adults with some specific conditions, for example autism, dyslexia, and ADHD, with critical consideration of implications for the child and family, and approaches to intervention.

Early Childhood: Principles, Practice and Professionalism

This module encourages you to view your experiences of early childhood education and care through different lenses in order to extend the insights they may bring to the workplace. It considers childhood from a range of historical and contemporary perspectives, including ideas and principles from pioneer early educators and from more recent theories and approaches. Different curricula and pedagogies are explored to support better understandings of the foundations and development of present-day practices, mindful of the importance of the role of educators and of indoor and outdoor play experiences. The dynamics of leadership are studied, in light of these ideas, encouraging you to develop a personal philosophy of professionalism that blends individual strengths and interests with the needs of co leagues, parents/families, and the children in their care. Together, these three strands will support the practitioner, or intending practitioner, to develop a firm but broad foundation for reflective and reflexive practice in early childhood education.

Key Issues and Themes in Education

This module examines current key issues and themes in education. It explores principles of teaching and learning, the derivation and design of the curriculum and the role of schools and other education settings within the wider community. You’ll engage with national strategies, frameworks and international dimensions and explore the processes and complexities of teaching and learning. The module will cover the following broad themes and will prepare you for the negotiated study module and the postgraduate major project. Learning and teaching, leadership, mentoring and coaching, learning and knowledge technology, social justice and equality in education.

Education Technology: Design, Policy and Practice

The use of digital technology has become fundamental to education provision and practice. In this module you’ll be introduced to important topics within the field and addresses some key and often little considered issues about the ever-expanding use of digital technologies in education. You'll explore the use of digital technologies in diverse educational settings and consider crucial inquiries regarding education and technology. The module questions whether digital technology can transform the process and purpose of education. You’ll investigate whether there is adequate evidence to support the purported benefits of digital technology in education, with the latest technological developments, such as AI, analysed from an educational context. With digital technology being more ubiquitous than ever, you’ll also explore its sociological, historical, and even pedagogical influences in education theory and practice. You'll also look at whether there is a need for new theories to help explain the effects of it all.

Modules are subject to change and availability.

How you’ll be assessed

Instead of sitting exams, you’ll benefit from individual and collaborative assessments, including research projects and presentations. You’ll also complete an extended evaluation of issues applied directly to your specific interests and context.

How you'll study

100% Online study

Dedicated support

Study online and graduate on campus

Our Education with Leadership and Management MA is studied 100% online.

You’ll study through Canvas, our world-class online Learning Management System (LMS), which can be accessed from your phone, PC or tablet at home or on the move. Canvas provides instant access to study materials, forums, and support from tutors and classmates, as well as enabling easy submission of your assignments.

You can choose to study our MA Education with Leadership and Management over 1 or 2 years. Please note that if you choose the 1-year option this is the equivalent of full-time study and may be a challenge if you’re employed full-time or have other life commitments. Our advisers will be happy to talk through your options in more detail.

On successful completion of your studies you’ll be invited to attend a graduation ceremony on campus. If attending the ceremony in person is not possible then we’ll arrange to have your certificate sent to you.

Entry requirements

What you’ll need to start this course

You’re expected to have a first degree, with honours, at a minimum final classification of Lower Second (2:2) or equivalent.

You will be required to obtain a satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check through the University.

If you have lived outside of the UK for 6 months or more within the last 5 years, then you will need to provide a police check from the country/countries previously resided in.

If you are completing placements overseas you will be required to obtain a police check/certificate of good conduct from the relevant country.

If English is not your first language you will be expected to demonstrate a certificated level of proficiency of at least IELTS 6.5 (Academic level) or equivalent English Language qualification, as recognised by ARU.

As a distance learner, you’ll also need a suitable computer with internet connection, together with sufficient IT competence to make effective use of word processing, internet and email.

Please note: Our published entry requirements are a guide only and our decision will be based on your overall suitability for the course as well as whether you meet the minimum entry requirements. Other equivalent qualifications may be accepted for entry to this course, please contact us for further information.

Fees and Funding

Fees

The full tuition fee for this course is £9,000.

The tuition fees you pay each year will be between £4,500 and £9,000 depending on how long you take to complete the course. You can choose to study our MA Education Leadership and Management in either 1 or 2 years.

Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) may reduce the tuition fees. This will be confirmed once your application has been submitted. Please note that APL may affect your eligibility for a postgraduate loan.

Funding

Your course can be fully funded by the Postgraduate Student Loans now available (subject to eligibility).

We offer payment by instalments, so you can spread the cost of studying with us.

For military students: You can use your ELCs towards this course. ARU is a recognised ELCAS provider (number 1007). Please contact your Learning Centre for details of ELC, eligibility and how to apply.

For more information on how you fund your studies please see our funding page.

What our students say

of our Alumni would recommend studying with ARU Distance Learning

found studying via distance learning either ‘very accessible’ or ‘quite accessible’

felt ‘much more confident’ or 'more confident’ at work

2026 Alumni survey with 268 respondents

I would recommend ARU in a heartbeat. The material is at the cutting edge, the tutors are at the top of their game, and the support is second to none.

Professor Sleator, MBA Alumni

Read Roy's story

The support services were always willing to help and there was always lots of positive communication from ARU which felt inclusive and made remote learning feel less remote!

Daniel, Healthcare Alumni

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I was able to fit the course around my work and it gave me the skills and confidence to go for a leadership job, and I haven’t looked back.

Emily, Management Alumni

Read Emily's story

ARU is very supportive. Staff understand students’ needs and provide an excellent service to them.

Shipa, Education Alumni

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Awards and recognition

Be part of the University of the Year

We're proud to be the Times Higher Education (THE) University of the Year 2023. The prestigious THE awards honour ’exceptional performance during the 2021-22 academic year, and reflect ARU’s success in delivering high-impact projects during this period, despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The award recognises the difference we make in the region and our communities – while also acknowledging the broader impact of our world-leading research, and the contributions our students and graduates make to society.

Supported distance learning

We understand that distance learning is different to traditional campus study and if you’re new to online study you may have concerns or apprehensions about studying your Masters in Education Leadership remotely, and that’s natural.

To help put your mind at ease we have a dedicated Distance Learning Support Team to help and support you throughout your time at ARU, starting with your first online induction and staying with you right through to graduation. In addition, you’ll also be supported by specialist educational leadership tutors, well experienced in supporting distance learning students.

Once you start your Masters in Education Leadership, we encourage the creation of online communities and many of our learners find these connections with others invaluable, helping them to stay motivated, share concerns or make new friendships.

Visit our support page to learn more about our support services.

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Careers

Everything you need to know about building your career in education

What could an Education with Leadership & Management MA do for my career?

With our course, you’ll build the foundations for your next career move and gain skills that will allow you to progress into senior roles.

This course will give directions to your ambitions by equipping you with the knowledge to handle the challenges of leadership in education. You’ll explore factors like change management, performance evaluation and improvement planning, and learn to identify areas for improvement, as well as responding to opportunities for change and evaluating situations to find solutions.

And with your Major Project, you’ll not only have the opportunity to put into practice your learning regarding research methodologies, but a chance to explore areas of interest relevant to your ambitions and develop your specialist knowledge.

As you study through our distance learning platform, you’ll develop skills and explore concepts which will help you grow in your current role whilst sowing the seeds for future development and progression. As this online masters in education leadership fits flexibly around your work, you’ll be able to implement your learnings in your workplace as you study, whilst gaining the skills to pursue your future career. Whether you aspire to managerial or consultancy positions, or are aiming for a Head of Subject, Head of Year, Principal or Headteacher role, this course will equip you with a range of essential skills to lead in education.

Whether you have extensive experience in education or are newly embarking in your career in education, this course will hone your existing abilities to prepare you for a promising future in management and leadership.

What job roles can I consider with an Education with Leadership & Management MA postgraduate degree?

An Education with Leadership & Management MA can lead to a wide range of career opportunities. For those already working in an education leadership role, this MA will strengthen their knowledge and authority. Subject or phase leaders will deepen their understanding of leadership and may look towards management, mentoring or consultancy roles. Teachers who are starting their careers could use this course to help springboard them to specialist co-ordinator positions and advance their career.

What skills will I get from an Education with Leadership & Management MA to help my career?

Choosing to study an Education with Leadership & Management MA will give you many transferable skills; here are just some of them:

The ability to work independently as well as part of a team
Improve your verbal and written communication skills
Develop your critical and creative thinking skills
Master your presentation skills
Hone your research and project management
Increase your self-confidence.

What can I study after an Education with Leadership & Management MA?

Careers Advice Service

Once you become an ARU student you will be able to access our Employability service to help you whatever stage of your career, whether that’s landing your dream job or the next progression step.

We offer:

careers advice, including one-to-one online and telephone appointments with our experienced advisers
help with your CV, job searches, applications, and interview preparation
an online portal packed with useful careers resources
our Employability Programme, which helps you hone the skills employers say they want in graduates.

FAQs

A selection of popular questions

Why study a Masters in Education Leadership?

At ARU, we offer a range of postgraduate distance learning courses in the field of education that will develop your specialist knowledge and help you advance your career, whatever your goals.

But if you have aspirations towards management, our Education with Leadership and Management MA is the course for you.

This online Masters degree is designed to nurture your ambitions and give you the necessary leadership skills to succeed in a range of educational environments, broadening your understanding of the field and giving you the tools to make an impact as a leader, driving change in a vital sector. Through examining different educational contexts and educational settings, you’ll be prepared for a wide range of roles and have the chance to focus on developing your skills in areas that matter to you.

What will I learn with an online MA in Educational Leadership?

Throughout this masters programme, you’ll build on your existing experience in education to further your current skillset, developing knowledge and exploring new disciplines to further your potential, and open doors to the next step in your career.

This course will explore national and international perspectives and approaches to education, to expand your understanding of current issues in the sector. You’ll also learn about theory and policy, and the impact of these in practice to build a full picture of external factors which affect your role as a leader in education.

Our online Masters in education leadership also gives you the chance to explore existing research, and the role that research plays within the field of education, to better understand your role as an educator or education leader, and explore possibilities and potential in the development of the sector.

This course will also examine contemporary issues in education, such as the impact of technology, and how it can be used to further teaching methods. You’ll also learn a range of additional skills to complement your practical knowledge in the field – for instance, in certain modules you’ll have the opportunity to collaborate remotely with peers on group projects. This is crucial, as a key part of leadership and management is to facilitate teamwork.

With a broad range of practical and personal skills, this course will equip you for the challenges of educational leadership and management.

Why study a Masters in Education Leadership as a distance learning degree?

Distance learning is designed to be fully flexible around your career, and perfect for UK and international students alike. As well as giving you the freedom to set your own study schedule, you’ll also have the chance to apply your learning in your day-to-day role and improve your effectiveness as an educator and team player.

Our online Masters in Education Leadership and Management nurtures independent learning while giving you the full support of your tutors to rely on. And with an online Masters in Education Leadership, you’re in complete control of your learning, your time and your career.

Take the next step with ARU.

Take the next step, apply today

Next application deadline: 27th May 2026

Your future, on your terms. Apply now before the application deadline.

Apply now