Educational Leadership and Management MBA

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

Course duration

Choose to study over 1 or 2 years

Start dates

Start in January or September

Application deadline

Our next deadline is 27th May 2026

Fees: £11,700

Payment plans available

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

Modules

Leading Educational Change and Improvement

Strategic Management in Education

Professional Enquiry in Education

Developing Effective Management Systems

You will engage in a process of critical evaluation and analysis to focus upon systems for managing information, relationships including staff and stakeholders, communication and reporting. The effective management of knowledge facilitates efficient leadership and management in relation to staff, stakeholders, finance, facilities and measures for dealing with wider policy issues. You will focus on internal and external systems in order to engage in a meaningful review of your own organisation whilst drilling down to evaluate procedural systems and the effectiveness of information management.

Research Methodology for Learning and Teaching

Major Project

The Major Project is central to the Masters award. You will demonstrate your ability to synthesise learning from previous modules and use this learning as the basis for planning, conducting and writing up a research or work-based project. This project provides you with the opportunity to demonstrate:

Your ability to raise significant and meaningful questions in relation to your subject
Depth of knowledge
Critical understanding of research methods and their relationship to knowledge
The ability to develop solutions to ethical dilemmas likely to arise in your research or professional practice
The ability to draw meaningful and justifiable conclusions from information which may be complex or contradictory
The capability to expand or redefine existing knowledge to develop new approaches to changing situations and contribute to the development of good practice
The ability to communicate these processes in a clear and sophisticated fashion
The capability to evaluate your work from the perspective of an autonomous reflective learner.

Modules are subject to change and availability.

How you’ll be assessed

You'll be assessed in a variety of ways. Individual, creative responses to the tasks are welcomed but they’ll also give you the chance to refine your academic writing skills. Assessments will mainly be written, focused on practice and drawn upon evidence from practice in line with the subject benchmarks of the MBA.

How you'll study

100% Online study

Dedicated support

Study online and graduate on campus

Our Medical and Healthcare Education PG Cert 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.

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

Applicants should normally have a good first degree or National College ADSBM and have a minimum of three years' experience of employment in a related field

International students will be required to demonstrate the university standard of English language (IELTS) at Level 6.5 (including written English) prior to commencement on a course. Students who do not meet this requirement will be advised to seek support from Anglia Ruskin University's Language Centre.

Applicants should be working within an educational context within a role that includes leadership and Management responsibility.

We will also consider applicants seeking entry to this course with at least five years leadership and management in education, through experiential learning.

You will need to provide evidence that a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance has been undertaken.

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

As a distance learner, you'll also need a suitable computer with internet connection, together with sufficient IT competence to make effective use of our online learning management system (LMS) with high-speed 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.

Fees and Funding

Fees

The full tuition fee for this course is £11,700.

The tuition fees you pay each year for the full Educational Leadership and Management MBA will be £5,850. The course is studied over 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 masters in educational leadership and management 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. Anglia Ruskin University 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.

Meet your course leader

Phil Kirkman

Principle Lecturer

Phil Kirkman was previously a Subject Lecturer and International Projects Consultant at the University of Cambridge, UK. Before this, Phil worked for over a decade as a department leader, pastoral manager and teacher in UK secondary schools. He regularly leads events for education professionals in the UK and internationally and has consulted on Curriculum and Pedagogy for several Education NGO's and Government Departments. Phil's current research interests include educational technologies, innovative pedagogy, dialogic education and practitioner research.

What our students say

ARU has allowed me to achieve my personal and professional ambitions. It’s worth every penny of the tuition fees. I self-funded my course and I’ve had no regrets investing in my career.

Dio, Healthcare Alumni

Read Dio's story

It was a great opportunity to learn from experienced professors, engage in stimulating discussions, and expand one’s worldview from an academic lens to accompany my work experience.

Michael, MBA Alumni

Read Michael's story

The distance-learning mode helped a lot, as I was able to manage my job, family life and study in the comfort of my home whilst still developing my career.

Shipa, Education Alumni

Read Shipa's story

The Educational Leadership and Management MBA introduced me to new concepts, ideas, and people; significantly broadening my network and sphere of influence.

Professor Sleator, MBA Alumni

Read Roy's story

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 part of your MBA educational leadership online, 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 and management tutors, well experienced in supporting distance learning students.

Once you start your MBA education, 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 healthcare

What could an MBA Educational Leadership and Management do for my career?

This course is for you if you are already work in education, in a junior, mid-level, or senior leadership role and wish to progress your knowledge and understanding of leadership theory and application to the educational sector.

This course is also appropriate for ambitious teachers who have their sights firmly set on leadership from the start and want to gain the deep understanding of strategic planning, leading teams, and implementing and managing change. This postgraduate qualification will give you the knowledge, confidence and recognition to progress quickly in your career.

What job roles can I consider with an MBA Education postgraduate degree?

Graduates will already be working in the education sector either in schools, further education, higher education or in an educational role within the public sector. This course will help you to progress to more senior roles, such as those described below, potentially with more training and experience depending on the starting point:

Subject or Curriculum Leader
Specialist Co-ordinator
Director of Professional Development
Senior Administrator
Assistant or Deputy Principal
Headteacher or Principal
Education Consultant

What skills will I get from an MBA Education to help my career?

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

Develop an enquiring, reflective and innovative approach
Cultivate problem-solving and creative thinking skills
Critically evaluate situations and implement measurable improvement
Strategically plan and lead teams through change
Develop systems-level understanding and implement changes across all levels
Contribute beyond yourself and your Immediate organisation to contribute to the wider sector and conversation

What can I study after an MBA Education?

Careers Advice Service

Once you become an ARU student you will be able to access our Employability Service to help you whatever stage 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 an Educational Leadership & Management MBA?

Education is an essential part of our society, one which has the power to shape young minds, empower adult learners and craft bright futures.

And educational leaders and managers are vital to the field. With their knowledge and experience, managing personnel at all levels of education are crucial in mobilising educators against the challenges of a demanding – yet rewarding – role.

If you have experience in education and want to discover new ways to make a difference in your field, or are starting your career as a Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT) and want to expand your prospects, this course will give you the skills to make a positive impact through leadership.

As part of this degree, you’ll develop the research and analytical skills to assess problems head-on and find answers to the pressing challenges of education, as well as honing your decision-making and organisational skills, and learning to build strategies that lead students and teachers to success.

What will I learn on this MBA educational leadership course?

With an MBA in educational management, you’ll master the requisite leadership skills to handle organisational supervision at a crucial time for education. This course will teach you the skills to make the most of teams and individuals, maximise efficiency and boost results across the board through insightful and emotionally intelligent leadership.

You’ll develop your research skills to evaluate everyday problems in education and devise evidence-based solutions. You’ll improve your understanding of education systems and have the opportunity to examine issues relevant to your interest, developing your own unique approach and learning to innovate.

You’ll also learn about the role of management systems in education and come to understand how to navigate real issues such as staffing and finance. This course will give you the necessary understanding to harness these tools in order to creative effective, productive and successful educational environments.

With our distance learning format, you’ll also master a number of soft skills, including organisation, time management and digital literacy. All of these skills are highly valuable to employers and will prepare you for the challenges of your future career.

This course will give you the tools for leadership, management, problem-solving and empowerment in a vital field, expanding your theoretical knowledge and giving you the confidence to put it into practice. If you want to become an educational leader with the ability to inspire, this is the course for you.

Who studies this MBA leadership and management course?

Our courses welcome students from a range of backgrounds, with varying levels of experience. But our Educational Leadership & Management MBA students are united by their passion for teaching and a desire to drive success at all levels of education.

Many students who undertake this course already have some experience in educational leadership and may be looking to take their career to the next level and build on their existing knowledge. Others have educational experience but are new to leadership positions and want to reach their full potential, and understand what it takes to drive results.

This course also welcomes teachers as early as NQT level, meaning that whether you’re an experienced leader or aspiring educational manager in the early stages of your career, this course gives you the chance to build a strong foundation for your future leadership role.

Whatever your background, this course will give you the skills to achieve excellence in academia by inspiring change from the top and finding solutions where they’re needed.

Why study an MBA educational management online with ARU?

This course is a distance learning degree that fits around your career whilst giving you the skills to improve in the workplace from day one.

With a work-focused programme of study, you’ll be able to put your learning into practice to enact change from the beginning of your course whilst gaining the skills for long-term planning. You’ll learn from a range of modules that will teach you to handle the challenges of organisational management and help you create and achieve your vision through strategy. And with your Major Project module, you’ll have the chance to combine and utilise your learning in an area of interest relevant to your career goals.

When you study an Educational Leadership & Management MBA online with ARU, you’ll also have the freedom to set a study schedule that works for you, whilst enjoying full support from your tutors whenever you need it. And thanks to our Employability Service, you’ll also have career support after graduation.

This course is designed for full flexibility so you can grow in your role and maximise your potential as a leader in education. Your next step is right here.

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