MA Education - Early Years
If you are looking to develop your early years career and enhance your understanding of leadership and quality then this course is perfect for you. It offers an opportunity to focus specifically on developing early years practice and leadership with assessments structured to enable you to focus on areas of early years practice you are specifically interested in.
Increase your knowledge and understanding of quality and early years leadership
Apply now for this course
Entry requirements
An undergraduate degree is usually required, however admission on the grounds of experience is considered for highly experienced applicants
Accreditation of prior, certificated learning can be given for up to 120 credits for relevant Masters' study undertaken within the last five years.
UCAS code Apply to Marjon
UCAS institution code P63
Duration One year full-time or two years part-time
Any questions about postgraduate study at Marjon?
Contact Rachel Bailey-Lewis, our Student Recruitment Officer (Postgraduate).
Course Summary
Our MA Education (Early Years) provides opportunities for practitioners across a wide range of contexts to research and apply theory to practice in order to drive improvements in their current professional settings. The course offers flexibility for busy professionals to engage in postgraduate study. It can be studied either part-time or full-time at our Plymouth campus to fit in with professional and family commitments.
Our MA Education (Early Years) shares a number of modules with our MA Education programme but also has modules that are unique to early years creating a unique learning opportunity for students.
The course ethos is informed, first and foremost, by a renowned student-centred approach focusing on developing and enhancing professionals’ practice and specific subject expertise, which allows you to identify your own research focus.
Why this course at Marjon?
An individual student-centred approach with outstanding support from a community of expert tutors
Flexible modules which enable students to develop their subject and research focus
Opportunities to join an inter-disciplinary Masters’ community for the sharing of innovative ideas and practice
A flexible and practice-centred approach developed to support the needs of busy professionals
Taught by highly experienced expert tutors
Unique focus on quality and leadership in the early years
Modules for this course
1st Year
Notions of Quality in Early Years Practice
Transforming Early Years Practice: Facilitating Reflective Learning
Independent Study
Research design
Dissertation
This course is perfect if you’re curious about...
What does quality look like in early years settings?
What is the best style of leadership for early years settings?
How do I embed ethics across my practice with young children?
How do I develop reflective practice in my work?
How do I develop research ideas to explore something that matters to me and/or my employer?
What might you become?
In general terms, a Masters’ degree can enable career progression in a highly competitive market place and promote career mobility. Career opportunities will vary according to students’ fields of work, but holders of a Masters’ degree can expect to demonstrate highly flexible and transferable skills such as high levels of initiative, leadership of learning and mastery of a subject area. Previous graduates have gone on to set up their own early years settings and obtained managerial / leadership roles in early years settings.
How you’ll be taught and assessed?
How will you be taught?
The course is delivered to fit in with your work, through distance learning, focusing on 1:1 tutorials, practice-based conversations at your workplace, professional focus groups, Saturday workshops and occasional key-note lectures at our campuses in Plymouth. Hours per week vary depending on work, life and family commitments.
How will you be assessed?
The key assessment methodology is action research, taking the form of small practice-focused projects, a research proposal poster and a final-stage research dissertation. You'll use evaluative, investigative, and/or analytical methods to diagnose problems or weaknesses and to develop practical solutions to address them quickly and efficiently. You also undertake a patchwork assessment that builds over the course.
My interests and involvement in the curriculum are generally aligned to research practices, these include, research design, ethical considerations, methodology and analysis. I enjoy being involved in pedagogical discussions that include environment factors ranging from the setting, to the individual mindset of people in education.
Fees and funding
Fees UK students: £8,000 per annum
Fees for International students: £14,500 per annum
This fee covers your tuition and access to course-specific equipment and facilities, as well associated services including access to the library, study skills support, IT support, student support and wellbeing services and membership of the Student Union. There may be additional costs by course.
Funding available for this course
Our Student Funding Advisors offer confidential and impartial advice about your funding options.
Learn moreLecturers
Hannah is a former SureStart Children's Centre Manager, Nursery Manager and Early Years Professional, assessor and mentor. She is particularly interested in Early Years, Play, Inclusion and Leadership.
My interests and involvement in the curriculum are generally aligned to research practices, these include, research design, ethical considerations, methodology and analysis. I enjoy being involved in pedagogical discussions that include environment factors ranging from the setting, to the individual mindset of people in education.
Apply now for this course
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