Education

Description

Why study MA (Hons) Education at Dundee?

Our MA (Hons) Education leads to a qualification to teach children in the 3-12 years age range (nursery and primary schools). This programme, developed in response to recent national recommendations and other developments in teacher education in Scotland, replaces the old traditional BEd Primary Education Programme.

Teaching is an exciting and rewarding occupation, requiring a variety of professional skills in communication, management and organisation. Teachers must be able to relate well to other people; exercise a considerable degree of understanding and patience; and rise to the physical, social and emotional demands that the job brings.

Nurturing a vibrant, dynamic, international and inter-disciplinary community is at the heart of what we do. Within the School of Education, Social Work and Community Education, the MA (Hons) Education Programme draws upon modules from across the University as well as offering shared interactive learning with students preparing for careers in social work and community learning and development. This is excellent preparation for interprofessional collaboration later in your career as a teacher.

What's so good about the MA (Hons) Education at Dundee?

Professional Experience

We have significant periods of professional practice in all years of the programme. These extensive placements will give you experience in a range of different settings including nursery, primary, secondary schools and other welfare settings.

A strength of our programme is the opportunity to undertake a placement in a location other than a school. This might, for example, be in a local ranger service, a community learning and development project or indeed a placement abroad. You will have the opportunity to plan this yourself.

Professional Accreditation

This programme is accredited by the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS).

Student Support

We currently have a 'Buddy System' in which students from other years team up with first year groups to help them settle into the campus and the programme.

The University's Welcome Week allows you to get to know the University, the School and each other before classes begin in earnest.

You will be assigned a personal tutor/Director of Studies, who will play a part in helping you to settle into the programme, the School, and student life.

The first module, Beginning Professional Study, provides students with an introduction to University study, and studying on the MA (Hons) Education Programme.

Employability

The number of students selected for Initial Teacher Education programmes in Scotland reflects anticipated national requirements, so employment prospects are good. Your employment prospects are increased further if you are willing to move out of your home area, to schools throughout Scotland and the rest of the UK. We work in partnership with Scottish Local Authorities and schools and our graduates are working right across the UK. Every year some of our graduates choose to work abroad. A teaching qualification from a Scottish university is widely valued internationally.

The year following your graduation you will be given a guaranteed salaried induction post which enables you to develop further the skills, knowledge and understanding required for success in the classroom.

Eligibility for a salaried induction post is normally restricted to those students graduating from a Scottish Higher Education Institution with a Teaching Qualification, whose training has been publicly funded. This includes students from other parts of the UK and the EU, provided they have been assessed as eligible for Home Fees. This is regardless of how these fees are funded, i.e. through SAAS, Local Education Authorities, self-funded, Northern Ireland Education and Library Boards, etc. Students who pay overseas or full fees are not in publicly-funded places and are therefore not eligible to join the Induction Scheme. All students who graduate from our Programme, however, are entitled to undertake the ‘flexible route’ to achieve full registration by the General Teaching Council for Scotland

If you want to teach children with special needs, you have to qualify as a primary teacher first, then after some teaching experience you can study for an additional specialist qualification. Additional Support Needs and Inclusive Practice are, however, integral parts of our MA (Education) Hons programme.

Postgraduate Study

Some graduates have continued their studies with us at postgraduate level, studying one of a range of education programmes on offer.

UCAS Code: X120

Detailed Course Facts

Application deadline January 15 Tuition fee

The fees you pay will, in most cases, depend on your current country of residence.

The fee shown is annual, and may be subject to an increase each year.

Fee category

Fees for students starting September 2015

Scottish students

£1,820 per year of study (for Sept 2014 entry). Fees for September 2015 will be confirmed by the Scottish Government in early 2015.

Rest of UK students

£9,000 per year, for a maximum of 3 years, even if you are studying a four year degree. See our scholarships for rest of UK applicants.

EU students

£1,820 per year of study (for Sept 2014 entry). Fees for September 2015 will be confirmed by the Scottish Government in early 2015.

Overseas students (non-EU)

£12,950 per year of study. See our scholarships for international applicants.

Not specified Start date September 2015 Course starts in September Duration full-time 48 months Languages Take an IELTS test

• English

Delivery mode On Campus Educational variant Full-time

Course Content

This degree course is based in the School of Education, Social Work and Community Education.

The MA (Hons) Education leads to a qualification to teach children from age 3 to age 12, (from nursery to the end of primary school). There are four major elements to the programme:

• professional practice

• subject-based academic electives
• core curriculum content modules
• electives related to learning and teaching in different curriculum areas

How you will be taught

The programme consists of 24 modules over four years. These are student-centred and contain workshops, lectures, seminars, tutorials, open-learning elements as well as practical experience in the classroom. The programme is delivered by university tutors who have years of experience as classroom teachers.

Professional Practice

Professional practice is gained through blocks of time, (between two and eleven weeks) throughout the four years, in primary schools with the option of undertaking experience in nursery and/or secondary schools. IIn Year 1 you have the opportunity to spend six weeks in primary schools thus allowing you to gain a really in-depth awareness and understanding of working in a primary school classroom very early in your Programme. In Year 2 you will have the opportunity to undertake a non-school based placement of your own choosing. This can even be in another country if you wish. In Year 3 of your programme you will have the opportunity to work with children in nursery and early years settings. Finally in Year 4 you will have the opportunity to choose the stage of the Primary school that you would most like to teach in.

From time to time children are invited in to the University to meet with and work with our students.

Modules from other subjects

You will have the exciting opportunity to choose modules from other subjects within the University thus enabling you to both broaden and deepen your knowledge and understanding of key areas of the Primary Curriculum. You may choose to focus on a range of subjects including mathematics, science, social subjects, or modern languages.

Alternatively you may wish to choose modules related to Social Work or Community Learning and Development to enable you to have a deeper understanding of inter-agency working. In addition you will study in some depth, aspects of educational studies including the history and philosophy of education together with developmental psychology.

Core curriculum content modules

The core curriculum content modules cover all subjects that are required to be taught in Scottish primary schools: languages and literacy; mathematics and numeracy; social studies; science, technologies; expressive arts; religious and moral education; health and wellbeing as well as pedagogical studies, which links together the practical and theoretical aspects of learning and teaching.

Curriculum-based learning and teaching electives

Curriculum-based learning and teaching electives provide an opportunity for students to create, from a range of offered subjects, their own choice of study. The electives help to develop a deeper understanding of learning and teaching approaches within the context of the eight areas of the Curriculum for Excellence:

• language
• mathematics
• social studies
• technologies
• sciences
• expressive arts
• health and wellbeing
• religious and moral education

Student Support

The programme team prides itself on the high level of pastoral support offered to our students. All students are allocated a Director of Studies who will work with you over the four years of your Programme. There is always help at hand if you need it.

What you will study

Typical Degree Programme

Level 1

• Beginning Professional Study
• Educational Studies: Introduction to Educational Studies
• Pedagogical Studies (Middle and Upper stages)
• Teaching Across the Primary Curriculum
• Observation/Professional Practice (Primary 4-7)
• An elective module from the wider university

Level 2

• Educational Studies: Historical and Comparative Perspectives on Education
• Languages
• Mathematics & Science
• Interagency Working
• Learning from Life (a placement with personal choice including the possibility of a placement abroad)
• An elective module from the wider university

Level 3

• Educational Studies: Childhood in Contemporary Society
• Developing Effectiveness in Learning and Teaching
• Research and the Teacher
• Pedagogical Studies (Early Years)
• Professional Practice (Nursery & Primary 1-3)

A curriculum-based learning and teaching elective (one from the list below):

• Language: Children's Texts
• Mathematics
• Scottish Studies
• Expressive Arts
• Technologies
• Religious and Moral Education
• Modern Languages
• Health and Wellbeing
• Science

Level 4

• Research and the Teacher (The Thesis) (Double Module)
• Pedagogical Studies 3
• Professional Practice (Choice of stages including either a nursery or secondary school element) (Double Module)

A curriculum-based learning and teaching elective (one from the list below):

• Language: Children's Texts
• Mathematics
• Scottish Studies
• Expressive Arts
• Technologies
• Religious and Moral Education
• Modern Languages
• Health and Wellbeing
• Science

How you will be assessed

A range of different methods is used to assess student progress including examinations, electronic portfolios and written assignments. Your teaching in the classroom will also be assessed on each Professional Practice by both University and school staff.

Requirements

See Course Homepage for Full details

Work Experience

No work experience is required.

Related Scholarships*

• Academic Excellence Scholarship

  "The Academic Excellence Scholarship can provide up to a 50 % reduction in tuition per semester. These scholarships will be renewed if the student maintains superior academic performance during each semester of their 3-year Bachelor programme. The scholarship will be directly applied to the student’s tuition fees."

• Access Bursary

  Bursary for UK students all subjects where the variable tuition fee rate is payable.

• Alumni Bursary

  Alumni Bursary for UK Undergraduate students

* The scholarships shown on this page are suggestions first and foremost. They could be offered by other organisations than University of Dundee.