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Postgraduate Study

23 courses offered in the Faculty of Education

The Master of Studies (MSt) in Coaching has been designed to address a gap in the market for experienced coach practitioners who wish to deepen their knowledge and understanding of evidence-based psychological models of coaching praxis, with academic modules in neuroscience, practical philosophy, systems theory and emerging trends in research – suitable for coaching in a range of contexts.

The Cambridge MSt differentiates from existing master’s programmes offered by other higher education institutions in the UK by focusing on (a) evidence-based models of psychological coaching; (b) professional applicability beyond specific sectors and domains, such as mentoring, education or career coaching, to include the full range of coaching
contexts; (c) an inter-disciplinary approach that challenges students to develop a wide-ranging curiosity of thought and research; (d) advanced critical thinking and problem-solving skills that result in robust academic writing and research output, commensurate with a world-leading institution.

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The PhD in Education is a research degree, the main purpose of which is to prepare a substantial piece of original research.

Our postgraduate students, from all over the world, make an important contribution to their respective fields and to the vitality of the Faculty's research culture. 

One of the great strengths of studying at Cambridge is the level of individual support you will receive from an expert in your field. All doctoral students in the Faculty conduct their research with the guidance of a supervisor. All doctoral students also participate in a guided programme that introduces them to the key questions and concerns of contemporary, world-leading educational research. Students are encouraged to play an active role in research seminars and engage in opportunities for acquiring transferable skills.

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The Arts, Creativity and Education (ACE) thematic route offers students the opportunity to explore urgent themes in arts and education research taking place globally today.  By ‘urgent’, we mean contemporary debates, practices, policy agendas and epistemic dialogues currently shaping the way art and education are practiced across a variety of contexts, that we might want to further explore or that we are committed to changing.  It includes contributions from specialists in a range of disciplines, including performing arts, drama, theatre, visual art, design and technology. This course recognises that artistic practices can serve as an essential research tool in our respective fields and therefore makes available studio and performance facilities as well as alternative forms of assessment.  The programme aims to: 

examine contemporary theoretical frameworks used in the study of education and its constituent disciplines (including decoloniality; posthumanism and materialism; critical pedagogies past and present)

provide training in research methods appropriate to arts and education, including artistic research practices;

advance students’ capacity for professional reflection and judgement by thinking through real world dilemmas and complexities;

cater for a range of specialists interested in the field of education or one of its constituent disciplines

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This specialist master's route is aimed at applicants who already have knowledge of and interest in children's literature, and who want to develop expertise in the subject at master's level. In this route, students will meet old favourites in fiction, film, poetry and picturebooks and make exciting new acquaintances. They will be introduced to topical debates on the nature and social function of this controversial and multifaceted body of literature. They will also be provided with the tools for a critical assessment of texts written and marketed for a young audience.

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This PGCE-MEd course is aimed at applicants who already have knowledge of and interest in children's literature, and who want to develop expertise in the subject at master's level. In this route, students will meet old favourites in fiction, film, poetry and picturebooks and make exciting new acquaintances. They will be introduced to topical debates on the nature and social function of this controversial and multifaceted body of literature. They will also be provided with the tools for a critical assessment of texts written and marketed for a young audience.

This thematic course concentrates on a wide range of writing for children, including the "classics", texts for very young readers, international literature and literature for young adults. Close textual study and the history of children's literature are embedded within the course, on which students will also be expected to engage with some of the key debates in the field and to consider a range of theoretical perspectives – from Romanticism to reader-response theory; gender issues to posthumanism; historical studies to new historicism; sociocultural viewpoints to semiotics – as well as examining critically views of young readers and their reading choices.

The PGCE-MEd route will include two modules from the following possible list: Texts, Contexts and Childhood; Perspectives on Children's Literature; Visual Texts; and Texts and Readers. It is assessed through a dissertation on a topic of the student's own choosing, which may be either a purely literary study or a small empirical research project. 

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The MPhil in Education, Globalisation and International Development (EGID) focuses on a range of contemporary issues of globalisation and international development in the field of education, in order to interrogate the latest theoretically grounded, and empirical research with our students. Our programme explores the relationship between education and wider socio-economic processes, with a particular focus on countries in the Global South. The programme offers an opportunity to engage with these issues from different theoretical lenses and diverse empirical approaches. It will assist students in developing critical understanding of the challenges and priorities faced in the field of international education and development, these include, examining complex inequalities arising from the intersections between poverty, disability, gender, race and class; migration-both within and across nations; forced displacement; the impact of unprecedented and unexpected school closures; and re-scripting the role of families and communities in education. Through readings and discussions students will become more sensitive to ways in which unequal power relations between different countries shape international commitments, programme development and funding mechanisms in the field of education and international development

Students joining this course will:

  • Engage with cutting-edge research being conducted by members of the teaching team who are involved closely in influencing international and national policy discourses and implementation
  • Benefit from a wide range of research centres at the faculty, including  REAL and PEDAL and research networks, such as CaNDER and CLAREC
  • Be involved in small group discussions with a select group of 25-30 students per year, who come from varied disciplinary and professional backgrounds
  • Benefit from inclusive, participatory and research-oriented pedagogy
  • Opportunities to deepen your scholarship with the support and personalised mentoring from one-on-one supervision
  • Engage with invited scholars, particularly from the Global South, who lead public talks as part of our seminar series titled: “Politics of knowledge building in education and international development”
  • Benefit from the vast array of opportunities available in the Collegiate university
  • Connect with Alumni working across diverse fields and geographical spaces
  • Develop research skills which will enable you to continue to a PhD, if desired
  • Develop  transferable skills for employability across a range of organisations

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Knowledge, power and politics rest at the heart of education. Recognising that education takes a wide variety of forms and is subject to different, often competing agendas across the globe, this MPhil in Knowledge, Power and Politics explores fundamental questions relating to: the roles of education in societies; transnational debates about the nature of knowledge formation and its circulation; and the consequences for social justice.

Students joining this course will:

benefit from teaching by internationally renowned Faculty staff who are actively involved in cutting-edge research and policy advice in the area of knowledge production in the contemporary global world of education, its political nature, diverse settings and issues of social justice;

closely engage with the work of the Faculty’s Education, Knowledge, Power, Politics research cluster;

join a select group of no more than 25 to 30 students per year;

experience a teaching approach that promotes active, participatory, inclusive and research-oriented pedagogy;

enjoy personalised support and mentoring through one-on-one supervision;

connect with a friendly and vibrant community from across the world;

benefit from access to research groups and networks across the University of Cambridge; and

develop skills for employability across a range of organisations concerned with research, policy and practice.

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The Mathematics Education route is taught by a specialist team, and it is ideal for researchers, teachers, school leaders, and other professionals looking to take the next step in their career in Mathematics Education. Many of our students are working professionals who continue in full-time posts while studying.

The Mathematics Education route develops students' understanding of a number of important issues in the field of mathematics education. Students learn to interpret and critically engage with ideas and debates in mathematics education research in three ways:

  • through taught sessions in mathematics education;
  • through work on course assignments under the supervision of a member of the teaching team; and
  • through participation in seminars led by students on the route and in project workshops.

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The PGCE-MEd Mathematics Education route is for anyone with a research or professional interest in mathematics education at any level of education (primary, secondary, or tertiary), wanting to undertake advanced study in a world-class setting. The Mathematics Education route is taught by a specialist team, and it is ideal for researchers, teachers, school leaders, and other professionals looking to take the next step in their career in Mathematics Education. Many of our students are working professionals who continue in full-time posts while studying.

The Mathematics Education course develops students' understanding of a number of important issues in the field of mathematics education. Students learn to interpret and critically engage with ideas and debates in mathematics education research in three ways:

  • through taught sessions in mathematics education;
  • through work on course assignments under the supervision of a member of the teaching team; and
  • through participation in seminars led by students on the route and in project workshops.

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The part-time Primary Education route is intended for education professionals, policy makers and researchers at any stage of their career. Many students have relevant international experience and interests. We aim to fuse research and theoretical understanding about primary or elementary education with current priorities in policy and practice.

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The part-time Primary Education route is intended for education professionals, policymakers and researchers at any stage of their career. Many students have relevant international experience and interests. We aim to fuse research and theoretical understandings about primary or elementary education with current priorities in policy and practice.

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This route is intended for applicants who have a background or strong interest in education, have undertaken some previous study of psychology, perhaps within their first degree, and now wish to develop their knowledge in this area further.

The route offers a chance to connect with cutting-edge research in areas of psychology relevant to the study of human development, learning and education. A series of taught sessions and discussions support students to discover, engage with and to critically appraise key theoretical and empirical advances in the discipline of psychology as applied to education and learning. Through these research-led teaching sessions, students can explore how psychological approaches have been used to investigate particular aspects of education, learning and development across the lifespan. Students will have the opportunity to connect with and participate in active research projects carried out by our team.

These sessions are accompanied by the study of quantitative and other research methods in psychology. Students are also warmly encouraged to attend research seminars, where a variety of internationally relevant speakers join us to explore contemporary psychological explanations and research applications in a broad range of educational contexts.

At the end of the taught component of the route, students complete their own research dissertation based on topics that align with the expertise of the psychology and education team.

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This route is intended for applicants who have a background or strong interest in education, have undertaken some previous study of psychology, perhaps within their first degree, and now wish to develop their knowledge in this area further.

The route offers a chance to connect with cutting-edge research in areas of psychology relevant to the study of human development, learning and education. A series of taught sessions and discussions support students to discover, engage with and to critically appraise key theoretical and empirical advances in the discipline of psychology as applied to education and learning. Through these research-led teaching sessions, students can explore how psychological approaches have been used to investigate particular aspects of education, learning and development across the lifespan. Students will have the opportunity to connect with and participate in active research projects carried out by our team.

These sessions are accompanied by the study of quantitative and other research methods in psychology. Students are also warmly encouraged to attend  research seminars, where a variety of internationally relevant speakers join us to explore contemporary psychological explanations and research applications in a broad range of educational contexts.

At the end of the taught component of the route, students complete their own research dissertation based on topics that align with the expertise of the psychology and education team.

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This pathway in Research in Second Language Education course adopts a broad definition of the term "second language education". It considers issues relating to the teaching and learning of languages in schools and communities as well as issues relating to the teaching of English as a second, foreign, or additional language across the world. A special feature of the course is its broad-based training which enables students to combine linguistic and social analysis in their research..

The course aims to combine in-depth critical understanding of the main currents of conceptual thinking in second language education with practical training in conducting L2 empirical research.

The main aims of the course are as follows:

  • to examine the theoretical frameworks used in the study of education and its constituent disciplines;
  • provide training in research methods appropriate to education;
  • advance students’ capacity for professional reflection and judgment;
  • cater for a range of specialists interested within the field of education or one of its constituent disciplines.

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This PGCE-MEd course adopts a broad definition of the term "second language education". It considers issues relating to the teaching and learning of languages in schools and communities as well as issues relating to the teaching of English as a second, foreign, or additional language across the world. A special feature of the course is its broad-based training which enables students to combine linguistic and social analysis in their research.

The course aims to combine in-depth critical understanding of the main currents of conceptual thinking in second language education with practical training in conducting L2 empirical research.

The educational aims are:

  • to examine the theoretical frameworks used in the study of education and its constituent disciplines;
  • provide training in research methods appropriate to education;
  • advance students’ capacity for professional reflection and judgment;
  • cater to a range of specialists interested within the field of education or one of its constituent disciplines.

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This popular course offers a flexible blended learning approach for full or part-time education practitioners at different stages in their careers who are interested in developing and transforming their practice. Education practitioner is construed as a broad term to encompass not just teachers in school settings, but teachers in other educational contexts and professionals whose work is located in education settings such as counsellors, those who work with school assessment etc.

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This popular course offers a flexible blended learning approach for full or part-time education practitioners at different stages in their careers who are interested in developing and transforming their practice. Education practitioner is construed as a broad term to encompass not just teachers in school settings, but teachers in other educational contexts and professionals whose work is located in education settings such as counsellors, those who work with school assessment etc.

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The PACES-MEd Mathematics Education route is for anyone with a research or professional interest in mathematics education at any level of education (primary, secondary, or tertiary), wanting to undertake advanced study in a world-class setting. The Mathematics Education route is taught by a specialist team, and it is ideal for researchers, teachers, school leaders, and other professionals looking to take the next step in their career in Mathematics Education. Many of our students are working professionals who continue in full-time posts while studying.

The Mathematics Education course develops students' understanding of a number of important issues in the field of mathematics education. Students learn to interpret and critically engage with ideas and debates in mathematics education research in three ways:

  • taught sessions in mathematics education;
  • work on course assignments under the supervision of a member of the teaching team; and
  • participation in seminars led by students on the route and in project workshops.

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The part-time Primary Education route is intended for education professionals, policymakers and researchers at any stage of their career. Many students have relevant international experience and interests. We aim to fuse research and theoretical understandings about primary or elementary education with current priorities in policy and practice.

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1 course also advertised in the Faculty of Education

From the Institute of Continuing Education

The Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching Creative Writing is a nine-month part-time Master’s level programme resulting in 60 credits FHEQ (Framework for Higher Education Qualifications) at Level 7.  

The programme is structured around three modules, and results in a 10,000 word portfolio of work. Each of the modules invites participants to engage in prior reading and research, class-based activities and independent, post-session work in response to key themes. Each module is designed with a focus on a different area of teaching creative writing, but each will work towards the same objective: that students will finish the module with enhanced knowledge of relevant existing pedagogical theory, acquired new practical skills for teaching/assessment/planning, and developed reflective awareness and innovation in their own teaching practice.

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