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Postgraduate Programs: Teaching and Education
Find postgraduate programs in TEACHINGLanguage, values, qualifications and reputation – these are the reasons many students come to the UK to study education and teaching.
Postgraduate Programs in Teaching will either focus on primary school teaching, secondary school teaching or teaching at a further education institution, whereas Postgraduate Programs in Education will develop the student's knowledge and understanding of education as a profession.
The UK and Ireland have always been a magnet for students of education and teaching. Obviously, the language helps, but they do not only draw people looking for qualifications in the teaching of English or who wish to teach in UK schools. There is also a large number of options for early- to mid-career professionals who are looking to deepen their understanding of education, and who are attracted by the broad reputation and specific expertise available here.
The late author and respected Professor Rosamund Sutherland, former Head of the Graduate School of Education at the University of Bristol, once explained: "On the broadest level, I think what also attracts people to come and study here at postgraduate level is that they feel sympathetic to the values of UK education as they are perceived from their home countries."
Postgraduate programs in teaching & education
UK postgraduate qualifications are divided into two main types: taught courses and research degrees. There are various study options and qualifications available, depending on the career you are aiming for.
Beyond the very specific qualifications that prepare people to teach, broader education programs that are classified as ‘taught’ courses will tend to be modular, and will be facilitated in the main through seminar work and self-study. They will be at least partly assessed through coursework. In contrast, the learning on a research program will take place through the pursuit of a self-directed project that aims to make a new contribution to human knowledge (although it will also often be part of a broader research program at an institutional level).
Taught postgraduate programs
There are three levels of taught qualification: postgraduate certificate (PGCert), postgraduate diploma (PGDip) or masters (those in education are usually designated as an MEd, MA(Ed) or, occasionally, MSc). Postgraduate certificates and diplomas can be short courses leading to specific teaching qualifications, such as those awarded in TEFL and TESOL or to people specialising in in-service training.
PGCE
The PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate in Education) is a program of initial teacher training for graduates that may lead to a Qualified Teacher Status in the UK, a QTS with PGCE, or a PGCE without the QTS.
QTS is a professional status that is required for teaching in most schools in England, and Wales, however, Scotland and Northern Ireland have different frameworks. It’s important to know that a PGCE does not automatically grant a learner a QTS. Checking your course offers both, ensures you’re able to get the qualification you need to teach. The PCGE program usually takes a year and includes long placements in at least two schools supported by university-based work. As a trainee, you will be expected to have a knowledge and understanding of the subject that you want to teach before starting training, and your first degree should be related to it in some way.
PGCEs are a special case, and there is more funding available than there is for other postgraduate programs. PGCE trainees may get between £4000-£9000 bursaries or scholarships that are ITT subject-specific, updated regularly, and also much higher for shortage subjects, according to Gov.uk. However, some salaried options, such as the School Direct option, have different funding rules, and may not qualify for a bursary or scholarship.
Funding the course
The fees for these options differ depending on whether you are a UK resident, your immigration status (pre-settled or settled), and rules differ across the nation.
According to the Gov.uk website, trainees are only eligible for a bursary/ scholarship if they are also entitled to support under the student finance criteria.
International trainees who are not from the UK are recommended to read Train to teach in England as a non-UK citizen. Those who hold a degree from outside the UK should also use Teach in England if you trained outside the UK.
For 2025 to 2026, the UK government are offering bursaries of: £29,000 in chemistry, computing, mathematics and physics; £26,000 in biology, design and technology, geography and languages; £10,000 in art and design, music and religious education (RE); and £5,000 in English.
Applicants may also be eligible for a bursary if they have 1st, 2:1, 2:2, PhD or a masters degrees.
Scholarships that are offered by the UK include: £31,000 in chemistry, computing, mathematics and physics; and £28,000 in French, German and Spanish.
Scholarships are typically awarded to those with a 1st, 2:1, masters or PhD, but those who graduate with a 2:2 and also hold significant relevant experience have been known to also be awarded the sum.
The scholarship can come in the form of many options, such as: a tax free scholarship; a membership to the professional body; subject specialist events and webinars held by professional bodies; an online and face-to-face workshops across the country; subject specialist mentors and coaching; a community of scholars; access to classroom resources; continuing professional development (CPD) and networking events during ITT year and alumni.
Scholarship applicants should apply via the Get Into Teaching and learn more by reading the initial teacher training (ITT) bursary: funding manual.
Read our articles on 5 Great Reasons to do a PGCE and PGCE Case Studies.
Master in Education
The more general taught postgraduate Masters in Education programs will usually be modular and have a number of different routes through them. For example, the University of Bristol’s Master of Research (MRes) includes the following pathways:
- Managing People in Education
- Leading & Managing Change, Language Testing and Assessment
- Expanding notions of Language; Education, Inequality and Social Justice
Many postgraduate programs are offered both part time and full time, although, because these programs are attractive to established professionals travelling from overseas, they can often be available in various formats. For example, the MA in Education and International Development from the UCL is available one-year full time or two to four years part time.
As with most educational programs, the preferred teaching methodology is through small seminar groups in which there is considerable interaction between the facilitator and the students. A report by the UK’s Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education stated that: "Education programs are notable for successfully integrating theory and practice and encouraging practitioners to reflect on their own practice. Teaching and learning are generally interactive, involving a range of learning styles."
A one-year taught MEd will usually cost the standard postgraduate program fee, and there are different rates, depending on whether you are an EU or non-EU student. Applications for funding or scholarships must be made well over a year in advance, and funding should always be arranged before you leave your home country. Information on the various institutional scholarships is available from the British Council website, while funding for some postgraduate courses may be available from the various UK government research councils.
Furthermore, some home-country funding is only directed towards students who are enrolled on programs at universities that are strong performers in the Research Excellence Framework (REF), which is the current system for assessing UK higher education and the quality of learning. The REF evaluates facilities to allocate research funding.
Research programs
Research programs at masters level could also be called a Master of Research (MRes) or, regardless of the actual subject studied, Master of Philosophy (MPhil), which usually takes two years full time. The highest research degree is the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), which takes a minimum of three years to complete. Apart from some training in research skills, there will be very little taught content on research programs. The dissertation will be longer, 70,000 to 100,000 words for a PhD, and it should be original and, in theory, publishable. Essentially, possessing a PhD should mean that you are one of a very few experts in your specialism in the world.
One important option is the Doctor of Education (EdD) qualification. This qualification combines both taught elements with a rigorous research project that is similar in depth (and length) to the PhD. It is aimed at established teaching professionals or, for example, civil servants and policy makers in education, and is usually offered part time.
English language requirements
High IELT or TOEFL scores are usually needed. Because of ongoing changes in the law, we advise international students to regularly check the UKBA website to make sure they can fulfil the necessary requirements. Most individual institutions also have useful information on the Tier 4 requirements for international students and can offer assistance in terms of student queries about their specific English language requirements.
Find out more about English Language requirements for International Students
How much will it cost?
A taught masters program can cost anything between a few thousand pounds to well over £15,000, although there are different rates according to whether you are a European Union (EU) or non-EU student. Applications for funding or scholarships must be made well over a year in advance (information on the various institutional scholarships is available from the British Council website) and funding should always be arranged before you leave your home country.
Graduate destinations
Information on graduate destinations for non-UK students will be held at the program level and will often be quite anecdotal. Anyone wanting to know exactly where the graduates of a course end up needs to talk to the academics in charge, who will always be aware of the sort of thing people have gone on to do.
"A masters is the key career-building qualification for many of our students," said Professor Rosamund Sutherland. "We are very strong on TESOL qualifications and attract students, particularly from the Chinese-speaking areas of the world, who wish to return to begin a career teaching English. However, programmes, such as our MSc in Education, Technology and Society, also attract mid-career professionals who want to return to their home countries to further establish themselves."
