Education MEd
Course code: X320
Study mode: You take fewer course units/modules per week compared to full time.
Course type: MEd
International: Not eligible for international students
Study at: Inverness
Start in: September
Learning mode: You access classes and/or materials digitally.
Duration: Part time: 3 years; Part time (modular): 12 weeks
How: You attend classes at scheduled times, shown on your timetable., You complete course tasks independently. These may be set by your lecturer or chosen by you.
What is special about this course?
Do you want to deepen your impact on learners and communities? Could you shape meaningful change in education through your own professional practice?
Our MEd Education is a flexible, three year, part time online programme designed around you as a working education professional. Build your confidence in reflective practice and actively engage with educational theory, research, policy and complex issues that matter in your day to day work. Shape your learning by focusing on areas that align with your interests and responsibilities.
Develop deeper understanding ad insight as an educator by following the general pathway, where you select from the broadest range of modules and research approaches and undertake a dissertation using methods beyond practitioner enquiry. Alternatively, pursue a qualification that highlights your knowledge and interest in a focused area of practice choosing one of our specialist pathways in Rural Education, Learning for Sustainability, Health and Wellbeing, Leadership and Management, or International Contexts.
Learn through collaboration with peers who bring diverse perspectives from across education, and take part in activities that strengthen your professional voice, support meaningful dialogue, and develop critical enquiry skills that directly inform your practice. Choose the focus of your work in each module, so your learning stays relevant and immediately applicable, whilst working with others on the programme to explore practice based challenges and create thoughtful, creative responses to genuine professional issues.
Whilst this programme does not lead to a teaching qualification in Scotland, you will be supported to build on your existing expertise and further extend your impact as an established education professional.
Special features
- Study fully online, allowing you to fit your studies around your personal and professional commitments
- Develop specific professional skills: use theory to reflect on practice; critically reflect on, and engage with, a range of professional issues; develop your collaborative skills and work as an effective member of a team
- Carry out educational enquiries and research in your workplace, aligned with the General Teaching Council of Scotland (GTCS) Standard for Career-Long Professional Learning
- Opportunity to attend an annual, face-to-face event (also available online), where you will meet fellow students and share the outcomes of your enquiries
- Selected modules are available to study as standalone professional learning (module availability may vary depending on demand):
- Rural Education (SCQF level 11) and Introduction to Critical Enquiry (SCQF level 11) are available as CPD modules in the 2026/27 academic year
- Agency, Identity and Communities of Practice, Sustainability Education, and Mental Health in Education will be available as standalone CPD modules in the 2027/28 academic year
- 2:1 Honours degree or equivalent professional qualification
- Applicants with a 2:2 Honours degree or below, an ordinary degree, or a DipHE in a relevant subject, plus relevant professional experience, may also be considered
- You will require experience of, and ideally access to, an educational setting
- You may also be required to complete an admissions essay which is marked at SCQF level 10
You will study the following modules:
- Collaborative enquiry
- Introduction to critical enquiry
- School-based research approaches
General Education pathway
Semester 1
You will choose 1 of the following modules:
- Building resilience: understanding the impact of aces
- Critical reflection for middle leadership*
- Identity, agency and communities of practice
- Qualitative research and data analysis
- Sustainability education
- Teaching and learning in tertiary and higher education
- The global child
*GTCS registration required, not available to international students. Mandatory for those wishing to study Enacting Middle Leadership in semester 3
Semester 2
You will choose 1 of the following modules (students choosing ‘Enacting middle leadership’ in semester 3 will not select a module for semester 2):
- Article 12: enabling participation and leadership
- Disability and society (level 10)
- Qualitative inquiry
- Rural education
- Sustainable creative endeavour in contemporary society
- Theory and practice of e-learning
Semester 3
You will choose 1 of the following modules:
- Alternative pedagogies
- Enacting middle leadership (double module)*
- Mental health in education
*GTCS registration required, not available to international students. You must also have completed Critical reflection for middle leadership in semester 1
International contexts pathway
You will study the following modules:
Semester 1
- The global child
Semester 2 – one of the following:
- Article 12: enabling participation and leadership
- Rural education
Semester 3
- Alternative pedagogies
Rural education pathway
You will study the following modules:
Semester 1
- Identity, agency and communities of practice
Semester 2
- Rural education
Semester 3
- Alternative pedagogies
Learning for Sustainability pathway
You will study the following modules:
Semester 1
- Sustainability education
Semester 2 – one of the following:
- Article 12: enabling participation and leadership
- Rural education
- Sustainable creative endeavour in contemporary society
Semester 3
- Alternative Pedagogies
Leadership and management pathway
You will study the following modules:
Semester 1
- Critical reflection for middle leadership*
Semesters 2 and 3 – one of the following:
- Enacting middle leadership*
*GTCS registration required, not available to international students
Health and Wellbeing pathway
You will study the following modules:
Semester 1
- Building resilience: understanding the impact of ACEs
Semester 2
- Disability and society (level 10)
Semester 3
- Mental health in education
You will study the following modules:
- Dissertation (education and enquiry)
- Preparation for educational research and enquiry
How will I study my course?
- Part-time
- Part-time modular (standalone modules)
- This course is mainly delivered online with scheduled sessions and tutorials
- Some sessions will be recorded and can be accessed online at any point from anywhere in the world after the scheduled class
- Online study will be done via the university's virtual learning environment (VLE), with support from your tutors
- You will take part in a mandatory induction, either in-person at Inverness or online, in the August before your course starts
How long will my course last?
- Part-time: 3 years @ 17 hours per week
- Part-time (modular): 12 weeks @ 17 hours per week
The number of hours per week indicates the total number of hours you should dedicate to the course, which includes time spent on online material as well as individual study and research.
- Inverness
Start date
- August
Fees
For students normally domiciled in Scotland, with a term-time address in Scotland, the following fees apply:
This includes
- EU nationals with settled or pre-settled status in the UK,
- EEA/Swiss nationals with settled status in the UK
- EEA/Swiss nationals with pre-settled status who are self-employed or migrant workers in the UK.
| Study mode | 2025-26 | 2026-27 |
|---|---|---|
| Per module (20 credits) | £610 | £647 |
| Postgraduate certificate (3 modules, 60 credits) | £1,830 | £1,941 |
| Postgraduate diploma (6 modules, 120 credits) | £3,660 | £3,882 |
| Masters degree (6 modules + dissertation) | £5,490 | £5,820 |
For students normally domiciled in the rest of the UK (England, Wales and N. Ireland) or assessed as rest of the UK for fee status, the following fees apply:
| Study mode | 2025-26 | 2026-27 |
|---|---|---|
| Per module (20 credits) | £840 | £890 |
| Postgraduate certificate (3 modules, 60 credits) | £2,520 | £2,670 |
| Postgraduate diploma (6 modules, 120 credits) | £5,040 | £5,340 |
| Masters degree (6 modules + dissertation, 180 credits) | £7,560 | £8,010 |
Fees are payable in advance each academic year unless otherwise agreed.
This course is not available to students domiciled outside of the UK or for international students requiring Student Route visa sponsorship to study in the UK. For students living in the UK and assessed as international fee status, the following fees will apply:
This includes EEA/Swiss nationals with pre-settled status who are not self-employed or migrant workers in the UK.
| Study mode | 2025-26 | 2026-27 |
|---|---|---|
| Per module (20 credits) | £1,200 | £1,273 |
| Postgraduate certificate (3 modules, 60 credits) | £3,600 | £3,819 |
| Postgraduate diploma (6 modules, 120 credits) | £7,200 | £7,638 |
| Masters degree (6 modules + dissertation) | £10,800 | £11,450 |
A no fee increase guarantee is available for self-funding full-time and structured part-time rest of the UK, EU and international postgraduate students for continuous study for the same award, up to the permitted standard time limit for the relevant award.
Funding
Eligible Scotland-domiciled students studying part-time can apply for a tuition fee loan from SAAS. You must be intending to complete the course in no longer than twice the length of time it would take for a full-time student. For example, if your course is available to full-time students as a one-year programme, you will be funded for a maximum of two years' part-time study. If your course does not have a full-time option, you must complete within three years. You can apply for a tuition fee loan up to £7,000, which will be paid pro-rata for each academic year of study.
Full details can be found on the SAAS website. Applications for loans open in April.
Students from the rest of the UK who meet the eligibility requirements may be able to apply for a loan from the Student Loan Company.
Additional costs
You will be responsible for travel costs to Inverness should you wish to attend our annual conference day, although online attendance is available as an alternative
What can I do on completion of my course?
For teachers in Scotland, you will have clear evidence of your professional learning to support your General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS, 2021) professional update.
All students will also be able to develop and demonstrate expertise in areas of education that interest you, helping you take on increased responsibility and progress in your career.
Can I progress into further study?
This qualification is suitable preparation to enable further research at postgraduate level, such as a professional Doctorate in Education or PhD.
Apply for Education MEd
We are delighted that you are thinking about studying at the University of the Highlands and Islands. We operate a fair and open admissions system committed to equality of opportunity and non-discrimination. We consider all applications on merit and on the basis of ability to achieve, without discrimination on grounds of gender, age, disability, ethnicity and socio-economic background. We welcome applications from all prospective students and aim to provide appropriate and efficient services to students with disabilities.