Education - SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities)
MA
Key facts
Start dates
September 2020
Course length
Full time: 12 months, Harcourt Hill Campus
Part time: Two / three years depending on your chosen trajectory - part time on campus or distance learning
Department
School of Education
Overview
On our MA Education - SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) you will study issues around special education, disability and inclusion at master’s level.
You will learn in an environment where you will be supported in improving and developing your practice. During your studies you will:
- develop your critical enquiry and reflection in the field of SEND
- gain depth and insight into your professional thinking
- meet students who are at various levels in their careers.
Our academic team of specialist staff have a strong background in SEND teaching and are research–active in the field.
Subject to these having been gained in the last five years, applicants may transfer in credits gained from:
How to apply
Entry requirements
Specific entry requirements
This MA course attracts students from a wide range of backgrounds and nationalities, normally graduates with a recognised teaching qualification, or other educational professional experience.
Applicants normally have:
- a good honours degree
- QTS (Qualified Teacher Status), other equivalent professional qualification or relevant experience
Entry with credit
Credit for the award can be made up of appropriate work completed outside the course, for example, M level credit from PGCE awards or Postgraduate Certificate courses in relevant subject areas. Please contact pgeducation@brookes.ac.uk for more information.
Please also see the University's general entry requirements.
English language requirements
IELTS level 6.5 or above with a minimum of 6.0 in reading and writing and 5.5 in speaking and listening.
Please also see the University's standard English language requirements.
English requirements for visas
If you need a student visa to enter the UK you will need to meet the UK Visas and Immigration minimum language requirements as well as the University's requirements. Find out more about English language requirements.
International applications
International students hold a conditional offer until payment of a deposit of £1,000 is received.
Pathways courses for international and EU students
We offer a range of courses to help you meet the entry requirements for your postgraduate course and also familiarise you with university life in the UK.
Take a Pre-Master's course to develop your subject knowledge, study skills and academic language level in preparation for your master's course.
If you need to improve your English language, we offer pre-sessional English language courses to help you meet the English language requirements of your chosen master’s course.
Terms and Conditions of Enrolment
When you accept our offer, you agree to the Terms and Conditions of Enrolment. You should therefore read those conditions before accepting the offer.
Application process
Tuition fees
Questions about fees?
Contact Student Finance on:
Tuition fees
Fees quoted are for the first year only. If you are studying a course that lasts longer than one year your fees will increase each year.
Please be aware that some courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees. Specific additional costs for this course, if any, are detailed below.
Financial support and scholarships
Learning and assessment
You will require 180 credits at Masters level for the MA Education (SEND). Students typically complete this over a three year study period. This will include:
- A compulsory module - Research Methods (20 credits)
- A compulsory dissertation (60 credits)
For the remaining 5 modules (100 credits) - you will need to select at least 2 modules (40 Credits) from the following:
- Introduction to Special Educational Needs (20 credits - compulsory for those without a previous qualification in SEN)
- Alternative Perspectives on Challenging Behaviour (20 credits)
- Alternative Perspectives on Literacy Difficulties (20 credits)
- Working with Children, Young People and their Families (20 credits)
- Literacy Difficulties: Assessment and Intervention (20 credits)
You can also select up to a further 40 credits from the optional modules in the MA in Education.
Credit towards your award can also be made up of appropriate work completed outside the course. For example by M level credit achieved in your PGCE and Postgraduate Certificate courses.
Study modules
Please note: As our courses are reviewed regularly as part of our quality assurance framework, the modules you can choose from may vary from that shown here. The structure of the course may also mean some modules are not available to you.
Learning and teaching
Teaching, learning and assessment draw on the different backgrounds, experience and knowledge of students. It also encourages critical reflection.
We use a range of teaching methods, including:
- lectures
- directed reading
- workshops
- discussion forums
- student and staff-led seminars
- project work.
Teaching is organised on a modular basis, each module involving approximately 24 hours of staff contact as follows:
- Part-time on campus: Modules are usually taught over eight weeks on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays 17:00 – 20:00
- Full-time on campus: the main study day is Thursdays with students also joining part-time students in evening modules.
- Distance learning - an MA Education SEND can be achieved by part-time online learning through the use of our Moodle platform. For each module this usually requires about 12 hours a week plus time spent on assessment. The online route is usually taken part-time over 2 to 3 years.
Research
The School of Education is a thriving centre for educational research and teacher professional development. Students on master's level programmes therefore join a large research community comprising researchers at all levels of higher education study.
We hold two major research conferences each year - the School of Education Research Conference and the EdD Colloquium. All students are invited to attend our annual Research Seminar Series (which attracts both internal and external speakers). We also organise a number of conferences, lectures, seminars and debates, some of which have an international reach.
The School’s six research groups exist to encourage engagement in research, publication, conference presentations, seminars and workshops:
- Inclusion and Wellbeing
- Policy, Partnership and Leadership
- STEAM pedagogy and learning
- Humanistic Perspectives on Education
- Early Years
- Applied Linguistics
After you graduate
Career prospects
Students hoping to develop their careers in the world of SEND now have the opportunity to achieve a named MA Education award in special educational needs and disability
The MA Education (SEND) award will confirm to any future employer that you are a dedicated and resilient professional, capable of working at Masters level with a specialism in SEND.
There will be opportunities to develop skills in digital literacy, critical thinking and research evaluation - all of which represent transferable skills in the workplace
Programme Changes: On rare occasions we may need to make changes to our course programmes after they have been published on the website.
For more information, please visit our Changes to programmes page.