International Education and Development (2014 entry)

MA, 1 year full time/2 years part time

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Education at Sussex was ranked 11th in the UK in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). 85 per cent of research was rated as internationally recognised or higher. Education was awarded a very high grade in the latest QAA Review of Education. 

Experienced social science researchers are involved in teaching core degrees. 

We offer innovative interdisciplinary teaching and research with social work. Education faculty research interests also intersect with anthropology, development studies, gender studies, international relations and sociology. 

Masters-level degrees

Masters-level degrees in education and teaching are designed to meet the needs of professionals in teaching, management, and education and development. We aim to provide degrees that: 

  • are grounded in research 
  • recognise and build upon your prior knowledge and experience 
  • develop professionally relevant knowledge, skills and understanding 
  • enable the acquisition of further qualifications that enhance your career prospects. 

Some degrees are offered on a part-time basis, combining attendance in the evenings with occasional day schools. 

Assessment is through coursework assignments to help you acquire greater confidence, enhanced capabilities and different ways of thinking. 

Research centres

In addition to interdisciplinary research with the Department of Social Work and Social Care, we host three research centres that provide the intellectual bases for our research, consultancy and teaching activity: 

  • The Centre for Higher Education and Equity Research (CHEER) provides a platform for the growing field of research into Higher Education with a particular focus on the themes of identity, transition and assessment. Recent research has addressed race and equality issues in UK Higher Education, widening participation in Higher Education in low-income countries, gender and Higher Education, disability and Higher Education, doctoral pedagogy, transitions from vocational and further education, and postdoctoral transitions. 
  • The Centre for Inquiry and Research in Cognition, Learning and Teaching (CIRCLETS) examines the nature of learning and teaching. Current research includes teacher education, mathematics and science education, formative assessment, teachers’ professional learning, raising aspirations of disadvantaged students, children’s rights and student voice. 
  • The Centre for International Education (CIE) has an international reputation for its work on educational development, mainly in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Current research includes teacher education in sub-Saharan Africa, access to education in low-income countries, gender and development, education and conflict, sustainable financing of secondary education, aid and education development.
Specialist facilities

You will have access to extensive library support through the main University Library and, with prior permission, certain specialist research libraries on campus. 

For full-time research students, we provide access to computing facilities (including PCs), which supplement those available through University IT Services. There are also research student workrooms, equipped with some PCs. 

Academic activities

We encourage and, if possible, financially support research students in attending conferences, especially where they are presenting material based on their research. Students are encouraged to publish material from their higher degree work. 

Programme outline

This MA has established its reputation over the last three decades and is highly regarded internationally. This innovative degree links theory with research, policy and practice, and critically engages with the educational challenges of low- and middle-income countries. It adopts a multidisciplinary approach to analyse the complex educational issues of resource-constrained and/or rapidly expanding educational systems. 

You have the opportunity to develop research skills and to take specialist modules in one of two areas: 

  • Educational Policy, Planning and Governance 
  • Teaching and Learning for Development. 

Assessment 

In the autumn and spring terms, you prepare four pieces of assessed work (literature review, briefing paper, presentation, and essay) related to modules taken (30 credits each). During the summer term, you write a short research proposal (15 credits), and a final dissertation on a topic of your choice (45 credits). 

We continue to develop and update our modules for 2014 entry to ensure you have the best student experience.In addition to the course structure below, you may find it helpful to refer to the 2012 modules tab.

Autumn term: Policy and Practice: Issues in International Education and Development • Theories of International Education and Development. 

Spring term: Research Methods in International Education and Development. You also choose specialist modules. Options offered have previously included Contemporary Issues in Policy, Planning and Governance • Curriculum Learning and Society • Foundations of Education Policy, Planning and Development • Teachers: Policy and Practice in International Contexts. 

Alternatively, with approval, you may take a module from related degrees from across the University. 

Summer term: tutorial support is provided as you work on your dissertation. The module Academic Skills for International Education and Development runs throughout the year. 

Back to module list

Academic Skills for International Education and Development

0 credits
All year teaching, year 1

Contemporary Issues in Policy, Planning and Governance

30 credits
Spring teaching, year 1

The module seeks to critically explore the relationship between education and conflict in low-income countries. The complex relationship between education and conflict has risen up the international policy agenda since the 1990s. This coincides with the post-Cold War rise in humanitarian and peacekeeping interventions by UN and NATO led forces into the internal affairs of low-income states and a subsequent expansion of educational aid and development activities in conflict and post-conflict environments.

The module seeks to problematise the complex and multidirectional ways that education and conflict affect each other and the role that education can potentially play in both the production and prevention of violent armed conflict. More specifically it seeks to understand the global architecture, policies and practices of major international institutions, bi-lateral donors; international non-governmental organisations (INGOs), and nation-state Ministries of Education as they intervene into education in conflict and post-conflict states. Drawing on the burgeoning literatures on the merging of security and development, humanitarianism, education and conflict, the course provides you with both the practical and conceptual tools necessary to grapple with this important and complex issue

Curriculum, learning and society

30 credits
Spring teaching, year 1

This module critically engages with conceptions of 'quality' in education. You will focus on learning, pedagogies and assessment, and how they interrelate in pursuing quality. You will also explore curriculum theories, policies and practices at international, national and local levels. Key debates relating to quality such as relevance to context, learner experiences, standards, outcomes, lifelong learning and cross-national comparisons will also be addressed.

A major concern lies with global and local influences on quality in education. Global initiatives to be considered include the Education for All (EFA) movement and the United Nations Decade on Education for Sustainable Development. You will also discuss the roles of local knowledges, languages and cultures in relation to quality education. There will be interactive sessions for you to share experiences and to reflect critically on definitions of 'quality' in education and on how you  might contribute to improvements through your own professional practice.

Foundations of Education Policy, Planning and Development

30 credits
Spring teaching, year 1

The changing roles of government in relation to education services have multiple implications for stakeholders in education. This module explores approaches to educational planning, and considers the implications of contemporary governance concerns asociated with designing and implementing educational reform. You will gain practical experience in developing education strategies and costed plans aimed at achieving education and development targets. You will consider possible strategies to alleviate poverty and enhance social equity through education, whilst improving the cost-effectiveness of education systems. You also look at the various approaches to monitoring and evaluating education interventions and programmes to determine whether change has occurred and the cause of the change.

You will address technical and political aspects of implementing education reforms with reference, for example, to ones associated with decentralisation, privatisation and community participation. Given the role played by international agencies in shaping the education agenda in many developing countries, the module considers how different aid modalities and approaches such as those associated with Sector-Wide Approaches (SWAps), Poverty Reduction Strategy Programmes (PRSPs), budgetary support and the Education for All Fast Track Initiative (FTI) impact upon national education systems.

Policy and Practice Issues in International Education and Development

30 credits
Autumn teaching, year 1

This module explores a variety of contemporary perspectives associated with educational policy and in development contexts. You will gain an understanding of the ways in which research shapes the education and development agenda, critically considering perspectives with respect to the influence of international, regional and national agenda, to ones associated with processes at the local level (including in schools and classrooms). You will also addresses challenges for implementing change with respect to political will and capacity development, and approaches to strategic management across all levels of decision-making with respect to education reform.

The module pays particular attention to the implications of international development targets for educational policy and practice. Topical issues addressed may include a critical examination of the relations between: education and conflict; education, democracy and citizenship; education and poverty; education and NGOs; and education, health and HIV/AIDS.

Research Methods in International Education and Development

60 credits
Spring & summer teaching, year 1

The focus of this module is on developing basic research skills in education in particular in development contexts, so that whether you continue as a researcher or as a research consumer, you can acquire a conceptual framework for research, and deeper awareness of the processes which lead to research output. Through the module, you gain conceptual and practical experience in designing and undertaking research.

The module engages critically with different approaches to research design, including case studies, and research methodologies, and considers the implications of using either quantitative or qualitative approaches in research, and of combining these. As well as seminars, practical workshops are included on questionnaire design, interviewing etc. The module provides the opportunity for developing a research proposal and designing research instruments which can be used for undertaking a small research project. It also considers ethical issues in undertaking research on education in international development. During the module, you have the opportunity to visit an educational institution which has links with the University of Sussex. This offers the possibility of trying out a research instrument, for example classroom observation.

Teachers: policy and practice in lnternational contexts

30 credits
Spring teaching, year 1

The module focuses on how teacher education can be organised to best enable teachers to improve their practice. In addressing this, it is necessary to consider how teachers learn to teach. The importance of the teacher to the teaching/learning process has never been in doubt and yet it is only relatively recently that the spotlight has been put on teachers, rather than on pupils, to examine the ways in which teachers learn and the theories and motivations that underpin their practice. Understanding how teachers learn to teach and how best to facilitate their learning are crucial issues to consider when designing policies to improve education in developing countries.

The aim of the seminars in the first part of the term is to give you a broad overview of some of the major issues, concepts and theories in teacher education and how they relate to practice. In the second part the module looks at contemporary issues related to culture and teacher development, teacher mobility, teacher motivation, supervision and mentoring, and teacher education by distance including the use of ICTs. These are all considered in the context of a variety of developing countries, and include consideration of the role of international aid in shaping the practice of teacher education.

Theories of International Education and Development

30 credits
Autumn teaching, year 1

This course consists of a series of seminars which introduce you to key theories and concepts in international education and development. Drawing from a variety of disciplinary perspectives, you will gain a critical view of the various ways in which education and development influence each other. Consideration is given to the ways in which concepts and images of development have changed over time, and how these have shaped the education agenda. For example, recent controversies over educational development in the context of globalisation are explored with respect to the implications for diversity and emerging patterns of social change. Attention is given to a critical review of human capital approaches to education, which have been very influential in shaping education and development debates. In later seminars you will debate issues discussed in more detail, examining specific topics including relationships between education, qualifications, learning and livelihoods, and culture and identity.

Back to module list

Entry requirements

UK entrance requirements

A first- or second-class undergraduate honours degree or equivalent qualification and normally at least three years' experience of work in education or a related area.

Overseas entrance requirements

Overseas qualifications

If your country is not listed below, please contact the University at E pg.enquiries@sussex.ac.uk

CountryOverseas qualification
Australia Bachelor (Honours) degree with second-class lower division
Brazil Bacharel, Licenciado or professional title with a final mark of at least 7
Canada Bachelor degree with CGPA 3.0/4.0 (grade B)
China Bachelor degree from a leading university with overall mark of 65%-85% depending on your university
Cyprus Bachelor degree or Ptychion with a final mark of at least 6.5
France Licence with mention assez bien or Maîtrise with final mark of at least 12
Germany Bachelor degree or Magister Artium with a final mark of 2.7 or better
Ghana Bachelor degree from a public university with second-class lower division
Greece Ptychion from an AEI with a final mark of at least 6.5
Hong Kong Bachelor (Honours) degree with second-class lower division
India Bachelor degree from a leading institution with overall mark of at least 60% or equivalent
Iran Bachelor degree (Licence or Karshenasi) with a final mark of at least 14
Italy Diploma di Laurea with an overall mark of at least 100
Japan Bachelor degree from a leading university with a minumum of B or equivalent
Malaysia Bachelor degree with class 2 division 2
Mexico Licenciado with a final mark of at least 7
Nigeria Bachelor degree with second-class lower division or CGPA of at least 2.8/4.0
Pakistan Four-year bachelor degree, normally with a GPA of at least 3.3
Russia Magistr or Specialist Diploma with a minimum average mark of at least 4
South Africa Bachelor (Honours) degree or Bachelor degree in Technology with an overall mark of at least 60%
Saudi Arabia Bachelor degree with an overall mark of at least 65% or CGPA 3.0/5.0 or equivalent
South Korea Bachelor degree from a leading university with CGPA of at least 3.0/4.0 or equivalent
Spain Licenciado with a final mark of at least 2/4
Taiwan Bachelor degree with overall mark of 70%-85% depending on your university
Thailand Bachelor degree with CGPA of at least 2.8/4.0 or equivalent
Turkey Lisans Diplomasi with CGPA of at least 3.0/4.0 or equivalent depending on your university
United Arab Emirates Bachelor degree with CGPA of at least 3.0/4.0 or equivalent
USA Bachelor degree with CGPA 3.3-3.5/4.0 depending on your university
Vietnam Masters degree with CGPA 3.0/4.0 or equivalent

If you have any questions about your qualifications after consulting our overseas qualifications, contact the University at E pg.enquiries@sussex.ac.uk

English language requirements

IELTS 7.0, with not less than 6.5 in each section. Internet TOEFL with 95 overall, with at least 22 in Listening, 23 in Reading, 23 in Speaking and 24 in Writing.

For more information, refer to English language requirements.

Visas and immigration

Find out more about Visas and immigration.

Additional admissions information

This degree is aimed at students with professional experience in education and development and at those with a strong academic background in a relevant discipline.

For more information about the admissions process at Sussex

For pre-application enquiries:

Student Recruitment Services
T +44 (0)1273 876787
E pg.enquiries@sussex.ac.uk

For post-application enquiries:

Postgraduate Admissions,
University of Sussex,
Sussex House, Falmer,
Brighton BN1 9RH, UK
T +44 (0)1273 877773
F +44 (0)1273 678545
E pg.applicants@sussex.ac.uk 

Fees and funding

Fees

Home UK/EU students: £5,5001
Channel Island and Isle of Man students: £5,5002
Overseas students: £13,0003

1 The fee shown is for the academic year 2013.
2 The fee shown is for the academic year 2013.
3 The fee shown is for the academic year 2013.

To find out about your fee status, living expenses and other costs, visit further financial information.

Funding

The funding sources listed below are for the subject area you are viewing and may not apply to all degrees listed within it. Please check the description of the individual funding source to make sure it is relevant to your chosen degree.

To find out more about funding and part-time work, visit further financial information.

Chancellor's International Scholarship (2014)

Region: International (Non UK/EU)
Level: PG (taught)
Application deadline: 1 May 2014

25 scholarships of a 50% tuition fee waiver

Fulbright-Sussex University Award (2014)

Region: International (Non UK/EU)
Level: PG (taught)
Application deadline: 15 October 2013

Each year, one award is offered to a US citizen for the first year of a postgraduate degree in any field at the University of Sussex.

Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust for Postgraduate Study (2014)

Region: UK
Level: PG (taught), PG (research)
Application deadline: 1 October 2013

The Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust are offering bursaries to Postgraduate students following any postgraduate degree courses in any subject.

PGCE First-Generation Scholars Award (2014)

Region: UK
Level: PG (taught)

Bursary payment to PGCE students with a household income below £42,622

Santander Scholarship (2014)

Region: International (Non UK/EU)
Level: PG (taught)
Application deadline: 1 May 2014

Two scholarships of £5000 fee waiver for students studying any postgraduate taught course.

Sussex ESRC 1+3 and +3 Scholarships (2014)

Region: UK, Europe (Non UK)
Level: PG (taught), PG (research)
Application deadline: 28 February 2014

Up to 22 1+3 and +3 awards across the social sciences

USA Friends Scholarships (2014)

Region: International (Non UK/EU)
Level: PG (taught)
Application deadline: 3 April 2014

Two scholarships of an amount equivalent to $10,000 are available to nationals or residents of the USA on a one year taught Master's degree course.

Faculty interests

The research interests and areas of supervisory expertise of our faculty are listed below. For more information about the research conducted in Education, including information about the Centre for Higher Education and Equity Research (CHEER), Centre for Inquiry and Research in Cognition, Learning and Teaching (CIRCLETS) and the Centre for International Education (CIE), visit the Department of Education.  

Dr Kwame Akyeampong Global, regional and national analysis of teacher education and impact on learning, curriculum and assessment reforms. 

Dr Sarah Aynsley 14-19 education and training, transition from further to Higher Education, qualitative approaches and practitioner research. 

Dr Janet Boddy Parents and families, parent and child health and well-being, parenting and family support, children in or at the edges of care, social pedagogy, crossnational research. 

Professor Penny Jane Burke Widening access to and participation in Higher Education, critical and feminist pedagogies, gender and identity formations, challenging inequalities in Higher Education, participatory methodologies. 

Dr Andrew Chandler-Grevatt Science education: teaching and learning, progression of key concepts in science. 

Dr Barbara Crossouard Doctoral education, Higher Education; assessment, formative assessment; educational ethnography; gender, identity. 

Professor Mairead Dunne Sociological education studies of quality, equity and identity in the UK and low-income countries, curriculum practices. 

Dr Naureen Durrani Teacher education, curriculum and textbooks, mathematics education, schooling and identity construction and South Asia. 

Dr Louise Gazeley Social and educational (dis) advantage, education policy, exclusion from school, teacher education. 

Professor Valerie Hey Feminist theory, postmodern methodologies, ethnography, identity, affects, social difference, gender. 

Professor Brian Hudson Mathematics education; ICT and learning; didactics, learning and teaching; teacher education policy. 

Professor Keith Lewin Educational planning, economics and finance of education, access and equity in education and development, teacher education, science and technology education policy in developing countries, educational aid and project evaluation. 

Professor Colleen McLaughlin Head of the Department of Education. Action and practitioner research; educational reform; vulnerable children, counselling and care; sexuality education, including HIV/AIDS; school-university partnerships for reform and research. 

Professor Louise Morley Sociology of Higher Education, national and international Higher- Education policy, widening participation, identity. 

Dr Linda Morrice Adult, Higher-Education and lifelong learning. Refugee education and migration studies, learning and identity. Life-history, biographical and longitudinal methodologies. 

Professor Mario Novelli Education and conflict, global governance of education, education and globalisation, foreign aid and education. 

Dr John Parry Education for sustainable development, role of ICT within citizenship, experiential learning, special educational needs. 

Dr John Pryor Educational ethnography, international and intercultural education, identity and equity, pedagogy and formative assessment. 

Dr Ricardo Sabates Education and social outcomes, links between education and health, education and crime, adult education. 

Dr Yusuf Sayed Education assessment and rights, quality, education governance and leadership, education financing, international aid. 

Dr Julia Sutherland The use of collaborative talk to develop secondary pupils’ higher cognitive thinking. 

Dr Simon Thompson Teachers’ professional knowledge, Initial Teacher Education in the UK, history of education. 

Professor Rachel Thomson Childhood and youth studies, young people’s transitions to adulthood, sexuality and sex education. 

Dr Jo Westbrook Learning to read, comprehension, wider reading, teacher education in the UK and developing countries, action research. 

Dr Benjamin Zeitlyn Access to education, dropout, development, migration, transnationalism, childhoods, ethnic minorities, Islam. 

Careers and profiles

On completion of this degree, you will: 

  • have theoretical and practical knowledge along with the analytical skills relevant to international education and development 
  • be able to apply this knowledge creatively and independently to a specific set of circumstances with a view to advancing learning and/or solving problems 
  • be able to communicate and present ideas and arguments effectively 
  • be able to collect, analyse and evaluate information and present data through a chosen method of enquiry. 

Our graduates develop their expertise for work in government departments, development agencies, non-governmental organisations or independent education consultancy. Employers of our graduates include the UK Department for International Development, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), USAID, UNESCO, UNICEF, and the World Bank. Some go on to study at doctoral level. 

Naho's career perspective

Naho Imaizumi

‘I found studying for an MA in International Education and Development at Sussex challenging but very rewarding. The programme offered many opportunities to discuss a great variety of topics with classmates from all over the world, who had wide experience in developing countries.

‘The teaching, by excellent faculty, not only developed my expertise in educational development, but also my ability to critically assess things. There were also many interesting open lectures given by visiting experts, which helped to broaden my view of specialised areas.

‘In addition to exploring theoretical approaches, there were many opportunities to participate in practical learning activities, such as a visit to the UNESCO head office in Paris and the chance to visit British educational institutions. I was also lucky enough to be able to attend the official launch of the EFA Global Monitoring Report.

‘Since graduating from Sussex I’ve been working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Japan. I’m engaged in providing Japanese NGOs with grant aid for development projects including educational projects in developing countries. A key requirement of my role is to evaluate the validity and sustainability of the projects prior to approval, and I make full use of the skills and experiences I gained during the programme. It’s no exaggeration to say that I wouldn’t have been able to establish my current career without my MA from Sussex.’

Naho Imaizumi
Economic Cooperation Expert
Non-Governmental Organizations Cooperation Division, International Cooperation Bureau, Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Diana's career perspective

Diana Rodriguez

‘After completing my MA in International Education and Development at Sussex I returned to Colombia and got an interview with the Ministry of National Education’s Early Childhood Department. Although the topic of early childhood was new for me, everything related to policy-making that we talked about in the interview sounded exciting and challenging.

‘Today I'm part of the Ministry’s Early Childhood team and I participate in the designing and testing of the Early Childhood National Quality Assurance System. I monitor the quality of a small educational project in southern Colombia, and I’m responsible for matters concerning the Early Childhood Department’s participation in public events and for the upkeep of the Early Childhood’s website.

‘The concepts I explored during my MA such as inclusion, quality education and good governance, together with the research skills I developed, have given me the confidence I needed to face the complexity and diversity of my responsibilities.

‘The international perspective I gained through my lecturers and fellow student’s observations has definitely given me a global perception that has helped me to enrich what we’re starting to do in my own country.’

Diana Rodriguez
Civil Servant in the Early Childhood Department
Ministry of National Education, Colombia

For more information, visit Careers and alumni.

School and contacts

School of Education and Social Work

The School of Education and Social Work combines two very strong departments with excellent reputations, and serves the needs of its students as well as those of the wider community.

School of Education and Social Work, 
University of Sussex, Falmer, 
Brighton BN1 9QQ, UK 
T +44 (0)1273 873238 
F +44 (0)1273 678411 
E eswadmissions@sussex.ac.uk 
Department of Education

Postgraduate Open Day 2013

4 December 2013, 1pm-4pm
Bramber House, University of Sussex

  • talk to academic faculty and current postgraduate students
  • subject talks and presentations on postgraduate study, research and funding
  • choose from our exciting range of taught Masters and research degrees
  • find out how postgraduate study can improve your career prospects
  • get details of our excellent funding schemes for taught postgraduate study.

To register your interest in attending, visit Postgraduate Open Day.

Can’t make it to our Postgraduate Open Day? You might be interested in attending one of our Discover Postgraduate Study information sessions.

Discover Postgraduate Study information sessions

If you can’t make it to our Postgraduate Open Day, you’re welcome to attend one of our Discover Postgraduate Study information sessions. These are held in the spring and summer terms and enable you to find out more about postgraduate study and the opportunities Sussex has to offer.

Visit Discover Postgraduate study to book your place.

Other ways to visit Sussex

We run weekly guided campus tours every Wednesday afternoon, year round. Book a place online at Visit us and Open Days.

You are also welcome to visit the University independently without any pre-arrangement.

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