The Master of Arts (Coursework) programme is designed to give students the skills sought-after by employers around the globe, with a balance of specific subject knowledge plus broad-based transferable skills – such as oral and written communication, and analytical skills.

The degree is also an possible qualification for the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).

The MA(Coursework) normally requires either 12 months or three semesters of full-time, or equivalent part-time, study and entails completion of papers and a dissertation.

The dissertation is a major piece of supervised research of up to 20,000 words.

The primary aim of the MA(Coursework) is to provide candidates with a grounding in their chosen subject area within a wider disciplinary frame. The degree cultivates the skills needed to identify a significant topic, design and implement a significant piece of research, and present the findings in a form acceptable to an expert readership.

Why study education?

We are involved with education throughout our lives. Education papers investigate how education changes lives and how learning happens, and they identify and address patterns of success and failure in education.

Topics of interest are:

Educational psychology (how children, young people, and adults learn)

How education systems evolve and how they function

The role of education in the lives of families, whanau and communities

The historical influences that have shaped institutions of childhood and education systems nationally and internationally

The cultural, social, and political influences on the school curriculum

Gender, disability, Maori education, ICT and research methods also feature in the undergraduate programme

The study of Education is diverse and interdisciplinary. It will give you a range of sought-after skills including critical thinking, problem solving, strong interpersonal skills, and both written and verbal communication skills.

Career opportunities

Students with a major in Education can apply for a diverse range of jobs. Education can be an especially useful background for careers in research, policy analysis, social work, the counselling professions and many areas of public service.

Educational processes are important in almost all settings and Education graduates can have a valuable role in most organisations.