MSc in Teacher Education
A ground-breaking course for new and experienced teacher educators involved in leading pre-service teacher education and/or in-service teacher development, interested in increasing their knowledge and skills while working in such a role.
Part time
- Upcoming application deadline for 2027-28 entry:
- 12:00 midday UK time on Friday 13 November 2026
- Expected length
- 2 years
- Expected start date
- August 2027
- English language level
- Higher level required
Application deadlines
Applications more likely to receive earlier decisions
Final application deadline for Oxford scholarships
Expected to be the final application deadline
After the final application deadline has passed, this course may remain open or reopen if places are available.
About the course
This two-year, part-time course is a world first, professional development course intended for all those interested in increasing their theoretical knowledge and practical skills required for effective and inspirational teacher education.
The course focuses on developing teacher educators’ day-to-day practice, including emphases on the design and teaching of teacher education programmes, and the ability to conduct research to develop practice, and to engage critically in debates about teaching and teacher education in your own subject/phase.
The course is open to teacher educators from the UK, EU and internationally who are working at primary, secondary and HE level. It includes specialisms in English, History, Mathematics, Science, Geography, Modern Foreign Languages and Religious Education, but is highly flexible in accommodating other subjects and phases.
The MSc in Teacher Education course is intended to be for:
- school-based teacher educators, including mentors, coaches, induction tutors responsible for Early Career Teachers, and initial (or pre-service) teacher training coordinators;
- university tutors involved in teacher education who are working on taught education programmes or are based in subject departments with some teacher education responsibilities; and
- advisory teachers, fieldworkers and professional development providers.
The course is designed to be integral to your day-to-day practice as a teacher educator and blends online, distance learning with one week residential components in Oxford in years one and two.
Research in the department is organised around three major themes:
- Language, Cognition and Development
- Policy, Economy, and Society
- Pedagogy, Learning and Knowledge.
Within each of these themes there are several research groups and centres. All staff and doctoral students belong to one or more of these research groups, each of which has its own seminar programme to which graduate students often contribute. In addition, the department as a whole sponsors regular seminars and public lectures which attract distinguished national and international speakers.
Course structure
The course is taught online with two residential components in Oxford, and you will be expected to participate in a course of instruction for six terms on a part-time basis.
The first year of the course starts with the induction week of Unit 1 in August, and then students are expected to complete three online taught units, each lasting eight weeks. Each unit involves set readings (or equivalents) and tasks which will include individual and group work and small projects focused on participants' own practice. The University’s Virtual Learning Environment is used to support the work on each task and sustain critical discussion.
At the beginning of Hilary Term (mid-January) there will be an optional online induction session for Unit 2 (lasting four hours). A similar online session is held at the beginning of Trinity Term (end of April) for induction into Unit 3 and again.
The first two units involve observation and interviews with learner teachers (beginning or more experienced teachers) in order to learn more about their existing knowledge and beliefs about teaching. Your findings are brought together with key literature and shared with your study group for discussion and analysis. They inform the third unit’s focus on the development and evaluation of a teacher education session. These tasks also contribute significantly to the assignments associated with each unit.
The second year is devoted to a substantial Research and Development Project. It begins with the second residential week in August of Year 2, which focuses on developing the research skills required for the project. You will then spend the remainder of the year working with your academic supervisor to undertake and complete the project.
Core components
You will take three core units and complete a dissertation.
Course details
Entry requirements
For entry in 2027-28