Program Overview

MA Creative Education

Overview

Our MA in Creative Education is a two-year top-up qualification that will enable you to develop expertise in the field of teaching and learning through critical evaluation of research and pedagogical practices.

Key Information

• Course duration: Part-time, over 2 years, online
• Annual fees: Home and overseas (part-time, over 2 years online) £3,000 per year
• Course start: September 2025

Course Overview

Our MA Creative Education is a two-year top-up Level 7 award that is designed specifically to build on your previous study of a related Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PGCHE), or attainment of Advance HE Fellowship (Descriptor 2).

Successful applicants will already have attained key pedagogic skills and experiences. The MA Creative Education will build on these to explore the wider landscape of contemporary learning and teaching.

Course Delivery

The MA Creative Education programme is delivered entirely online, featuring a combination of synchronous group sessions using Microsoft Teams. Sessions take place in the early evening on a set day of the week during term time from September to August. Group sessions are interspersed with individual online tutorials and independent study time. All students have access to resources on the University’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and library website.

Course Details

The MA Creative Education comprises five related, but independent 20-credit units at level 7 (M-level), plus a 40-credit research project in the final year. Units are delivered and assessed over a series of teaching blocks and consist of a total of 600 learning hours per year: 200 for each 20-credit unit and 400 for the final dissertation.

Year 1

• Unit MAEd4: Models of Teaching and Learning
  • Learning is a complex process influenced by various psychological and pedagogic models that shape our contemporary understanding.
  • This unit will introduce you to influential models such as behaviourism, constructivism, experiential learning, and critical pedagogy, exploring the philosophies and epistemologies behind them and their implications for teaching practice.
• Unit MAEd5: Histories of Creative Education
  • This unit explores the history of creative education with a global perspective but a focus on the UK.
  • Through a series of lectures, workshops and activities you will be tracing its roots from the 16th century Academies of Rome and Paris through to the formalisation of higher education in the twentieth century.
• Unit MAEd6: Contemporary Issues in Higher Education
  • This unit will require you to take charge of your own learning and navigate a collaborative project with support and facilitation from the course team.
  • You will gain direct experience of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) as you work together to investigate a contemporary issue within the creative Higher Education sector, leading to a final group presentation that will be an opportunity to propose solutions to a public audience within the university.

Year 2

• Unit MAEd7: The Academic Research Process
  • Carrying out academic research is an essential part of a Lecturer’s activities within Higher Education.
  • On this unit you will learn about the range of research activity that takes place within creative practice, from practice-based enquiry through to publishing in journals and participating in conferences.
• Unit MAEd8: Major Research Project
  • The Major Research Project is the culminating part of MA Creative Education and builds on the taught units of your course so far.
  • It will deepen your understanding of educational research, and the strengths and challenges of carrying out sustained research in education that reflects your own professional priorities.

Learning and Teaching

The course is delivered through a variety of engaging learning and teaching methods, including:

• Lectures
• Seminars
• Tutorials
• Technical labs
• Independent and group work

Assessment

Our assessment methods will vary based on the unit you choose and provide a comprehensive measure of your learning and progress. These methods may include:

• Critically reflective essay
• Course work
• Presentations
• Learning journal
• Reflective evaluation
• Body of creative work
• Reflective research report
• Team project evaluation
• Major project
• Supporting documentation

Entry Requirements

Our MA Creative Education is a two-year top-up Level 7 award that is designed specifically to build on your previous study of a related Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PGCHE), or attainment of Advance HE Fellowship (Descriptor 2).

Successful applicants will already have attained key pedagogic skills and experiences. The MA Creative Education will build on these to explore the wider landscape of contemporary learning and teaching.

How to Apply

Applications to our postgraduate courses should be made directly to Norwich University of the Arts using a Postgraduate Application Form.

Typical Career Paths

Gaining a Master’s in Creative Education will open up a wide range of career opportunities in the field of education and arts education, including senior academic roles, coaching and mentoring, or educational positions within the gallery sector. You may also wish to continue your studies through the completion of a PhD.

• Doctoral study
• Subject specialist tutor
• Curriculum designer
• Educational researcher
• Senior fellowship of the Higher Education Academy