Digital Education MSc, PGDip, PGCert

Program Overview

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Digital Education MSc, PGDip, PGCert - January

Overview

Digital education is a rapidly expanding field, and it is becoming crucial to the delivery of education in all contexts. There is therefore a growing need for practitioners to explore in depth the various concepts, opportunities and challenges associated with delivering education digitally.

This programme will provide both a theoretical underpinning and an opportunity to consider the practical applications of digital education.

Start Date

January 2026

End Date

Depends on your chosen qualification: MSc, PGDip or PGCert

Duration

Depends on your chosen qualification: MSc, PGDip or PGCert

School

International Education and Lifelong Learning Institute (IELLI)

Choose Your Course

These flexible courses allow you to choose the path that best suits your ambitions. You can:

• Achieve either an MSc, PGDip or PGCert qualification
• Study on campus in St Andrews or online
• Start in September or January

Master of Science (MSc)

A nineteen-month full-time course, which runs from January 2026 to May 2027. The MSc requires you to take eight modules and complete a 15,000-word dissertation.

Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip)

A one-year full-time course. The PGDip requires you to take eight modules over two semesters, from January 2026 to December 2026. Those on the PGDip do not undertake a dissertation.

Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert)

A one-semester full-time course. The PGCert requires you to take four modules of your choosing. Those on the PGCert do not undertake a dissertation.

In Person or Online

These programmes are delivered both in person in St Andrews or by distance learning online.

September or January

There are two different start dates you can choose from. This page has information for January entry. If you are interested in starting in September, visit the September entry in person course web page.

Entry Requirements

Typically, you should have one of the following:

• A 2.1 Honours degree or 3.3 out of 4.0 Grade Point Average (GPA) in any discipline. Applications are welcomed from all education systems. If you studied your first degree outside the UK, see the international entry requirements.
• Significant professional or other relevant experience alongside evidence of prior alternative learning such as professional qualifications or certifications.

Recognition of Prior Learning

Some students may be eligible for recognition of prior learning (RPL) based on their previous studies, such as DELTA. IELLI considers applications for RPL on a case-by-case basis in line with the University's recognition of prior learning policy.

English Language Requirements

You will need to be proficient in the English language. Information about English language entry requirements for these programmes is available.

Application Deadline

Friday 12 December 2025

Application Requirements

• CV that includes your personal details with a history of your education and employment (paid or voluntary) to date
• Personal statement: see personal statement guidance for IELLI courses
• One original signed reference (professional or academic)
• Academic transcripts and degree certificates
• Evidence of English language proficiency if English is not your first language

Course Details

Digital Education programmes are run by the International Education and Lifelong Learning Institute (IELLI).

Highlights

• Benefit from both theoretical insights and practical understanding thanks to the collaborative delivery of the programme by academic staff and digital education practitioners.
• 20% of each module grade is derived from an online group written interactive Forum. This enables students to interact with and learn from a wide variety of students both in St Andrews and around the world.
• Consider broad issues relating to digital education, alongside a practical focus on how to design online programmes, and how to use specific learning technologies on a course.
• Learn about a range of research methods appropriate to digital education.
• Engage in assessments that allow you to apply theory to real-world scenarios.
• Conduct original research supported by experts within the Institute.

Modules

The modules in the programme have varying methods of delivery and assessment. For more details about each module, including weekly contact hours, teaching methods and assessment, please see the latest module catalogue.

The modules listed are indicative, there is no guarantee they will run for January 2026 entry, and some elements may be subject to change.

The following modules are compulsory on the MSc and PGDip programmes. If you are studying for the PGCert, you can choose any four modules from this list or from the optional list, subject to timetabling restrictions.

• Compulsory modules
• Optional modules
• Dissertation (MSc only)
• Action Research and Reflection for Education Practitioners: provides a learning experience in which students can reflect on concepts and theories they have studied in the past and connect them with individual educational contexts, and explores the combined value of reflection and action research, providing a means for educational practitioners to understand their educational contexts and to plan responses to challenges in these contexts.
• Contemporary Issues in Digital Education: is aimed at teaching and professional staff who support learning and wish to further their understanding of and engagement with the use of digital technologies. The module is designed to allow participants to step back from the delivery of digital education and develop an understanding of the contexts, philosophy and ethics of teaching online through examination of a variety of different stakeholder perspectives. The module will also provide participants with the skills they need to critically evaluate technologies and integrate them appropriately into their practice.
• Education and Researching: explores different research methodologies and critically evaluates quantitative, qualitative and mixed method approaches. It will help students understand the features of a rigorous research question in education, as well as consider how to design, pilot and reflect on the effectiveness of different data collection instruments. Students will be taught, and given the opportunity to practise, different approaches to data analysis. The module will also include guidance and discussion on the different ethical considerations when conducting educational research, as well as the important stages in writing up the dissertation.
• Online Programme Design: presents the key theories of learning and teaching as well as the principles that underpin online programme design. In addition to this you will learn about digital content creation, how to build a sense of community in online teaching and learning contexts, and about assessment and evaluation in the online world. You will be given the opportunity to identify and conceptualise these aspects of online teaching and learning within your own professional contexts.
• Technology for Teaching: introduces students to the principal theories, concepts and practices of technology in education. The key focus is on the application of technology, and students will examine various classroom and online uses. Participants will critically consider the role and purpose of various modes of technology in education in a wide range of settings, be encouraged to identify and conceptualise problems within their own professional contexts, and develop creative and informed responses which utilise technology. Students will also develop project management and communication skills.

Those on the MSc and the PGDip programmes will choose three modules from the following list. If you are studying on the PGCert, you can choose any four modules from this list or from the compulsory module list, subject to timetabling restrictions.

• Assessment and Evaluation in Education: provides students with a detailed understanding of the key concepts and theories behind different methods of assessment and evaluation in education. It will help you to examine the rationale for different types of assessments and assessment designs. You will make links to learning on other modules and examine the theory underpinning test construction and marking, in particular test validity and the role of criteria in assessment.
• English for Academic Purposes: provides an understanding of the higher education context, the key principles underpinning learning in a university, text and discourse in the communities of the different disciplines, theories and practice of assessment, and the most effective methods and materials to motivate students and help them into a discourse community so that, as an EAP teacher, you will be able to prepare and support students who come to study for undergraduate or postgraduate degrees through the medium of English.
• English Medium Instruction (EMI): With the rapid development of the internationalisation of education, English is being used as the medium of instruction in an increasing number of educational institutions, from university down to primary school and even kindergarten. This is a complex situation, and it is having a significant impact on teaching and learning worldwide, affecting both students and educators. EMI has therefore become a significant component of the study of postgraduate education as the roles of stakeholders are constantly evolving. This module will provide students with an understanding of the controversies of English as an international language for academic study and the complexity involved in speakers of any language teaching and learning in a second language.
• Leadership and Management in International Education: asks students to think critically about the purpose, importance and understanding of key concepts and theories of educational leadership in higher education. To this end, the module will begin by exploring what is educational leadership and the qualities of an effective leader in educational settings in the 21st century. It will then introduce and consider relevant theories and principles underlying practice in educational leadership. In order to demonstrate an awareness of the contextual nature of leadership, the module will examine the contributions from international leadership perspectives in a number of different global contexts. Students will be encouraged to analyse and discuss questions and issues arising from the study in line with their own practice and experience in both written and verbal communications.
• Linguistics for Language Teachers: equips you with the skills required to describe and analyse language. It does not assume prior knowledge of linguistics and seeks to introduce you to selected fundamental concepts relevant to English language teaching. You will acquire appropriate terminology and techniques in the analysis and description of grammatical terms and structures.
• Organisational Development in International Education: you will learn about key theories of organisational development as well as their practical application to an educational setting. Students will explore organisation diagnosis, leading change and organisation culture, and will be given the opportunity to reflect and critically apply the organisation development interventions to international settings.
• Teaching Young Learners: explores theories of child development and learning which are fundamental to the understanding of child second language acquisition, namely children aged 4 to 7, 8 to 11, and 12 to 18. Child psychology has to be taken into account in the development of teaching materials, teaching styles and classroom management. There is also a practical element to the module, in the form of tasks requiring you to create lesson plans and materials to share with your peers, to apply theory to practice.
• Trends and Policies in International Education: aims to raise awareness and enable reflection of the key trends and policies in international education. It provides students with the opportunity to examine the impact that these trends and policies have on standing pedagogical structures and the dialogues they create within the field of intercultural pedagogy. Against this backdrop, the module will encourage students to assess the impact that the decisions they make as leaders, or may go on to make as potential leaders within the field of international education, have on the stakeholders within their context of work.

Optional modules are subject to change each year and require a minimum number of participants to be offered.

Only those on the MSc programme are required to submit a dissertation.

Fees

MSc

Home: £12,030 Overseas: £25,900

PGDip

Home: £8,020 Overseas: £17,270

PGCert

Home: £4,010 Overseas: £8,650

These are programme fees rather than annual fees, which can generally be paid in instalments spread over the length of your studies.

MSc Tuition Fee Discount

IELLI offers scholarships to students studying the MSc on campus in St Andrews who have approximately six months of relevant work experience. For students paying the Overseas fee, the scholarship is £2,000 and for students paying the Home fee, the scholarship is £1,000.

15% Recent Graduate Discount

If you have graduated from the University within the last three academic years, you may be eligible for a 15% discount on postgraduate taught tuition fees. Terms and conditions apply.

Your Future

Digital Education graduates are equipped with a range of skills and experiences which allow them to take on a variety of roles relating to the planning or delivery of digital education, such as Educational Technologist or Digital Education Developer.

Staff in IELLI have a wealth of teaching and leadership experience in education, in a range of locations globally. They are active in using their international networks and experience to support and advise students on future career development.

Current teaching staff have taught, or held educational leadership roles, in Australia, Bulgaria, China, Finland, France, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, New Zealand, Nigeria, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, UK, USA and Vietnam.

Awards

Members of the IELLI team and former students have been awarded various awards and prizes.

Masters Dissertation Awards

• Paul Robertson (MSc TESOL with a Specialism in Technology for Teaching) won the British Association of Lecturers in English for Academic Purposes masters Dissertation Awards 2024 for his dissertation entitled 'Student and staff perceptions of student digital competencies on an English-Medium international foundation year programme in Europe, with reference to the EU’s Digital Competence Framework for Citizens (DigComp)'.
• Peter Bannister (MSc TESOL with a Specialism in Assessment and Evaluation) won the British Association of Lecturers in English for Academic Purposes Masters Dissertation Awards 2023 for his dissertation entitled 'Exploring the Critical Listening Assessment Conundrum on Pre-Sessional EAP Programmes in Higher Education'.
• Mairi Canning (MSc TESOL) was commended at the British Council ELT Masters Dissertation Awards for her dissertation entitled 'The Value of Co-teaching in Teacher Agency: A Focus on ESL Teachers in South Korea'.
• Allison Crum (MSc TESOL) was commended at the British Council ELT Masters Dissertation Awards for her dissertation entitled 'Introducing standards for evaluating enrichment materials (SEEM): Testing the modern framework with football-themed materials'.
• Yin Lijun (MSc TESOL) was commended at the British Council ELT Masters Dissertation Awards for her dissertation entitled 'An investigation of experienced EAP teachers' marking processes'.

Elsevier-Stanford List 2023 and 2024

• Sin Wang Chong was included in Top 2% Scientists in Education on the Elsevier-Stanford List.

TOEFL New Scholar Award 2024

• Stefan O'Grady was awarded the 2024 TOEFL New Scholar award in recognition of the breadth and quality of his publications, and service to the field of language testing.

University of St Andrews Golden Dandelion Awards

Kerry Tavakoli and Mark Carver were awarded a University of St Andrews Golden Dandelion Award for ET5524 and ET5624 English Medium Instruction in recognition of the considerable contribution to education for sustainable development that it makes.

University of St Andrews Teaching Excellence Awards

• Paula Villegas Verdu was awarded one of five annual Teaching Excellence Awards in 2024 for her significant contribution to curriculum design within the Institute, and her leadership of the Institute’s Academic English Service. Her development of new provision to support students across the University with academic literacy development was particularly commended.
• Kirsty Duff was awarded one of five annual Teaching Excellence Awards in 2023 for her excellent teaching and curriculum development at the International Education and Lifelong Learning Institute.
• Lori Leigh Davis was awarded one of six annual Teaching Excellent Awards in 2022. Lori was recognised for the energy and enthusiasm she brings to her classes, her commitment to embedding sustainability within her teaching, as well as her work mentoring colleagues and contributing to University widening access programmes.
• Kerry Tavakoli was awarded one of four annual Teaching Excellence Awards in 2018. Kerry was recognised for the positive impact her work has had on students through her teaching.

University of St Andrews Students' Association 1413 Teaching Excellence Awards

• Lesley Thirkell was nominated in the category of outstanding academic mentorship, which acknowledges the way a member of teaching staff influences students' personal and academic development, and in the Outstanding Innovation in Teaching category, which celebrates creativity in the classroom.
• Paula Villegas Verdu was nominated for a Students' Association Excellence Award for outstanding commitment to inclusivity, for her work on the Online Programme Design module, and in the Postgraduate Taught Dissertation Supervisor category, which recognises excellent guidance and support offered to a dissertation student.
• Alison Malcolm-Smith was nominated in the Outstanding Innovation in Teaching category, which celebrates creativity in the classroom.
• John Hughes was nominated in the Outstanding Innovation in Teaching category, which celebrates creativity in the classroom.
• Lori Leigh Davis was nominated in the categories of Outstanding Teacher (Arts and Divinity), Outstanding Innovation in Teaching, Outstanding Academic Mentorship, and Outstanding Commitment to Academic Inclusivity.

University of St Andrews Start-Up Challenge

Cameron Wren (MSc TESOL with a Specialism in Technology for Teaching) won the Start-Up Challenge at the University's Entrepreneurship Centre with his business proposal for an online curriculum subscription service for online and offline English language teachers.