Learning and Leadership MPhil/PhD
London, Bloomsbury
Our MPhil/PhD programme provides a route for students to carry out their own research project: an investigation that will contribute to the field of knowledge within the field of education and beyond. Research students engage with the academic community both within our department and IOE, ยายืะใ’s Faculty of Education and Society, and benefit from participation in the comprehensive IOE Research Training Programme. This programme is available to study both face-to-face and online.
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2024/25)
Overseas tuition fees (2024/25)
Duration
Programme starts
Applications accepted
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.Entry requirements
The normal minimum requirement is a Masterโs degree from a UK university in a subject appropriate to the programme to be followed, or a qualification of equivalent standard appropriate to the programme to be followed awarded by a university (or educational institution of university rank) outside the UK. The majority of our successful applicants hold a Merit at Masterโs level, and may have additional relevant experience.
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The English language level for this programme is: Level 4
ยายืะใ Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at ยายืะใ. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.
Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.
Equivalent qualifications
Country-specific information, including details of when ยายืะใ representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.
International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.
About this degree
The Department of Learning and Leadership (DLL) is a large specialist research and teaching department focused on:
- how children learn through the processes of teaching
- the role of leadership
DLL is home to Centre for Education Policy and Equalising Opportunities (CEPEO), Helen Hamlyn Centre for Pedagogy (HHCP), , and Centre for Teacher and Early Years Education.
Who this course is for
The MPhil/PhD is for applicants with a strong interest in an aspect of educational and social research, which may be understood broadly across the life course, in relation to other subject areas and wider social, economic, political and cultural changes. You should normally have completed an MA to merit level and want to develop a specific area of research. You may have a background in education or a cognate area of study. It is suitable for both recent graduates and those progressed in a career.
What this course will give you
IOE is a world-leading centre for research in education and related social science. We host the UK's largest doctoral cohort in these areas. In the QS World University Rankings by Subject (2023), the Institute was ranked first for education for the tenth year running, ahead of Harvard, Stanford, Oxford and Cambridge. In the UK's recent Research Excellence Framework (2021), we were ranked first for research strength and research power in Education, according to the Elsevier REF 2021 Results Analysis Tool. We attract extensive research funding each year and host many prestigious research centres and projects.
Doctoral students at IOE have access to the wider ยายืะใ community as well as the education cluster constituting the ESRC . The Institute's programme has been designed to provide comprehensive and broadly based research training and to meet the requirements of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the UK Researcher Development Framework.
Students work closely with their supervisor(s) to develop each stage of research; supervisors also help put together a programme of additional courses and activities to support progress towards completion of the final thesis.
The foundation of your career
Students develop general and specialist skills in research methodology, academic writing and presentation, as well as experience of engaging with a wide range of practitioners across different sectors of education.
Employability
IOE doctoral graduates are found in a wide range of occupational fields. Career paths include education professionals in a wide range of settings, university research and lecturing, policy development and senior officer roles in government and NGOs, policy and professional roles in both the wider public sector (including health, youth work, international development) as well as in the private sector (including business and retail).
Networking
The Department of Learning and Leadership has a wide range of research seminars, where students can join discussion of our ongoing projects, as well as being the base for national and international conferences. Staff members are also significant figures in international conferences such as BERA and ECER. There are also opportunities to work with education practitioners and organisations beyond IOE.
Teaching and learning
In addition to ยายืะใ's Doctoral Skills Development Programme, IOE's Centre for Doctoral Education provides a comprehensive Research Training Programme.
The Core Course aims to meets the needs of early stage doctoral students.
There is also a wide range of introductory, advanced methods, advanced theoretical, and generic academic skills courses, as well as student-led workshops and reading groups.
The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) consists of a piece of supervised research, normally undertaken over a period of three years full-time or five years part-time. Assessment is by means of a thesis, which should demonstrate your capacity to pursue original research based upon a good understanding of the research techniques and concepts appropriate to the discipline. It must also represent a distinct and significant contribution to the subject, whether through the discovery of new knowledge, the connection of previously unrelated facts, the development of new theory, or the revision of older views. It should reflect the exercise of critical judgement with regard to both your own work and that of other scholars in the field.
For those who decide not to pursue the full PhD, or are unable to do so, the degree of Master of Philosophy (MPhil) consists of a piece of supervised research, normally undertaken over a period of three years full-time or five years part-time. Assessment is by means of a thesis, which should represent a contribution to the subject, either through a record of your original work or a critical and ordered exposition of existing knowledge.
You must ensure you have adequate time to devote to this research, at least six hours a day (2-3 days a week part time).
Research areas and structure
The department has an international reputation for its research concerning learning, teaching and leadership, including:
- Curriculum leadership and innovation
- Diversity, children’s rights
- Early literacy, numeracy and science
- Early years and primary / elementary education
- Education policy and system reform
- Inspection and accountability
- Urban education
- Play, creativity and the arts
- Professional learning and research informed practice
- School improvement
- School and educational leadership
- Special educational needs and inclusive education
- Teacher development and wellbeing
Research environment
As a research student at the Department of Learning and Leadership, you can participate in the department's seminar programme which further enriches learning. There are also seminars organised by research centres or according to interest groups.
Since October 2014, we have also – in addition to the campus-based mode - offered the option to study online in a distance-learning mode. Choosing the distance-learning mode means that there are no residency requirements and it is not necessary to attend during doctoral study, the viva examination take place in-person at ยายืะใ or online. However, you are welcome to visit and use campus facilities including the library, attend seminars etc. In the first year of full-time study (and first two years of part-time study), distance learners take a series of compulsory research methods modules that are studied online. This typically involves provision of materials (articles, eBooks, videos etc.), forums to facilitate discussion of various tasks, and synchronous sessions to discuss the activities. Alongside these you will work with your supervisors on your research (e.g., using Teams/Zoom and email). In addition, there are other resources and training opportunities to support distance-learning students, e.g., sessions to develop generic skills.
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The length of registration for the research degree programmes is 3 years for full-time.
You are required to register initially for the MPhil degree with the expectation of transfer to PhD after successful completion of an upgrade viva 9-18 months after initial registration.
IOE Centre for Doctoral Education provides an extensive Research Training Programme. A mandatory core course is provided that aims to meet the needs of early-stage doctoral students. There is also a wide range of introductory, advanced methods, advanced theoretical, and generic non-credit bearing academic skills courses, as well as student led workshops and reading groups which you can attend.
Full-time MPhil/PhD students are required to fulfil minimum 20 ‘points’ of training activity in their first year, and are encouraged to fulfil the same in their subsequent years of study. This training can be selected from the ยายืะใ Doctoral Skills Development Programme, IOE faculty’s Research Training Programme, the multi-institutional Bloomsbury Postgraduate Skills Network, and from other sources. Each point is worth approximately a half-day of face-to-face training, or an online equivalent. Other activities such as attending and presenting at conferences also count towards research training. Students may undertake additional training beyond these minima, as relevant to their research and/or as agreed with their supervisors.
You are expected to upgrade from MPhil to PhD status towards the end of your first year of study if full-time. Students whose performance is satisfactory will transfer from MPhil to PhD status.
Processes aimed at assisting you during your course of study include the Research Student Log (an online project management tool), and periodic reviews of students’ progress.
Upon successful completion of your approved period of registration you may, if necessary, register as a completing research status (CRS) student while you finish writing your thesis.
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The length of registration for the research degree programmes is 5 years for part-time.
You are required to register initially for the MPhil degree with the expectation of transfer to PhD after successful completion of an upgrade viva 9-18 months after initial registration.
IOE Centre for Doctoral Education provides an extensive Research Training Programme. A mandatory core course is provided that aims to meet the needs of early-stage doctoral students. There is also a wide range of introductory, advanced methods, advanced theoretical, and generic non-credit bearing academic skills courses, as well as student led workshops and reading groups which you can attend.
Part-time students are required to fulfil minimum 12 ‘points’ of training activity in each year of study. This training can be selected from the ยายืะใ Doctoral Skills Development Programme, IOE faculty’s Research Training Programme, the multi-institutional Bloomsbury Postgraduate Skills Network, and from other sources. Each point is worth approximately a half-day of face-to-face training, or an online equivalent. Other activities such as attending and presenting at conferences also count towards research training. Students may undertake additional training beyond these minima, as relevant to their research and/or as agreed with their supervisors.
You are expected to upgrade from MPhil to PhD status towards at around 18 months if part-time. Students whose performance is satisfactory will transfer from MPhil to PhD status.
Processes aimed at assisting you during your course of study include the Research Student Log (an online project management tool), and periodic reviews of students’ progress.
Upon successful completion of your approved period of registration you may, if necessary, register as a completing research status (CRS) student while you finish writing your thesis.
Accessibility
Details of the accessibility of ยายืะใ buildings can be obtained from . Further information can also be obtained from the ยายืะใ Student Support and Wellbeing team.
Fees and funding
Fees for this course
Fee description | Full-time | Part-time |
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Tuition fees (2024/25) | £7,580 | £3,790 |
Tuition fees (2024/25) | £22,700 | £11,350 |
The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the ยายืะใ Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees.
Additional costs
Students should take into account any travel, accommodation and expenses involved in their thesis.
For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at Accommodation and living costs.
Funding your studies
For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at ยายืะใ, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding webpage: /scholarships/funding-students-postgraduate-research-courses
ยายืะใ's Research Excellence Scholarships (RES) are available annually to prospective and existing ยายืะใ research students from any country: /scholarships/research-excellence-scholarship. The ยายืะใ, Bloomsbury and East London Doctoral Training Partnership offers studentships annually. More information is found here: https://ubel-dtp.ac.uk/
UBEL, RES and other funding programmes are not available to online and non-resident students.
For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at ยายืะใ, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.
Next steps
After choosing a programme to apply for, you should develop a research proposal and identify a potential supervisor. For more information, visit our website to find a supervisor and get in touch with departmental graduate tutors.
Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.
Choose your programme
Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.
Got questions? Get in touch
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