• Study on a modular course designed for professionals in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), that allows you to accumulate credit at a pace that suits you, with assessments based around needs specific to your role in your educational organisation
• Explore the process of teaching, learning support and/or educational leadership, focusing on personal, academic and vocational interests relevant to your educational context
• Develop your understanding of assessment formats with a negotiated focus in support of both individual and organisational needs
• Gain from undertaking primary research that informs your current practice, as well as acquiring the necessary research skills to engage in future research and progress to a PhD or EdD programme
• Benefit from a course that provides a clear progression route following completion of your Initial Teacher Education (ITE) course, develops both you and the organisation within which you work and could be used as the basis for further study at doctoral level (PhD and EdD).

Units

• Dissertation In Education (Special Educational Needs) (EDC119-6) Compulsory
• Meeting Diverse Needs (EDC128-6) Compulsory
• Research Methods In The Workplace (EDC129-6) Compulsory

Each unit in this course has its own assessment. Wherever possible, the specific focus of assignments is negotiated individually between the unit tutor and the student, within the parameters of the unit, in order to ensure that the assignment meets the personal and professional needs of the student. The course provides you with a carefully planned and coherent sequence of learning opportunities that facilitate your development through formative and summative assessments. At this level the expectations, in terms of the quality of work produced, are high and you will need to take active control of your learning. At Master's level the expectation is that you are an autonomous and confident learner, particularly when you are undertaking distance learning units, that you will undertake assessments that are challenging and require mature argument developed from sustained research, and that you will demonstrate fluent and cogent presentation. You are encouraged in your assessments to draw upon an extensive range of sources to demonstrate a deep theoretical understanding and the ability to apply that to current issues and contexts. The assessments test the ability to construct a reasoned, sustained and coherent argument, and to articulate it fluently, in a range of contexts. You are required to demonstrate an appropriate level of research, of independent argument, and to reference in an appropriate and accurate manner. Through the assessments designed for individual units, you will practise and reinforce skills in researching, evaluating and synthesising materials with a critical eye; quantitative and qualitative data collection and handling, together with skills associated with conventional academic tasks. Unit assessment is based on specified learning outcomes and assessment criteria. The unit information forms state clearly the aims, objectives and learning outcomes of the unit, and delineate the criteria of assessment for each outcome. The unit assessment feedback offers detailed comment to the student on the assessment piece. The taught stage of the course (stage 1) requires you to pass 120 credits before progressing to stage 2, the 60 credit dissertation.

This Master’s qualification will enhance your chances for promotion and for employment in other contexts. Master’s study supports promotion to senior positions in the field of education.

The course is designed to help you engage, study and critique key issues in education as well as to be able to identify and justify recommendations for further action.

As a Master’s graduate, therefore, you will have the confidence, knowledge and critical skills to prepare and present a strong application to senior posts in the field of education.

Previous graduates have gone on to take up enhanced roles within their organisation; some have undertaken PhD study.

This MA Education (Special Educational Needs) offers a substantial opportunity to engage in structured and supported distance learning through two optional units focusing on behavioural and literacy difficulties.

Quote from a lecturer

 

 

Gateway Building

The Gateway Building located at the entrance of the Bedford campus holds a wide range of facilities including the main reception, student information desk, a café on the ground floor, large lecture theatres as well as a range of study rooms & breakout spaces on all floors.

Part of the University's 'greening of the campus' initiative, the £25m investment in the Gateway includes a number of sustainable and low carbon technologies such as rainwater harvesting. The project team are aiming towards a BREEAM sustainability rating of 'excellent'.

Campus Centre

The Bedford Campus Centre holds the large 280 seat professional theatre on the ground floor and the 80 seat studio theatre on the first floor as well as a box office just inside the entrance where students, staff and the wider community can get tickets for the variety of student performances that are held by our School of Media & Performance

Also on the ground floor is the main campus café which offers a wide variety of tasty food & drink and is a great social space for meeting friends and group working.

Bedford Campus Accommodation

The University guarantees accommodation to all new students.

Choose from Liberty Park's en-suite study bedrooms or the Student Village which offers standard rooms with shared bathroom facilities, and en-suite rooms with a private shower. All have fully-equipped kitchens.

Our rooms are on-campus and have easy access to the town centre and train station.

Sports Science Labs

Our specialist labs give students a fantastic environment to develop their research skills and expertise, where a student can explore the biology of an elite athlete who could be performing simultaneously within the sports hall.

Few Sport Science courses in the country offer students such unique discipline leading research experience and skills, alongside intimate access to world leading researchers within their field. Students are regularly offered the opportunity to be involved within discipline defining Sport, Health and Exercise Science research

Our state-of-the-art laboratories are purpose built for research and teaching in the fields of exercise and nutrition science. This includes specialised equipment and facilities for assessing human health risk and delivering exercise and diet interventions for health promotion.

Campus Theatres

Set within the Campus Centre is a 260 seat professional theatre on the ground floor with industry-standard lighting, media desk, roll-down screen, full backstage comms system and large dressing rooms with en suite showers. On the first floor there's also a well-equipped 80 seat studio theatre.

Our theatres welcome new and existing audiences to see a range of student work including contemporary dance, theatre and performing arts; holding regular performances. The performance facilities are designed to emulate professional working conditions.

Aspire Gym - Bedford

The Aspire Gym has state of the art cardiovascular equipment with smart phone compatibility.

There is also an extensive range of fixed resistance machines and a small free weights area.

Changing rooms with showers and lockers are available for members to use.

Teacher Education Centre

The teacher education centre is set out over a number of blocks on campus containing realistic mock classrooms for students to learn and train within.

As part of this our Forest School also provides the opportunity for teachers to be trained in outdoor learning and the educational benefits of outdoor play.

We have a long-established history in teacher training and education with over 500 partnerships with schools, colleges and other organisations.

Sports Hall & Fields

The sports hall is an integral space in the School of Sport Science and Physical Activity, complementing discipline leading Sport and Exercise Science and modern biological analysis laboratories, all co-located on the Bedford campus.

The sports hall is proud to host all Bedfordshire Bulls students' sports matches as well as national standard sporting events including British University College Sports championships – one of the few indoor sporting venues in the county to host prestigious tournaments all year round.

The facility also plays host to a number of University promoted Get into Sport activities which are open to all University students and staff.

Alongside the large sports hall the campus is surrounded by sports fields and a multi-use games area for the University's Sport and Physical Education degree students.

Bedford - Location

The Bedford campus is located just outside the centre of town within easy walking distance. For students and staff travelling by train we also run a free regular bus service from Bedford Station to the Campus. Bedford has excellent transport links to the rest of the UK as it sits between the M1 and the A1. The town connects by train to Luton (20 minutes) and London (40 minutes).