Master of Education in Management and Leadership

Overall course description:

One of the objectives of this programme is to support learners to adopt modern teaching and leadership methodologies by using the results of scientific studies that support the leadership and management of education institutions. Another objective is to support the development of effective systems and structures for good and sound management taking into consideration good governance.

The course will cover various aspects of education management and leadership including the management of human resources. It is also intended to equip learners with the various ways and means of working with stakeholders including parents, other professionals, regulators, financiers among others.

This is an effective programme based on new methodologies that focus on the best use of resources. In so doing the educational institution will achieve the best results while making maximum use of its resources whether they are assets such as equipment or other resources such as human resources.

The course is specifically designed for contemporary school managers and members of school leadership teams, aiming to enhance professional capacity within educational settings. Its core objective is to produce autonomous, reflective, and strategically minded professionals capable of actively contributing to school improvement and effective leadership.

Upon successful completion, graduates will be equipped to:

Develop and apply strategic leadership and management skills grounded in contemporary theories.
Formulate and execute strategic plans to elevate institutional performance and student achievement.
Demonstrate competence in governance, financial management, and policy-making within educational institutions.
Employ data-driven decision-making to optimize school operations and educational outcomes.
Critically assess educational policies at national and international levels and understand their impact on school leadership.
Generate evidence-based solutions to foster educational innovation and reform.
Communicate effectively, resolve conflicts, and engage stakeholders to support institutional success.
Uphold ethical standards and advocate for equity, diversity, and inclusive practices in educational leadership.
Integrate digital technologies to improve learning, teaching, and management processes.
Conduct independent research and apply critical thinking to address complex leadership challenges.
Manage change and crises effectively, ensuring institutional resilience and adaptability.

Overall, the programme prepares participants to take on senior leadership roles within educational institutions by fostering strategic insight, operational competence, and ethical responsibility.

Moreover, the course will be delivered through synchronous online lectures, case studies and peer discussions to ensure a in-depth and informative teaching and learning experience using the latest technological methodologies pegged with real world scenarios and experiences.

Target Audience:

This course aims to prepare those working in an educational setting in the area of education management and leadership, to advance their knowledge to Masters level, moreover to specialise in a specific field within the area of study. The program is targeted towards professionals within the field of compulsory school age management. This program also targets professionals who work in educational settings before and beyond compulsory school age. This applies for those professionals managing childcare centres, and those wishing to provide educational services beyond compulsory age. Professionals taking this program will enhance their academic competences in this specific area of study to become department heads, deputy heads, heads of schools or heads of college networks or other positions of headship. The target audience is learners holding MQF level 6 certification of 180 ECTS and wishing to progress within the education sector for a post-graduate Degree at Masters level in Education Management and Leadership. The course aims to equip participants with the necessary tools and competences to implement inclusive education effectively in the 21st century learning environment.

Programme Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the Master of Education in Management and Leadership, graduates will be equipped to apply contemporary leadership and management theories within educational institutions; formulate and implement strategic plans; and use governance, financial management, policy development and data-informed decision-making to improve institutional performance and learner outcomes. Graduates will be able to critically evaluate educational policies and reforms, lead organisational change, manage crises and promote institutional resilience. They will also develop advanced research, communication, negotiation and conflict-resolution skills, enabling them to work effectively with educators, learners, parents, policymakers and other stakeholders. Throughout the programme, learners will be encouraged to demonstrate ethical, inclusive and socially responsible leadership while integrating innovation and digital technologies into educational management and practice.

Module Learning Outcomes

D.1 Contemporary Issues in Education: Theory, Policy and Practice – 20 ECTS | MQF Level 7

This module enables learners to critically analyse contemporary educational theories, policies, legislation and reforms and evaluate their effects on educational practice, curriculum development and institutional management. Learners will develop the ability to apply legal, ethical and governance frameworks within educational settings; formulate strategic school-improvement and professional-development plans; and apply project-management and quality-assurance principles to institutional initiatives. The module also develops learners’ capacity to lead organisational improvement, implement inclusive recruitment practices, design effective induction and onboarding programmes and make ethical, reflective and evidence-informed leadership decisions that promote equity, inclusion and educational quality.

D.2 Leading Reflective Practice in Education – 10 ECTS | MQF Level 7

This module develops learners’ ability to apply reflective practice as a tool for improving educational leadership, teaching and institutional performance. Learners will critically compare theories and approaches to reflection and use self-evaluation, peer feedback, collaborative discussion and action research to identify areas for professional improvement. They will also develop the skills required to lead reflective-practice sessions, mentor colleagues, provide constructive feedback and design professional-development activities that encourage continuous learning, collaborative leadership and improved educational outcomes.

D.3 Managing Effective Intercultural Communication and Perspectives – 10 ECTS | MQF Level 7

This module enables learners to critically examine theories and issues associated with intercultural communication and their relevance to educational leadership and policy. Learners will explore how cultural differences, expectations and communication styles can create barriers within diverse educational environments and will develop strategies to promote effective, respectful and inclusive communication. They will also strengthen their cultural-awareness, negotiation, mediation and conflict-resolution skills and learn how to lead culturally diverse teams, develop intercultural policies and initiatives and ensure that different perspectives are recognised and valued in institutional decision-making.

D.4 Research Methods in Education – 10 ECTS | MQF Level 7

This module develops the research knowledge and skills required to investigate educational leadership and management issues systematically and ethically. Learners will critically compare qualitative, quantitative and mixed-method research approaches; formulate appropriate research questions; and design coherent research proposals. They will learn to select suitable methodologies, collect and analyse data, critically evaluate educational literature and communicate research findings clearly. The module also enables learners to apply research evidence to educational policy, institutional decision-making and professional practice and to formulate evidence-based recommendations for addressing real educational challenges.

D.5 The Management of Educational Change – 10 ECTS | MQF Level 7

This module equips learners with the knowledge and practical skills required to plan, lead and evaluate change within educational institutions. Learners will critically assess change-management theories and models, analyse an institution’s readiness for change and design strategic implementation plans that consider organisational culture, resources and stakeholder needs. They will develop leadership and communication strategies for engaging stakeholders, overcoming resistance and maintaining staff commitment during periods of transition. Learners will also use data, feedback and measurable objectives to assess the impact of change and reflect critically on their own role and effectiveness as educational change leaders.

D.6 Dissertation – 30 ECTS | MQF Level 7

The dissertation enables learners to undertake an independent and substantial research project in an area related to educational management and leadership. Learners will identify a focused research topic, conduct a critical review of relevant literature, formulate appropriate research questions and select a suitable and ethically sound research methodology. They will collect, analyse and evaluate research data and present their findings, conclusions and recommendations in a clear and academically structured manner. Through this process, learners will demonstrate advanced critical thinking, research management, academic writing and problem-solving skills and will reflect on the implications of their findings for educational policy, leadership and professional practice.

Programme Structure:


1	List of Programme Modules/Units
Ref	Module/Unit Title	Compulsory (C) or Elective (E ).	ECTS	MQF		Mode of Teaching	Mode of Assessment
D.1	Contemporary Issues in Education: Theory, Policy and Practice.	C	20	7		Lectures	Critical Analysis work shop , Presentation about good practices in educational leadership of 10-15 minutes, Report of 6000 words
D.2	Leading Reflective Practice in Education	C	10	7		Lectures	Case Study and Personal Development Plan of 4500 words
D.3	Managing Effective Intercultural Communication and Perspectives	C	10	7		Lectures	Presentation of 10-15 minutes

D.4	Research Methods in Education	C	10	7		Lectures	Research Project of 4500 words.
D.5	The Management of Educational Change	C	10	7		Lectures	Case study Analysis: Real-world Change Management Case Study 2,000 words & Resistance to Change Case Study 2,000 words
D.6	Dissertation	C	30	7		Tutoring Research	Thesis + Oral Exam
2	Total ECTS				90 ECTS
3	Total ECTS for Programme Completion				90 ECTS
4	Exit Awards/Qualifications				Exit Point 1: Postgraduate Certificate in Educational Management and Leadership MQF 7 – 40ECTs – Duration 6 months – D1 – Contemporary Issues in Education: Theory, Policy and Practice 20ECTS) – D2 – Leading Reflective Practice in Education 10ECTS) – D3 – Managing Effective Intercultural Communication and Perspectives (10ECTS) The learning outcomes for these modules are the same as those for the equivalent modules within the Master’s Degree. Learners who exit at this stage will have the option to return to complete the full program later. Exit Point 2: Postgraduate Diploma in Educational Management and Leadership MQF 7 – 60ECTs Duration 12 months – D1 – Contemporary Issues in Education: Theory, Policy and Practice 20ECTS) – D2 – Leading Reflective Practice in Education 10ECTS) – D3 – Managing Effective Intercultural Communication and Perspectives (10ECTS) – D4 – Research Methods in Education (10ECTS) – D5 – The Management of Educational Change (10ECTS) The learning outcomes for these modules are the same as those for the equivalent modules within the Master’s Degree. Learners who exit at this stage will have the option to return to complete the full program later.
5	Structure of Programme				Full time study: completed over 2 academic years or 1 year 10 months Study Units 1 to 6 together make 60 ECTs. These shall be done in First Year (2 sessions of 3 hours each, weekly for a total of 6 contact hours per week) and therefore 60 ECTS in First Year. Study Unit 6 consists of the Dissertation and carries 30ECTs. This shall be completed in Second Year. Altogether, the 6 Study Units carry a number of 90 ECTS. In full-time study, the Total Learning Hours are of 2250. Learners will receive 6 Contact Hours every week with a total of 450 Contact Hours spread over 22 months. Study units will be delivered back-to-back where all units in first year carry 10 ects. These will be delivered over 16 lectures each, therefore over a period of 8 weeks for every study unit. The lessons as outlined, will be held twice a week in the case of full-time study, and once a week in the case of part time study. The dissertation study unit (30ECTS) will be delivered over 20 lessons which will include tutorials (small groups of approx. 3 learners) and one-to-one tutorship sessions. These will be held twice a week in the case of full-time study, and once a week in the case of part time study.

Hours of Total Learning

The programme carries 90 ECTS, equivalent to 2,250 total learning hours, based on the principle that 1 ECTS equals 25 hours of learning.

Overall Programme

Learning activity	Hours
Contact hours	450
Self-study hours	1,600
Assessment hours	200
Supervised placement and practice	0
Total learning hours	2,250

Breakdown by Module

Module	ECTS	Contact	Self-study	Assessment	Placement/practice	Total
Contemporary Issues in Education: Theory, Policy and Practice	20	100	340	60	Nil	500
Leading Reflective Practice in Education	10	50	170	30	Nil	250
Managing Effective Intercultural Communication and Perspectives	10	50	170	30	Nil	250
Research Methods in Education	10	50	170	30	Nil	250
The Management of Educational Change	10	50	170	30	Nil	250
Dissertation	30	150	510	90	0	750 stated

Entry Requirements

An MQF Level 3 (Grade 1 – 5), IELTS Level 6.0, or equivalent in English Language and Mathematics or equivalent.

A Level 6 qualification of 180 ECTS

AND

At least 5 years’ work experience in the industry with educational leadership responsibilities.