Teaching in Lifelong Learning (Top-up) MA

Start date

22 September 2025

12 January 2026

Duration

1 year part-time

Places available (subject to change)

Chat with our students

About the course

Reasons to study

A postgraduate qualification could help you achieve your career goals in Lifelong Learning.
You'll be allocated a supervisor to provide you with essential support and guidance for your research.
98.4% of our postgraduates find employment or go onto further study within six months of graduating.

The course is designed to develop deeper intellectual engagement with current issues relating the design, delivery, evaluation and administration of educational programmes in the Lifelong Learning sector. It aims to enhance the professional standing and critical understanding of those working in the sector in a range of professional roles.

The course operates as a top-up to previous achievement at postgraduate level and requires you to undertake a single 60 credit dissertation module. Previous experience and appropriate level understanding of educational research methods for example, previous achievement in a postgraduate level research methods module, is essential.

Titles of work undertaken by students on this course have included: * A case study of youth disaffection at an independent alternative school in North West England. * A critical evaluation of the efficacy of Restorative Practice (RP) in place at a high school in a northern city in the United Kingdom.

Course detail

Core module:

Dissertation

This module will deepen your knowledge and understanding of educational research. You'll learn about traditions of educational research; positivism, interpretism and action research and the strengths and challenges of carrying out research in these traditions. This module will provide you with the opportunity to carry out a piece of research based on a contemporary or work-related issue or problem.

Teaching and Assessment

As well as induction activities at the beginning of the dissertation module, you’ll be allocated a supervisor to provide support and guidance for your research. Materials to support your learning are available electronically through our virtual learning environment. We'll help ensure that your study is work-based.

The pattern of delivery is typically one Saturday plus directed study per module. You'll receive individual support from your research supervisor.The academic year starts in late September and ends in early summer.

Your work will be assessed through a dissertation.

Your module specification/course handbook will provide full details of the assessment criteria applying to your course.

Feedback (usually written) is normally provided on all coursework submissions within three term time weeks – unless the submission was made towards the end of the session in which case feedback would be available on request after the formal publication of results. Feedback on exam performance/final coursework is available on request after the publication of results.

On average 20%* of the study time on this course is spent with your tutors (either face to face or online) in lectures, seminars, workshops etc. Study and assessments will be based on your choice of modules. Your module specification/course handbook will provide full details of the assessment criteria applying to your course.

*based on 22/23 programme specifications

Teaching excellence

Triple proof of teaching excellence: our staff rank in the top three in England for the proportion who hold doctorates, who have higher degrees, and hold teaching qualifications (HESA 2024). So, you’ll learn from some of the best, helping you to be the best.
We are joint first in the country for National Teaching Fellowships, which mark the UK’s best lecturers in Higher Education, winning a total of 23 since 2008 (2024 data).
We won the first Global Teaching Excellence Award, recognising the University’s commitment to world-class teaching and its success in developing students as independent learners and critical thinkers (Higher Education Academy, 2017).

As this is a Top-up MA, the course consists of a single 60 credit dissertation module. This module involves individual research on a current work-related or contemporary issue or problem in Lifelong Learning. The process of researching and writing up the dissertation will involve appropriate research design, data collection and analysis, with the interpretation and evaluation of findings reported in such a way as to encourage dissemination.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for this course are normally:

an Honours degree (2:2 or above) or an equivalent professional qualification.
a Postgraduate Diploma in Education or equivalent award, containing 120 credits at Masters level, or a Postgraduate Diploma in a relevant field and evidence of successful teaching experience .

In addition you must also:

evidence an appropriate level of understanding of educational research methods
have experience of teaching, training or working in a relevant organisation in lifelong learning or in a related sector
complete a satisfactory interview

We particularly welcome applicants from under-represented groups. These are the usual entry requirements. We do however encourage those with different or older qualifications to apply. Please contact us to discuss your particular circumstances.

If your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum requirements of an English Language qualification. The minimum for IELTS is 6.0 overall with no element lower than 5.5, or equivalent. Read more about the University’s entry requirements for students outside of the UK on our International Entry Requirements page.

Facilities

Tutor support

Lockside building

Open Access computer room

Teaching session

Your career

A postgraduate qualification is a great way to stand out from your colleagues and position yourself for a promotion or pursue a career change. In fact, here at Huddersfield, 98.4% of our postgraduates find employment or go onto further study within six months of graduating. 9 in 10 of them go onto work in professional or managerial roles.

*Percentage of our postgraduate students who go on to work and/or further study within six months of graduating (Destination of Leavers from Higher Education Survey 2016/17).

98.4% postgraduates employed*

Career support

Successful study at this level supports you in your current role, helps give you the confidence to tackle a wide range of workplace challenges and supports you in taking advantage of wider promotional and developmental opportunities.

The course offers a recognised qualification, a broadening of horizons and a chance to pursue particular areas of interest.

Further study

Upon successful completion of your postgraduate studies, progression onto the following programme may be of interest:

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Inspiring Graduate

Our graduates go on to succeed in a whole range of exciting careers. Here’s just one example.

As a graduate of the University of Huddersfield you’ll also become a member of our alumni community, allowing you to stay in touch and continue to access university services.

My dissertation allowed me to focus on a live research project which aimed to improve teaching for pupils with the weakest numeracy. I also completed two shorter assignments as part of the course. Everything was focused on improving current practice within my school. I've just accepted a new position as Director of Maths at the Ruth Gorse Academy in Leeds. Gaining my MA qualification has had a great impact on my career so far.

Chris Bateman, Action Research for Education MA

Career support

The course offers a recognised qualification, a broadening of horizons and a chance to pursue particular areas of interest.

Upon successful completion of your postgraduate studies, progression onto the following programme may be of interest:

Education EdD, Doctor of

Are you ready to take your teaching to the next level? Put your skills to the test with our challenging and engaging Doctor of Education course.

Find out more How to apply

Full-time

Research

Education (PhD)

Find out more How to apply

Full-time

Research

Our graduates go on to succeed in a whole range of exciting careers. Here’s just one example.

As a graduate of the University of Huddersfield you’ll also become a member of our alumni community, allowing you to stay in touch and continue to access university services.

My dissertation allowed me to focus on a live research project which aimed to improve teaching for pupils with the weakest numeracy. I also completed two shorter assignments as part of the course. Everything was focused on improving current practice within my school. I've just accepted a new position as Director of Maths at the Ruth Gorse Academy in Leeds. Gaining my MA qualification has had a great impact on my career so far.

Chris Bateman, Action Research for Education MA

Student support

At the University of Huddersfield, you'll find support networks and services to help you get ahead in your studies and social life. Whether you study at undergraduate or postgraduate level, you'll soon discover that you're never far away from our dedicated staff and resources to help you to navigate through your personal student journey. Find out more about all our support services.

Fees and Finance

Tuition Fees - part-time

In 2025/26 the part-time tuition fee for UK postgraduate students on this course will be £660 (Band 1) per 15 credit module and £1,320 (Band 1) per 30 credit module.

Tuition fees for UK students will cover the cost of your study at the University. For more information about funding, fees and finance for UK students, including what your tuition fee covers, please see our Fees and Finance. Please note that tuition fees for subsequent years of study may rise in line with inflation (RPI-X).

If you are an EU or international student coming to study at the University of Huddersfield, please visit the International Fees and Finance pages for full details of tuition fees and support available.

Please email the Student Finance Office or call 01484 472210 for more information about fees and finance.

Fees and Finance

Tuition Fees - part-time

In 2025/26 the part-time tuition fee for UK postgraduate students on this course will be £660 (Band 1) per 15 credit module and £1,320 (Band 1) per 30 credit module.

Please email the Student Finance Office or call 01484 472210 for more information about fees and finance.

Important information

Although we always try and ensure we deliver our courses as described, sometimes we may have to make changes for the following reasons

When you enrol as a student of the University, your study and time with us will be governed by our terms and conditions, Handbook of Regulations and associated policies. It is important that you familiarise yourself with these as you will be asked to agree to them when you join us as a student. You will find a guide to the key terms here, along with the Student Protection Plan.

Although we always try and ensure we deliver our courses as described, sometimes we may have to make changes for the following reasons

Changes to a course you have applied for but are not yet enrolled on

If we propose to make a major change to a course that you are holding an offer for, then we will tell you as soon as possible so that you can decide whether to withdraw your application prior to enrolment. We may occasionally have to withdraw a course you have applied for or combine your programme with another programme if we consider this reasonably necessary to ensure a good student experience, for example if there are not enough applicants. Where this is the case we will notify you as soon as reasonably possible and we will discuss with you other suitable courses we can transfer your application to. If you do not wish to transfer to another course with us, you may cancel your application and we will refund you any deposits or fees you have paid to us.

Changes to your course after you enrol as a student

Changes to option modules:

Where your course allows you to choose modules from a range of options, we will review these each year and change them to reflect the expertise of our staff, current trends in research and as a result of student feedback or demand for certain modules. We will always ensure that you have an equivalent range of options to that advertised for the course. We will let you know in good time the options available for you to choose for the following year.

Major changes:

We will only make major changes to non-optional modules on a course if it is necessary for us to do so and provided such changes are reasonable. A major change is a change that substantially changes the outcomes, or a significant part of your course, such as the nature of the award or a substantial change to module content, teaching days (part time provision), type of delivery or assessment of the core curriculum. For example, it may be necessary to make a major change to reflect changes in the law or the requirements of the University’s regulators or a commissioning or accrediting body. We may also make changes to improve the course in response to student, examiners’ or other course evaluators’ feedback or to ensure you are being taught current best practice. Major changes may also be necessary because of circumstances outside our reasonable control, such as a key member of staff leaving the University or being unable to teach, where they have a particular specialism that can’t be adequately covered by other members of staff; or due to damage or interruption to buildings, facilities or equipment, or pandemics.

Major changes would usually be made with effect from the next academic year, but may happen sooner in an emergency. We will notify you as soon as possible should we need to make a major change and will carry out suitable consultation. If you reasonably believe that the proposed change will cause you detriment or hardship we will, if appropriate, work with you to try to reduce the adverse effect on you or find an appropriate solution. Where an appropriate solution cannot be found and you contact us in writing before the change takes effect you can cancel your registration and withdraw from the University without liability to the University for future tuition fees. We will provide reasonable support to assist you with transferring to another university if you wish to do so.

In exceptional circumstances, we may, for reasons outside of our control, be forced to discontinue or suspend your course. Where this is the case, a formal exit strategy will be followed in accordance with the student protection plan.

The Office for Students (OfS) is the principal regulator for the University.