Part Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EEA) applicants currently residing outside of the EEA Region. No

Applicants must hold an honours degree at undergraduate level (or equivalent) from a higher education institution, a recognised teaching qualification and have a minimum of three years’ teaching experience in either the primary or post-primary sector in Ireland.

We are offering direct entry to Year 2 of the MEd Leadership programme (W328) for recent graduates of the UCD Professional Diploma in Educational Leadership (W342) who have achieved a 2.1 grade or higher. This pathway is only recommended for graduates of the Professional Diploma in Educational Leadership W342 who have completed the course in the last five years. Students who have already successfully completed the blended Professional Diploma in Education Studies (Leadership) at UCD may carry their 30-credits from the Diploma into the Masters Programme and complete the remaining 60 credits. 

If you have any queries on the PDE/MEd Leadership, please do not hesitate to contact us at educationenquiries@ucd.ie.

Year 1 and 2 of the programme includes some face-to-face sessions (typically on Saturdays to accommodate travel and attendance from all corners of the country). Our experience is that the combination of on campus days and online teaching and learning provide a dynamic and transformative learning experience for all students.The programme is intended to provide a dynamic and transformative learning experience for all students. We are committed to developing our students’ critical voice through reading, discussion, peer learning, presentations and critical review. These participative learning experiences have been tried and tested by us and ensure that high quality learning outcomes are achieved.

The PDE Leadership is a 30 credit credit programme and the MEd Leadership is a 90 credit programme (30 credits in Year 1 and 60 credits in Year 2). Year 1 of the PDEL programme corresponds directly with Year 1 of the MEd Leadership programme. Those who successfully complete Year 1 of the PDEL at UCD have the option of applying to Year 2 of the MEd Leadership. You can also apply directly to the 2 Year MEd Leadership programme. We are offering direct entry to Year 2 of the MEd Leadership programme (W328) for recent graduates of the UCD Professional Diploma in Educational Leadership (W342) who have achieved a 2.1 grade or higher.  This pathway is only recommended for graduates of the Professional Diploma in Educational Leadership W342 who have completed the course in the last five years. 

Students who are entering directly into Year 2 of the MEd Leadership (having already completed the PDEL) will carry their 30-credits from the Diploma into the Masters Programme and complete the remaining 60 credits. Students who enter directly into Year 2 of this programme will forfeit the 30-credit diploma qualification and move onto the Masters Programme and complete the remaining 60 credits.

The programme is aimed at those with some teaching experience in primary or post-primary schools in Ireland who would like to either move into a leadership position or challenge the way they think about their work in a variety of ways. Both the PDEL and the Masters deploy a broad concept of leadership that can be applied to teachers at different stages of their career within schools as organizations. Each of the programmes will include some face-to- face sessions (typically on Saturdays to accommodate travel and attendance from all corners of the country). Our experience is that the combination of on campus days and online teaching and learning provide a dynamic and transformative learning experience for all students. We are committed to developing our students’ critical voice through reading, discussion, peer learning, presentations and critical review. Furthermore, these participative learning experiences will ensure that high quality learning outcomes are achieved. The programme encourages students to become autonomous learners and critical thinkers who  will contibute to school and system leadership in education. The programme employs a wide variety of teaching and learning approaches, including lectures, tutorials, collaborative groupwork and problem-based learning activities delivered in a blended /online format using a jusdicious mix of on-campus weekend end seminars  and syncronous online tasks and activities. A range of  assessment strategies are used including individual and group class presentations, group assignments, case study and applied analytical studies.

• Critical Thinking and Analytical Approaches: 
 review and evaluate a range of policy measures and initiatives and critique these in the context of the school improvement and effectiveness
• Demonstrate a well-developed understanding of the limits, contradictions and emerging issues related to leadership.
• Demonstrate the skills of interrogating practice using theoretical perspectives, thus generating new ideas and/ or reformulating existing ideas and practises in relation to professional roles.
• Evidence an enhanced aptitude for continued self-directed learning as well as collaborative learning in professional settings.
• Evidence the significance of reflection in the development of expertise and innovative practice thus providing leadership within schools and the wider education community.
• Indicate a more in-depth knowledge and more critical engagement with the foundational disciplines of education to enhance and enrich the expertise acquired in undergraduate studies and subsequent professional experience.
• Leadership and Development Theories: critically explore and interrogate prominent leadership theories and apply these theories in the course of addressing a variety of organisational issues and problems.
• Make explicit connections between module content, coursework and professional practice.
• Research skills and competence: engage in exploring a range of research methods within both quantitative and qualitative paradigms and critically evaluate these in the context of the work of school leadership in the development of research/ evidence informed practice for school development.
• complete a leadership-focused study that will provide an opportunity for graduates to demonstrate with the ability to engage in primary research and consolidate the learning outcomes achieved in the other modules on the programme.
• demonstrate a thorough understanding of key theories of organisational behaviour and change and how to apply these theories in an organizational setting.
• reflect purposefully and critically upon their own skills and limitations as leaders, evidenced by their performance in working with groups and their overall learning outcomes on the programme.

View All Modules Here

MEd Leadership (W328) Part Time
EU          Year 1 - € 3720 ^dd
nonEU    Year 1 - € 10760
EU          Year 2 - € 7310 ^dd
nonEU    Year 2 - € 10450

^dd"Please note that Year 2 MEd Leadership fees quoted are valid only for students entering Year 2 in the academic year 2023/24. Year 2 fees for subsequent years are subject to change."
***Fees are subject to change

Tuition fee information is available on the UCD Fees website. Please note that UCD offers a number of graduate scholarships for full-time, self-funding international students, holding an offer of a place on a UCD graduate degree programme. For further information please see International Scholarships.

Applicants to the MEd Leadership must have a recognised teaching qualification and have relevant teaching experience. Students who have already successfully completed the online/blended Professional Diploma in Education Studies (Leadership) may carry their 30-credits from the Diploma into the Masters Programme and complete the remaining 60 credits.

• Professional Diploma Education - Leadership PT

The following entry routes are available:

* Courses will remain open until such time as all places have been filled, therefore early application is advised