PGDip/MA in Higher Education
STUDENT HANDBOOK
SECTION ONE: INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW
Introduction
Programme Team
Structure of the Programme
Timetable for PGDip/MA modules running in 2013/14
SECTION TWO: THE CONTENT OF THE PROGRAMME
CORE MODULES
UN825: Educational Research Methodology
UN824: Interrogating Higher Education Research
UN812: Developing as a Researcher in Higher Education
UN813: Developing as a Research Degree Supervisor
UN815: Technology in the Academic Environment
UN821: Assessment and Professional Development
UN899: The MA Dissertation
Style Guide
Bibliography
Referencing
Help with MA study and writing dissertations
SECTION THREE: GENERAL INFORMATION
Accreditation of Prior Learning: Policy and Practice
Academic Management of the Programme
Quality Assurance Agency Descriptors for Masters-Level Work
Registration Procedure for Taught Postgraduate Students
Course Management Student Data System
Support and Resources
SECTION ONE: INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW
Introduction
Welcome to the PGDip/MA in Higher Education. This course is run through the Centre for the Study of Higher Education. We hope you will find it interesting and challenging and that you will become involved with other initiatives organised by the Centre.We are based in the UELT building on the Canterbury Campus although some taught sessions are held elsewhere on campus.
This programme offers an opportunity for HE professionals to deepen their understanding of the theoretical background, methodological approaches and context of research into higher education. Practice-based specialist modules are combined with modules supporting the development of research skills, culminating in a dissertation. The emphasis throughout is on a critical understanding of the HE context and its implications for the contemporary academic environment.
There are a number of routes through the programme. The PGDip is worth 120 credits at ‘M’ level and can focus upon either research or practice. The University of Kent PGCHE, or a similar qualification, will give you 60 credits advanced standing. The additional sixty credits are achieved through two core modules (45 credits) and one optional module (15 credits). A further 60 credits at ‘M’ level are achieved through the completion of a dissertation for the successful accomplishment of the MA.
Overview
Who is it for?
The PgDip/MA is aimed at people interested in studying policies, practices and theories associated with the higher education sector. It is aimed at people who have recent experience or are currently working within the higher education sector either in teaching, research or senior administrative roles.
You should normally have completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Further or Higher Education, or equivalent, or provide evidence of an ability to complete such a programme and have a minimum of two years’ experience of working in Higher Education. Current HE teaching is not a requirement for entry to the PGDip/MA programme.
How long does it take?
Full- time students can complete the MA in Higher Education in one year.
Part-time students can take up to three years to complete the PGDip and a further two years to complete the MA; although the general expectation is that part-time students will complete the whole MA in two years.
What does it involve?
Students are expected to have 60 credits at M level or equivalent qualifications/experience prior to embarking upon the PGDip/MA programme. This would normally be in the form of a PGCHE qualification. See page 27 for more information on the Accreditation of Prior Experience and Learning.
PGDip students must then complete a further 60 credits.
Students wishing to follow a practice route must select four 15-credit option modules from the current offerings.Option modules run mainly in five-week blocks, although a couple involve taught sessions at intervals throughout the academic year. You will find a full timetable of current option modules on page10and full details of the content of each module on pages 11 to 27.
Students wishing to follow a research route must take only ONE fifteen-credit option module, plus two core research modules: UN825 Educational Research Methodology (15 credits) and UN824 Interrogating Higher Education Research (30 credits).
Taught modules: Each module is convened by members of the programme team and encourages students to share their experiences and to explore new ideas and methods. As taught modules are cross-disciplinary they will enable you to reflect on similarities in, and differences between, teaching and research in different disciplines.
Personal study: You will be asked to undertake preparatory reading for many of the taught sessions, undertake investigations relevant to your own research interests and spend time reading more widely during your period of registration on the programme. Articles and shorter texts are available through Moodle (see below for further details) while the Templeman and Drill Hall Libraries hold a large range of books and periodicals. Please see page 31 for more information.
How is it taught?
Most modules combine a lecture-style element with seminar-type discussions and in some cases workshop activity, encouraging students to share their experiences and to explore new ideas and methods. Students may be asked to engage in critical discussion of selected pre-reading materials or to give a presentation on a relevant topic to other course participants.
What support is available?
Each student on the programme is assigned a personal tutor from the teaching team for the duration of the programme. In addition, MA students will each be assigned an individual supervisor who will work with them whilst they are undertaking the dissertation.
Moodle
The University of Kent’s virtual learning environment, Moodle, is used to support face-to-face provision and to offer some modules in a ‘blended learning’ format.
We use Moodle for four purposes:
- Administrative: Individual module folders include module information such as the module guide and assessment guidelines.
- Reading materials:Module convenors will regularly post relevant reading materials on the site. It is therefore necessary that you regularly log in to the site to check for any updated information and essential reading materials. Although specific readings for individual classes are specified in the module guide, we add resources to the site throughout the academic year.
- Discussion boards: You will be expected to participate in online discussion for some modules. Full details will be given in each module guide.
- Assignment dropbox: You will need to submit one copy of each piece of assessed work via Moodle.
Please note that you will need to enrol online as a student on the PGDip/MA programme in order to access Moodle; it is not possible for you to use any other login or password for this purpose.
Administrative advice
The academic practice team is supported by a full-time Programme Administrator, Juliette Dack, who should be your first point of contact for general administrative purposes. Juliette can be contacted on 01227 824013 or by emailing . Alternatively you can email .
Juliette, and the rest of the programme team, can usually be found on the first floor of the UELT building. The full address is: Unit for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NQ.
Progression/Further Study
PhD in Higher Education
Research on Higher Education at Kent includes work on education policy, the philosophy, economics, management and politics of higher education, disciplinary teaching and learning, learning technology, academic practice and sociological perspectives on academic work.
Because the Centre draws on expertise from across the University of Kent, we can offer high-quality PhD supervision across a wide range of research topics, and we work very carefully to match you with a supervisory panel that suit your interests and ambitions. You can find out more about the research activities and publications of individual members of staff by following the links at
In addition to regular meetings with supervisors, all research students take part in a tailored research training programme, which can include research methods modules offered by the Centre or by other Schools, as appropriate. As well as attending the regular research seminars offered by the Centre, students are encouraged to participate in the seminars, workshops, newer researcher networks and masterclasses offered by the scholarly bodies in the discipline, including SRHE and BERA. Most students of the Centre are studying part-time, and we aim to provide a lively academic community which makes full use of the professional and scholarly diversity of our staff and students.
If you are interested in applying for the PhD in Higher Education, please contact Dr. Janice Malcolm, the Centre Director, to discuss your plans before making a formal application.
Applications are accepted throughout the year.
Programme Team
Dr Joanna Williams is the programme director for the PGDip/MA in Higher Education. Joanna should be the initial point of contact for queries regarding the programme by both current and prospective students.
Joanna Williams
Joanna Williams joined the Academic Practice Team in 2007. Joanna’s research primarily involves policy analysis and focuses upon the impact of changing political objectives upon education. She has looked at the development of post-compulsory education in relation to government policies designed to promote social inclusion. Most recently, Joanna has explored the impact of increasing university tuition fees and the effect this has upon higher education, students, and academics. Her book ‘Consuming Higher Education: Why Learning Can’t Be Bought’ was published with Bloomsbury in November 2012. Joanna’s current research interests involve exploring the concept of ‘public good’ in relation to HE and the impact of institutional charters upon the student experience. Joanna regularly writes for the Times Higher Education and her research has also been published in a number of academic journals.
The members of the programme team are:
Fran Beaton
Fran's background is in Modern Languages, chiefly German and French but with substantial experience in teaching English as a Foreign/Second Language. Fran joined the University of Kent in 2004, after many years at University of London, Goldsmiths College. She has been involved in designing and teaching on postgraduate teacher education programmes for over fifteen years and has extensive experience of working with teachers in Adult and Community Education. Fran recently co-edited a book on the nature and impact of support offered to part-time and sessional teachers in Higher Education which was published by Routledge in Autumn 2012. She is currently researching into the experiences of staff who work both in practice (eg Law, Creative and Performing Arts) and as university teachers. She is a member of the editorial board of Teaching in Higher Education and of the Conference Committee of the Staff and Educational Development Association.
Juliette Dack
Juliette joined UELT in 2013. She has been at the University of Kent for over 14 years, having previously held roles within the Schools of History and European Culture and Languages. Juliette completed her degree in History 4 years ago.
Jennifer Leigh
Lecturer in Higher Education and Academic Practice
Module Convenor UN825 Higher Education Research Methods
Tel: 7015; Email:
Jennifer joined the Academic Practice Team full-time in 2013. Prior to that she worked as a Research Associate for the Tizard Centre at the University of Kent, and completed doctoral studies in the School of Education at the University of Birmingham. She explored reflexivity and embodiment, and is now interested in how this relates to professional practice. She has worked as project manager on several large funded studies employing mixed methods of research, including the National Evaluation of Gifted and Talented Physical Education and Imagining Autism, an evaluation of a drama intervention for children with autism. Her research interests include academic practice, programmes for academic development and part-time teachers as well as aspects of teaching and learning in higher education.
Janice Malcolm
Janice Malcolm is Director of the Centre for the Study of Higher
Dr. Janice Malcolm is Director of the Centre for the Study of Higher Education, and Senior Lecturer in Higher Education and Academic Practice. Her principal research interest is in academic work and the construction and practice of academic and disciplinary identities. She has a particular interest in the nature of the academic workplace, and the impact of policy and regulation on disciplinary practice. In addition to teaching and tutoring on the PGCHE, she is responsible for the new PhD in Higher Education. Janice served on the Governing Council of the Society for Research into Higher Education (SRHE) from 2005-2011 and is a member of the Editorial Board of Teaching in Higher Education, as well as reviewing for several other HE journals.
Edd PittLecturer in Higher Education and Academic Practice
Module Convenor UN815: Technology in the Academic Environment
Simon Thompson
Simon Thompson is Professor of Logic and Computation in the School of Computing of the University of Kent, where he has taught computing at undergraduate and postgraduate levels for the past twenty eight years, and where he was formerly department head for seven years and is currently Director of Research and Enterprise.
His research work has centred on functional programming: program verification, type systems, and most recently development of software tools for functional programming languages. His team has built the Wrangler tool for refactoring Erlang programs, as well as performing clone detection and allowing users to extend the tool with their own refactorings. His research has been funded by various agencies including EPSRC and the European Framework programme. His training is as a mathematician: he has an MA in Mathematics from Cambridge and a D.Phil. in mathematical logic from Oxford.
He has written four books in his field of interest; Type Theory and Functional Programming published in 1991; Miranda: The Craft of Functional Programming (1995), Haskell: The Craft of Functional Programming (3rd ed. 2011) and Erlang Programming (with Francesco Cesarini, 2009). Apart from the last, which is published by O'Reilly, these are all published by Addison Wesley.
Structure of the Programme
To complete the PGDip you need to achieve an additional 60 credits at M level on top of a PGCHE or similar qualification.
These 60 credits can be obtained by following a ‘practice’ route or a ‘research’ route.
If you are taking a PGDip by practice then you will need to take four option modules (each worth fifteen credits).
If you are taking a PGDip by research then you will need to take two core research modules (worth 45 credits in total) and one option module.
To complete the MA you need to achieve an additional 60 credits on top of the PGDip in Higher Education.
These 60 credits are to be obtained through the completion of a supervised dissertation.
Please note: you cannot take the MA dissertation if you have not successfully completed (or been exempted from) the two core research modules.
Core research modules:
- UN825 Educational Research Methodology (15 credits)
- UN824 Interrogating Higher Education Research (30 credits)
Option modules available in 2013/14:
- UN812 Developing as a Researcher in Higher Education
- UN813 Developing as a Research Degree Supervisor
- UN815 Technology in the Academic Environment
- UN821 Assessment and Professional Development
- UN826 Internationalisation and Higher Education
See our website for information about option modules which, subject to sufficient numbers, we plan to offer in 2014/15.
We ask you to makeyouroptionmodule choices byFriday 11th October 2013. If you are in any doubt about which modules to choose, we recommend you discuss this with your Personal Tutor or the Programme Director. You should also consult the Programme Director or the Programme Administrator if you wish to make a claim to be exempt from any element of the programme.
Timetable for PGDip/MA modules running in 2013/14
Module / When / Find Out MoreCORE MODULES / UN825
Educational Research Methods / Wednesdays
2/10/13
to
4/12/13
17:30 – 19:30 / Page 11 of this handbook
UN824
Interrogating Higher Education Research / Wednesdays
22/01/14
to
02/04/14
17.30 – 19.30 / Page 13 of this handbook
Module / When / Find Out More
UN812
Developing as a Researcher in Higher Education / Fridays
15/11/13
to
20/12/13 / Page 15 of this handbook
UN813
Developing as a Research Degree Supervisor / Fridays
16/05/14
to
13/06/14 / Page 16 of this handbook
UN815
Technology in the Academic Environment / Fridays
24/01/14
to
21/02/14 / Page 17
of this handbook
UN821
Assessment and Professional Development / Fridays
16/05/14
to
13/06/14 / Page 18 of this handbook
UN826 Internationalisation and Higher Education / Fridays
16/05/14
to
13/06/14 / Page 19 of this handbook
SECTION TWO: THE CONTENT OF THE PROGRAMME
CORE MODULES
UN825: Educational Research Methodology
Level: M
Credits:15
Convenor:Jennifer Leigh
Entry requirements: This module is primarily intended for students registered for the PGDip/MA.
Module Outline:The main purpose of this module is to provide programme participants with a basic introduction to some of the methods most commonly employed in higher education research. You will be encouraged to explore a range of qualitative and quantitative methods and to assess their suitability in relation to particular research questions. There will be opportunity to critique methods employed in existing research as well as to consider methods you may wish to apply to your own research investigations. We will look at what makes a good research question; the relationship between questions and methods; and the ethics of educational research.
This course will assume no prior knowledge of higher education research methods. It is intended to help participants planning their own research projects (such as the MA dissertation) to think critically about a range of methods they could employ. Participants who are not intending to engage in their own research projects will be able to critically appraise the methods employed by other researchers in the area of higher education.
This course will be taught through a combination of traditional ‘face-to-face’ seminars and on-line tuition.
There will be four two-hour long ‘face-to-face’ seminars. These will take place on:
- 2nd October 2013
- 23rd October 2013
- 13th November 2013
- 4th December 2013
Assessment: There are two parts to the assessment for this module. You need to pass both parts in order to successfully complete the module.
For the first part of the assessment you will be asked to give a presentation to your fellow course participants. The presentation is to last for ten minutes with an additional ten minutes for questions. The presentations are expected to take place during our final taught session, on Wednesday 4th December 2013. The presentation is to be on the subject of a piece of published research into higher education that is of interest to you. The research could be in the form of a journal article or report. You need to summarise the research, paying particular attention to: the clarity of the researchers’ chosen questions; the appropriateness of the chosen methodologies; any ethical implications that arise from the research; and the confidence in any conclusions drawn from the research.