Our course will provide you with an opportunity to understand and critique the interconnections between education, society and the economy and their implications for educational planning. It provides opportunities to develop the skills of program design and evaluation, including through the application of analytic tools such as theories of change and evaluation frameworks.
The application of economic principles to educational planning issues is a core focus of our course. We provide opportunities to critique the ways in which evidence is employed in education policy analysis, including by international organisations and national authorities. We focus on educational planning in low and middle income contexts specifically, where resource scarcity may be especially acute; attending to the linkages between education and wider social and economic development in these contexts.
Each year students select from a wide range of optional modules, including, for those interested in developing these skills, modules in statistical analysis and quantitative research methods, which in previous years have included regression analysis and impact evaluation methods.
Our degree provides an excellent platform from which to pursue and develop a career which draws on the analytic skills and techniques required for educational planning and economic analysis globally. The course encourages critical reflection on the application of economic theory and planning tools to ‘planning problems’ including those relating to project design and evaluation, which have wide application in development practice, research and consultancy. In employment terms, students benefit from the international reputation of the institution and staff at UCL as well as the diverse international perspectives of fellow students and the central location in one of the world’s most dynamic and connected cities.
Graduates are currently working in a variety of roles in Education consultancies, Government agencies, Universities, UN Organisations, Think Tanks, International schools, Ministries of Education, UK Civil Service, International NGOs. ( Graduate Outcomes survey carried out by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), looking at the destinations of graduates in the 2018–2024 cohorts)
A number of students are mid-career professionals such as NGO professionals, staff of international organisations and teachers for whom the course forms part of their wider professional development, providing access to more senior roles or to a change of career direction. (IOE departmental data)