On this course, you’ll investigate questions about the purposes and values of education, what it is and where it happens, and develop your own answers through rigorous social research. You will learn from, and alongside, some of the world’s leading experts in the field at the Centre for Sociology, Education and Equity , housed within the UCL Institute of Education, ranked #1 in the world for education every year since 2014 (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026).
Working directly with pioneering researchers means you’ll gain first-hand insights into the processes and techniques of the academics who are changing public perceptions, social practices and government policy on pressing issues such as the use of ‘data’ in schools, sexuality and climate change education, sexual harassment, mutual aid and food banks, refugees, neoliberalism and global education reform. Our research-led teaching encourages you to examine critically how educational systems shape individual lives and wider social outcomes in local and global contexts.
Optional specialised modules let you investigate issues like gender and sexuality, ‘race’ and racism, decolonisation, sustainability, disability, and education policy - with a particular emphasis on their intersectionality, their connections to equity, and on creating social change. You are also supported to create your own research to explore these issues for yourself in your own context.
Upon completion of your master’s, you’ll have developed a set of theoretical perspectives and research-informed outlooks tailored to your specific career goals and interests.
You’ll be able to compare, model and critically evaluate education and other policies and practices, and you’ll have the rigorous methodological approaches needed to independently design, implement and evaluate high-quality social research projects.
You will have transferable skills in teamwork, collaborative approaches to learning, analytical and critical thinking.
You’ll also have developed your reflective practice and a deeper understanding of diverse social and educational contexts, allowing you to contribute to organisational strategy, policy development and socially impactful decision-making.
Our alumni are contributing to the social impact of organisations across the public, private and non-profit sectors, with more than 81% of graduates in highly-skilled work or postgraduate-level study 15 months after leaving ( Graduate Outcomes survey carried out by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), looking at the destinations of graduates in the 2021–2024 cohorts).
You’ll be well placed to pursue senior positions and consultancy opportunities with educational institutions (early years, primary, secondary, further, adult and higher education), local authorities, relevant non-governmental organisations and charities, funding bodies, trade unions and policy think tanks.
Alternatively, you could explore an academic or research career through postgraduate and doctoral studies.