Overview

Students of the Education course at University College Cork offers three stackable award pathways - Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma, and Master of Education - enabling students to build their qualifications incrementally over time

Careers Information

Postgraduate Certificate in Educational Studies (PCES, 30 credits)

Students may enter the programme at this stage. To achieve the award, students must complete two elective modules (15 credits each).

Postgraduate Diploma in Educational Studies (PDES, 60 credits)

Students may enter directly or progress from the Certificate stage (without graduating with the Certificate award). To achieve the award, students must complete four elective modules (15 credits each), including any credits earned at Certificate level.

Master of Education (MEd, 90 credits)

Students may enter directly or progress from the Certificate/Diploma stages (again, without graduating at those earlier stages). To achieve the award, students must complete four elective modules (60 credits total), including any previously earned credits, and a 30-credit minor dissertation. The dissertation component comprises a 5-credit Research Methods module and a 25-credit Dissertation module (approx. 15,000 words).

The PCES/PDES/MEd programmes offer a broad range of taught modules that address key contemporary issues in education, including areas such as early childhood education, educational leadership, inclusion and special educational needs, modern foreign languages, curriculum and assessment, digital learning, and physical and health education. All modules are research-informed and assessed through practice-oriented project work, encouraging students to critically engage with contemporary educational research in relation to their own professional contexts. Students have the flexibility to design a personalised programme by selecting modules that reflect their professional specialisation, research focus, and personal interests. The selection of modules available varies from year to year, with offerings rotated on an annual basis. Areas of focus include:

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Programme Structure

Courses include:

Leadership

Children’s Literature and Pedagogy

Wellbeing

Assessment

Second/Foreign Language Teaching

Early Childhood Studies

Digital Learning

Mentoring

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Key information

Duration

Part-time
- 12 months
- Flexible

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2026-09-02 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-05-26 00:00:00

Language

English

Duolingo English Test

120

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TOEFL^® IBT

90

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PTE Academic

63

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OTE

140

IELTS

6.5

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Credits

120 ECTS

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Cork, Ireland

Disciplines

Education View 44 other Masters in Education in Ireland

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Academic requirements

GPA

Required

English requirements

Duolingo English Test

120

Take A Free Practice Test!

TOEFL^® IBT

90

Schedule TOEFL®

PTE Academic

63

Schedule a PTE test!

OTE

140

IELTS

6.5

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

To apply for entry to the M.Ed degree modular programme you must hold:

a primary degree and the Professional Master of Education (formerly the Postgraduate/Higher Diploma in Education) with a Second Class Honours in one (or its' equivalent)

or have a Second Class Honours BEd degree, (or its' equivalent)

or have a Second Class Honours BSc (Education in Physical Sciences), (or its' equivalent)

or have a Second Class Honours Grade I in a primary honours degree (NFQ, Level 8) BA (Hons) Degree in Early Years & Childhood Studies (or its' equivalent)

Professional teaching experience, equivalent to five full years (excluding initial teacher education), will be considered as an honours equivalent.Furthermore applicants must also possess a minimum of one year’s post teacher education professional teaching experience, or certified equivalent (e.g. research in schools, voluntary work with schools, working with school teams).

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Remember, countries and universities may have specific insurance requirements. To learn more about how student insurance work at University College Cork and/or in Ireland, please visit Student Insurance Portal.

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Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

16000 EUR / year

≈ 16000 EUR / year
EU/EEA Applies to you

Applies to you

EU/EEA Nationals

5900 EUR / year

≈ 5900 EUR / year

Additional Details

The fee for this course is based upon a fee per 15-credit module.

Living costs

Cork

Ireland

860 - 1400 EUR / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

Win a €10000 Scholarship! Deadline: 30 June 2020

Embark on your journey with the Studyportals Scholarship! We're giving away a total of 20,000 euros to help you achieve your dream of studying abroad.

Win a €10000 Scholarship! Deadline: 30 June 2020

Embark on your journey with the Studyportals Scholarship! We're giving away a total of 20,000 euros to help you achieve your dream of studying abroad.

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find Master's scholarship opportunities for Education.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

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About

Overview

Get more details

Programme Structure

Check out the full curriculum

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Credits

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

Explore more key information

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Student Insurance via Studyportals Partner

Make sure you meet all requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

EU/EEA Applies to you

Additional Details

Living costs

Cork

Funding

Check for any work restrictions

Need help with your student visa?

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

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