Department of Education MA SPECIAL & INCLUSIVE EDUCATION 60 CREDIT TRANSFER PATHWAY A Pathway to a Masters Degree in Special and Inclusive Education for teachers and other professionals who have already achieved 60 M level credits This pathway is for teachers and other educational professionals who already have 60 Masters level credits in education and who wish to transfer these to the MA Special and Inclusive Education programme. Department of Education Froebel College Roehampton University, London Roehampton Lane London SW15 5PJ Cathy Svensson, Programme Convenor: 020 8392 3311 C.Svensson@roehampton.ac.uk Tim Kent, Senior Lecturer: 020 8392 3311 T.Kent@roehampton.ac.uk Sally Williams, MA Programmes Administrator : 0208 392 3049 S.Williams@roehampton.ac.uk 1
How many credits are required in total to gain the MA Special and Inclusive Education? To gain the award of the MA Special and Inclusive Education, participants must successfully complete 180 credits, including a 60-credit Dissertation, which is a piece of educational research in the area of special and inclusive education for which teachers are allocated a supervising tutor. After entering the programme, those who wish to do so may choose to exit from the programme early if they are successful in achieving 120 credits, with the award of Postgraduate Diploma in Special and Inclusive Education. What credits count for transfer? The 60 credits you wish to transfer to the MA Special and Inclusive Education must have been obtained from programmes/courses or modules at Roehampton University or from another University in the UK. These programmes/courses or modules must be in the area of Education and the content must have relevance to the issues of Special and Inclusive Education. Examples of relevant 60 credit programmes include: Postgraduate Certificate in Leadership & Management: Special & Inclusive Education (National Training Award for New-to-Post SENCOs) Postgraduate Certificate in Dyslexia: Enhancing Inclusive Educational Provision Postgraduate Certificate in Autism Postgraduate Certificate in Education (QTS-Initial Teacher Education course) (M level assignments to include special and/or inclusive education focus) 2
How long will it take to complete the MASIE and what modules have to be taken? Your programme will require study for another 2 years, completing 60 credits per year. The modules that have to be taken are shown below. Programme structure The 60 Credit Transfer Pathway to MA Special and Inclusive Education Year 1: 60 credits Module 1 Module 2 Module 3 Perspectives in Special & Inclusive Education (20 credits) * Option module (20 credits) Understanding Teacher Research (UTR) [produce research proposal] (20 credits) Year 2: 60 credits Notes Module 4 ** Dissertation (60 credits) * The Option module taken must be agreed by the programme leader. Some options will not be available (to be discussed with a tutor) ** The Dissertation module is only available to teachers who have acquired 120 credits and have met the Dissertation pre-requisites Timetable for 2011-13 The 60 Credit Transfer Pathway to MA Special and Inclusive Education Year 1: 60 credits Year 2: 60 credits Notes Autumn Term 2011 Spring Term 2012 Summer Term 2012 Autumn Term 2012 / Spring Term 2013 / Summer Term 2013 1. Perspectives in Special & Inclusive Education Monday evenings 10 taught sessions 5.00-7.30pm 2. Option module *Evenings 8-10 taught sessions 5.00 7.30 pm 3. Understanding Teacher Research (UTR) **(or Alternative see below) Thursday evenings 8 taught sessions 5-7.30 pm 4. Dissertation Individual tutorial supervision Dissertation workshop programme for research support * The evening for the Option module will depend on which module is taken (see below) ** An alternative module to UTR can be taken by participants who do not wish to undertake small-scale practitioner research in their Dissertation. This alternative module is Research Methodology & Enquiry 1 (RME1), which runs in the Spring Term. A further process of writing a research proposal for the Dissertation will then need to be undertaken in the Summer term if taking RME1 (see below for details). 3
What do the modules involve? Module 1: Perspectives in Special & Inclusive Education (20 credits) Module Code: SIE020L457A Module Summary This is a required module for the 60 Credit Transfer Pathway to MASIE. The module requires participants to develop an understanding of key concepts and perspectives on Special Education and Inclusive Education, within the national and international context. The module provides opportunities for students to learn about, and engage with key issues and debates within the field, and to reflect on these in relation to their own settings. The perspectives and issues engaged with in the module will support participants learning in other modules within the programme and enhance critical reflection on theory, experience, policy and practice. Assessment: 3500 word written essay Date for submission: January 2012 Module 2: Option module (20 credits) Module Code: depends on the specific module to be taken Assessment: 3500 words or equivalent (depending on module) Date for submission: May 2012 Option modules available in the Spring Term: Option A: Autism: principles and practice (SIE020L462S): Wednesday 5.00 7.30 pm Option B: Behaviour management: support for learning (SIE020L451S): Tuesday 5.00 7.30 Option C: Teaching & learning in special and inclusive education (SIE020L454S): Thursday 5.00 7.30 pm Further more information on the Option modules you can go to: http://www.roehampton.ac.uk/postgraduate-courses/special-and-inclusiveeducation/index.html Click Module Details on right side of the web page then scroll down to find the module. Module 3: Understanding Teacher Research: Planning for Research in Schools and Classrooms (UTR) (20 credits) Module Code: EDU020L526S Module Summary This is a required module for the 60 Credit Transfer Pathway to MASIE (unless RME1 is taken as an alternative see below). This module provides participants engaged in preparing for their dissertation research with a specifically practitioner research focus and an 4
engagement with specific teacher research issues, including the insider positioning of practitioners researching in and for the development of their own practice and practice contexts, methods appropriate for small-scale enquiry, forms of participation and collaboration with students and others and ethical issues. The module is designed to develop knowledge of practitioner research by integrating an exploration of practice-based problems and academic literature, in order to make wider critical connections between theory and practice in education. The approach to writing within the module is one of Writing as Enquiry (Richardson, 1990), so learning is designed to enable participants to write their proposal not only for assessment purposes, but also as a process of enquiry and learning during the module. Writing a successful research proposal is a pre-requisite to commencing the Dissertation. Assessment: 3500 word proposal for small-scale practitioner research Date for Submission: August 2012 Alternative Module 3: Research Methodology and Enquiry Part 1 (RME1) (20 credits) Module Code: EDU020L011S Taught: Spring Term (not Summer Term) Module Summary This is an alternative to the UTR module, required for the 60 Credit Transfer Pathway to MASIE, for participants who do not wish to undertake a small scale practitioner research approach in their Dissertation research. The module introduces some key concepts of research such as "research paradigms", "epistemology", "ontology", "constructivism", "positivism" and "ethics" in order for students to critically evaluate the existing "knowledge" developed in their professional fields. The aim is to extend their previous conception of research by understanding its philosophical underpinnings and to critically evaluate the research conducted in their field. Assessment: 3500 word essay Date for Submission: August 2012 In addition to the module assignment for RME1, a further process of writing a successful research proposal for the Dissertation will then need to be undertaken during the Summer term, as a pre-requisite to commencing the Dissertation. Attendance at workshops will be required. Module 4: Dissertation (60 credits) Module Code: EDU060L020Y Module Summary This is a required module for the 60 Credit Transfer Pathway to MASIE. This module is designed to enable students to undertake an extended piece of research work in an area of their own interest that is relevant to their professional practice. In so doing, they will demonstrate the application of forms of social inquiry and specific strategies for collecting, analysing, interpreting and validating data within a range of contexts. Assessment: 20000 word research report Date for Submission: September 2013 5
How much does it cost per year? The cost of studying 60 credits in 2011-12 = 1380 20% Discount for Roehampton Graduates A 20% fee discount is available to all UK and EU Roehampton graduates who progress onto postgraduate study at the University in 2011. The cost of studying 60 credits in 2011-12 for students who qualify for the discount is 1104 How do you apply? 1) You must complete and submit an application to the programme ONLINE. You can do this via the Roehampton webpage for MA Special and Inclusive Education http://www.roehampton.ac.uk/postgraduate-courses/special-and-inclusiveeducation/index.html Go to Apply online (on RHS of the webpage) and click MA. Now follow the instructions (make sure that you complete the request for transferring credits correctly see below). 2) You must apply to transfer your existing 60 credits at the same time as you apply online to the programme. Use the PERSONAL STATEMENT SECTION of the online application (in addition to your personal statement) to write a formal letter to apply for credit transfer (See Appendix Page 7 - for details on what to put in this letter). 3) Please try to ensure that you complete your application by the END OF AUGUST 2011 at the latest. Our goal is to ensure that you are registered fully as a Roehampton Masters Student by the start of the programme, giving you full access to all Roehampton resources. Once we receive your application and request to transfer 60 credits 4) Your application for the MASIE programme and to transfer credits to it will take a short time to process. Once you have been accepted on to the programme formally, you will need to register online for the programme and choose your specific module you are studying in the first year. You will be informed about this process by email from Roehampton University. 5) Your acceptance on to the programme will be confirmed by email and you will be asked to confirm your module choices. You will need to discuss your modules with an MASIE tutor before you make your module choices online. 6) You will be invited to attend a programme induction meeting to be held in September 2011. 6
APPENDIX Taught Postgraduate Scheme of the Department of Education Guidance for Applicants Wishing to Transfer Credits to an MA For teachers who are applying ONLINE to undertake the MA Special and Inclusive Education programme Refer to either A or B below A) If you are applying to transfer credits from a Roehampton University M level (level 4) course/programme to the MA Special and Inclusive Education programme: 1. In the PERSONAL STATEMENT SECTION of the online application, in addition to your personal statement, write a formal letter to apply for credit transfer, describing this request and including: a) Title of the previous or current Roehampton course or programme b) The number of credits you wish to transfer (maximum 60) c) The name of the programme you are applying to - MA Special & Inclusive Education 2. For further information contact: Sue White, Admissions Officer (CATS) Tel: 02083923084 s.m.white@roehampton.ac.uk Notes a) Please note that a maximum of 60 previously accumulated Masters level credits can be transferred to the MA Special & Inclusive Education programme. b) Please note that the University Regulations for credit accumulation and transfer are contained within the Academic Regulations on the StudentZone section of the University s website: www.roehampton.ac.uk 7
B) If you are applying to transfer credits from a non Roehampton University Masters level (level 4) course or programme to the MA Special & Inclusive Education programme: 1. In the PERSONAL STATEMENT SECTION of the online application, in addition to your personal statement, write a formal letter to apply for credit transfer, describing this request and including: a) The name and address of the awarding University/College b) Title of the previous course/programme c) The number of credits that you wish to transfer (maximum 60) d) The name of the programme you are applying to now - MA Special & Inclusive Education 2. After your application to the MA SIE has been processed and accepted you will then be contacted by email and asked to provide further evidence of your existing credits you will be asked to email: A scanned copy of the original signed and stamped official transcript from the awarding institution Details of the content of the programme/course(s) 3. For further information contact: Sue White, Admissions Officer (CATS) Tel: 02083923084 s.m.white@roehampton.ac.uk Notes a) Please note that a maximum of 60 previously accumulated Masters level credits can be transferred to the MA Special & Inclusive Education programme. b) Please note that the University Regulations for credit accumulation and transfer are contained within the Academic Regulations on the StudentZone section of the University s website: www.roehampton.ac.uk 8