Education (Comparative and International Education)

This full-time course comprises three core papers that cover inter alia the theoretical, historical, empirical and philosophical underpinnings of the field of comparative and international education, the interdisciplinary nature and impact of the research in comparative education, and the political nature of governance and policy choices.

In addition to three pathway-specific core papers, two core papers in research methods develop students’ understanding in key concepts and principles of educational research design and methodology, using both quantitative and qualitative methods and data. Students benefit from the expertise available through the Qualitative Methods Hub and the Quantitative Methods Hub at the Department of Education. MSc Education students also choose one assessed option paper from a selection offered by academic staff across the department.

The teaching style adopted is usually a combination of tutor and student input, and is reliant on students' reading of key texts, preparation of arguments, responses to a presentation and/or analysis of documents and various group activities. In February each year the course moves to Paris for a week for seminars at UNESCO, the OECD and the Institute for International Educational Planning (IIEP).

The course is assessed through one unseen three-hour examination paper, five written assignments and a research dissertation.

The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Department of Education. This will be done on the basis of the topic of research and the availability of individual supervisors. It is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff. Under exceptional circumstances a supervisor may be found outside the Department of Education.

Many alumni of MSc Education (Comparative and International Education) course have gone on to academic and research careers at universities in the UK and abroad. Others are employed across a wide range of other sectors such as policy for government departments, NGOs or think tanks, international organisations, administration at local and national levels, as well as state and non-state schools in different parts of the world.

Changes to this course and your supervision

The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out in this course page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. In certain circumstances, for example due to visa difficulties or because the health needs of students cannot be met, it may be necessary to make adjustments to course requirements for international study.

Where possible your academic supervisor will not change for the duration of your course. However, it may be necessary to assign a new academic supervisor during the course of study or before registration for reasons which might include sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment.

For further information, please see our page on changes to courses.

Other courses you may wish to consider

If you're thinking about applying for this course, you may also wish to consider the courses listed below. These courses may have been suggested due to their similarity with this course, or because they are offered by the same department or faculty.

Courses suggested by the department

Development Studies MPhil
Comparative Social Policy MSc
International Health and Tropical Medicine MSc
Social Science of the Internet MSc

All graduate courses offered by the Department of Education

Applied Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition MSc

Applied Linguistics for Language Teaching MSc

Education DPhil

Education (Child Development and Education) MSc

Education (Comparative and International Education) MSc

Education (Higher Education) MSc

Education (Research Design and Methodology) MSc

Educational Assessment MSc

Learning and Teaching MSc

PGCE PGCert

Teacher Education MSc

Oxford 1+1 MBA programme

This course can be studied as a part of the Oxford 1+1 MBA programme. The Oxford 1+1 MBA programme is a unique, two-year graduate experience that combines the depth of a specialised, one-year master’s degree with the breadth of a top-ranking, one-year MBA.

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Entry requirements