Educational Assessment

This new two-year part-time MSc course has been introduced at a time when professionals are required to have a deeper understanding of and confidence to utilise various assessment approaches.

The aim of the course is to provide researchers and professionals with the skills to enhance and develop their knowledge in a specialist topic such as international large-scale assessments, advanced statistical methods or classroom-based assessment. Students will study the history, contemporary issues and development of the disciplinary field, gain technical and statistical knowledge in assessment and engage with the design and evaluation of educational assessments.

The course combines a number of teaching sessions within the department and online support through the University’s Virtual Learning Environment (WebLearn). In the second year of the course students will receive supervision of dissertation projects from a University supervisor with expertise in a particular subject.

Assessment will be through an assignment for each unit, plus a dissertation in the final term of the second year. Areas covered in the assessments include:

• assessment issues and practice
• assessment design and statistical evaluation of assessment data
• assessment analysis
• classroom-based assessment
• advanced statistical methods.

The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Department of Education and 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.

This new course is intended to improve assessment skills and to provide students with a wider education in this critical field than they would encounter in their working career or with other universities.

On completion of the course, graduates will have a sound understanding of the design of assessment systems, the options available and their implications. They will be able to analyse the quality of assessments and engage in research, policy and practice questions in an informed and critical manner.

This MSc qualification will have an impact upon the quality of educational assessments in a wide range of settings by enhancing assessment skills and increasing opportunities for progression to senior positions in educational assessment organisations both nationally and internationally.

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.

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

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Entry requirements