Master of Education
The Master of Education is designed to help education professionals engage with advanced knowledge, critical analysis and research skills in the broader area of educational studies.
This qualification examines the practice of existing education leaders, practitioners and wider educational professionals to gain a master's level qualification in education. The programme offers the option of a coursework pathway or a research pathway that aims to prepare students to undertake research in education.
This is not a teaching qualification, and it does not lead to registration as a teacher. The Master of Education can be taken with or without a specialisation.
Download programme guides
Minimum entry requirements
- A relevant bachelor's degree with a B grade average or higher in level 7 courses (or equivalent)
- A CV and Letter of Intent
To enrol in one of the specialisations in the Master of Education you must have at least 2 years of relevant professional experience or approval of the programme leader.
International student entry requirements
English language requirements
- IELTS (Academic) 6.5 overall with 7.0 in Writing and all other bands 6.0 or higher; or equivalent
You can also complete the Master of Education without a specialisation.
You need a total of 180 points to successfully complete the Master of Education. You may elect to complete the degree by coursework only or by coursework and research (either a dissertation or a thesis where you can explore a topic of your interest).
Coursework pathway (without specialisation)
Complete this compulsory course
- EDUC808 Aims and Conceptions of Education (30 points)
And choose 90 points from the Master of Education
- EDLD802 Leading in Diverse Cultures and Communities (30 points)
- EDLD803 Reflecting on Professional Practice as an Educational Leader (30 points)
- EDLD804 Organisational Culture and Educational Leadership (30 points)
- EDLD805 Educational Leaders as Policy Actors (30 points)
- EDUC808 Aims and Conceptions of Education (30 points)
- EDUC809 Global Impacts on Education Practice in Contemporary Society (30 points)
- EDLD811 Conceptualisations of Educational Leadership (30 points)
- EDUC814 Individual Directed Study (30 points)
- EDUC819 Educational Research (30 points)
- EDUC827 Perspectives on Maori and Pacific Education Experiences (30 points)
- EDUC830 Contemporary Issues in Education (30 points)
- EDUC836 Learning Environments for the 21st Century (30 points)
- EDUC837 Digital Pedagogies and the Techno-Literate Teacher (30 points)
- EDUC859 Pacific Education - Issues and Perspectives (30 points)
- EDUC863 Who am I as a Higher Education Teacher? (30 points)
- EDUC864 Focussing a Critical Lens on Curriculum in Higher Education (30 points)
- EDUC865 Higher Education Assessment and Learning (30 points)
- EDUC867 Kaupapa Māori Educational Approaches (30 points)
- EDUC869 Leadership and Collegial Practice in Higher Education Institutions (30 points)
- EDUC911 Advanced Scholarship in Education Literature (30 points)
- EDUC912 Education Project (30 points)
And complete two advanced scholarship courses
- EDUC911 Advanced Scholarship in Education Literature (30 points)
- EDUC912 Education Project (30 points)
Research pathway1 (without specialisation)
Complete this compulsory course
- EDUC808 Aims and Conceptions of Education (30 points)
And choose 30 points from the Master of Education
- EDLD802 Leading in Diverse Cultures and Communities (30 points)
- EDLD803 Reflecting on Professional Practice as an Educational Leader (30 points)
- EDLD804 Organisational Culture and Educational Leadership (30 points)
- EDLD805 Educational Leaders as Policy Actors (30 points)
- EDUC808 Aims and Conceptions of Education (30 points)
- EDUC809 Global Impacts on Education Practice in Contemporary Society (30 points)
- EDLD811 Conceptualisations of Educational Leadership (30 points)
- EDUC814 Individual Directed Study (30 points)
- EDUC819 Educational Research (30 points)
- EDUC827 Perspectives on Maori and Pacific Education Experiences (30 points)
- EDUC830 Contemporary Issues in Education (30 points)
- EDUC836 Learning Environments for the 21st Century (30 points)
- EDUC837 Digital Pedagogies and the Techno-Literate Teacher (30 points)
- EDUC859 Pacific Education - Issues and Perspectives (30 points)
- EDUC863 Who am I as a Higher Education Teacher? (30 points)
- EDUC864 Focussing a Critical Lens on Curriculum in Higher Education (30 points)
- EDUC865 Higher Education Assessment and Learning (30 points)
- EDUC867 Kaupapa Māori Educational Approaches (30 points)
- EDUC869 Leadership and Collegial Practice in Higher Education Institutions (30 points)
- EDUC911 Advanced Scholarship in Education Literature (30 points)
- EDUC912 Education Project (30 points)
And complete this research methodology course
- EDUC819 Educational Research (30 points)
And complete one of
- EDUC998 Master of Education Thesis (90 points)2
- EDUC997 Master of Education Dissertation (60 points)
1 Courses listed are those offered in 2022. To see the courses offered in 2023 and 2024, please contact the Postgraduate Administrator at pg.education@aut.ac.nz
* Relevant professional experience is necessary to take this course. Programme leader approval required.
Skills you will develop
The outcomes for graduates of the Master of Education are outlined in the Graduate Profile below.
Master of Education graduates will have a broad range of research skills for application to their area of education.
This includes:
- Adult and tertiary education
- Compulsory education
- Early childhood education
- Non-formal education
This qualification does not provide eligibility for provisional teacher registration.
The Master of Education can serve as a pathway to doctoral study.
Other postgraduate education programmes
If you want to become a teacher
Our initial teacher education qualifications can prepare you to become a teacher:
North Campus
South Campus
26 Feb 2024
15 Jul 2024
($9,203 tuition fees + $1074 student services levy)
($33,600 tuition fees + $1074 student services levy)
- Fees shown are based on a full-time workload for the points indicated next to the fee. The exact fee charged will depend on which courses you select at the time of enrolment.
- Fees are subject to change year to year. If you are planning for study beyond the current year, fees may vary from those stated.
- There may also be other fees and charges you need to pay.
- International students' tuition fees reflect the full cost of tuition. Domestic students' tuition fees are less due to a proportion of the tuition fees being funded by the New Zealand Government.
The information on this page was correct at time of publication. For a comprehensive overview of AUT qualifications, please refer to the Academic Calendar.