The Master of Education (MEd) by Coursework and Thesis provides an opportunity for persons concerned with educational practice to undertake advanced coursework and research in a field of particular interest to them and to gain an internationally recognised postgraduate qualification. It can be completed in one and a half years of full-time study or part-time equivalent. The MEd is not an introductory teaching qualification nor is it a licence to teach.

The MEd prepares the graduand to inquire into the nature of educational problems and generate new knowledge which can be used to enhance policy and practice.

When undertaking research, students are encouraged to become involved in applied research which attempts to provide solutions to the problems faced by learners, teachers, administrators, consultants and policy-makers.  Students may be able to participate in ongoing research projects being conducted by the Fogarty and CSaLT research centres of the School of Education.

Students wishing to study full-time should ensure that they discuss their proposal with the appropriate Course Coordinator before committing themselves to full-time study, since not all units may be available in a particular year and the research component of the course can be managed much more effectively on a part-time basis.

The MEd by Coursework and Thesis provides an opportunity for admission to the Doctor of Philosophy, however, admission to the PhD is highly competitive.

This Masters by Research course is a one and a half year course comprising Stage 1 (Preliminary - one semester) and Stage 2 (Thesis - one year).

Requirement for admission to Stage 1 (Preliminary) is successful completion of a Bachelor Pass degree.

Requirement for admission to Stage 2 (Thesis) is normally based on successful completion of Stage 1. However, students may also be admitted to Stage 2 by advanced standing based on having completed:

• A Bachelor Degree with Honours, or
• An approved research-based Graduate Diploma, or
• An approved equivalent qualification, or
• Appropriate research preparation.

International applicants require an Academic IELTS overall band minimum score of 7.0 (no individual band less than 6.5)

The MEd is equivalent to one and a half years of full-time study and comprises 60 credit points of coursework (4 units) and a Thesis, which is  equivalent to 1 year of full-time study.

Coursework Component
Students are required to complete RES5101, EDU6195 plus the Research Preparation units EDU6185 and EDU6186 which are used to develop the research proposal and instruments for the study. Students will work with a supervisor to identify and clarify a thesis topic. Students prepare a detailed proposal that is presented to a graduate seminar involving interested staff and students. Following the graduate seminar, students will submit a detailed research proposal for approval. Ethics clearance is required from the Human Research Ethics Committee before data collection can commence.

Research Thesis Component
The MEd thesis component is equivalent to 1.0 year of full-time of study. The thesis topic can be chosen from areas that relate to the student’s own professional work or from other areas of interest. A high level of scholarship is expected in the MEd by Coursework and Thesis. It is expected that the thesis will make an original contribution to knowledge in a selected field of study. An adapted version of a good quality thesis would be of a standard suitable for publication in a refereed journal. The length of the thesis in its typed final form, excluding references and appendices, would normally be 25,000-35,000 words.

While working on the thesis, students enrol in the research thesis unit EDU6200. Students are required to continue re-enrolling in EDU6200 until the thesis is submitted for examination. Enrolment in EDU6200 is generally at 50% or 100% of full-time enrolment.