International Master's Programme in Educational Research
Summary
The International Master’s programme in Educational Research prepares you to become an active educational researcher or to gain a scholarly foundation for your current professional practice. You will learn in a research-intensive community, addressing the full spectrum of research skills and possibilities. It will also prepare you to successfully contribute to the future of educational studies through research, practice, or policy recommendations.
About
With education consistently part of public discourse and debate, there is increasing demand for educational research, which can influence everything from good customer service, to improving gender equality in schools, to changing policy, to understanding sustainability challenges. The International Master’s programme in Educational Research (IMER) enables you to study research in education as an academic discipline. Some students join the programme in pursuit of subsequent doctoral research, while others join as qualified teachers or professionals aiming to give their professional practice a more scholarly footing.
A research-intensive programme
IMER is distinguished from other educational master’s programmes by its deep focus on research. You will gain a theoretical and practical understanding of educational research, including critical and empirical analyses of educational institutions, processes, and management. Throughout the programme, you will come in contact with research-active academics. Your individual interests will drive your educational path in our programme, and you will gain experience working independently and learning to successfully manage your time and work. Throughout the programme, your teachers will be available for advice and scholarly discussions.
An international and collaborative learning environment
You will join a small but vibrant international group of students. No more than thirty new students can join the programme each year. We strive for international diversity in both our students and academic staff, with tutors coming from Australia, China, England, Ethiopia, Germany, Poland, and the Netherlands in addition to Sweden. This diverse international teaching and research experience influences the teaching and interactions and creates a strong learning environment of team commitment. Furthermore, we encourage interdisciplinarity in our programme and welcome students from various academic backgrounds.
Our goal is to embrace as many perspectives as possible in order to build a rich research tradition and broad yet distinctive research discipline.
Programme structure and content
You will discover educational research traditions and methods while actively exploring your own unfolding identity as an educational researcher through lectures, seminars, and interactions with the literature, classmates, tutors, and researchers. You will gain an understanding of ethical principles and approaches in doing research and how different choices affect the participants and context. This research-intensive programme prepares you to critically, independently, and creatively pursue the research process, including professionally writing and reporting educational research, culminating in your master’s thesis. IMER consists of seven mandatory courses:
• Introduction to International Master in Educational Research
• Introduction to Educational Research Practice
• Qualitative Approaches to Educational Research
• Design, Measurement and Analysis in Educational Research
• Academic Reading in Education
• Academic Writing and Research Design
• Master’s Thesis in Education
Who should apply?
Are you an education professional wanting to learn how to do research in educational settings? Are you a working teacher wanting to better grasp the place of research in teaching and learning? Do you want to become a practicing educational scholar or researcher who utilizes research theories, methods, and practices in an educational context?
If you already have a fair understanding of what education is and how teaching and learning are done, and you want to discover the ‘world of research’ behind educational practice, apply for the International Master’s programme in Educational Research.
Prerequisites and selection
Entry requirements
A bachelor's degree (180 credits) in one of the fields; Educational Sciences, Social Sciences or Humanities, or a teacher's degree of at least 180 credits. Applicants must also prove their knowledge of English: English 6/English B from Swedish Upper Secondary School or the equivalent level of an internationally recognized test, for example TOEFL, IELTS.
Selection
Selection is based on a motivation letter.
The last day to submit the letter is the 1st of February for applicants in the international application round.
The last day to submit the letter is the 31st of May for applicants in the national application round.
Instructions for motivation letter
After graduation
Graduates of the programme receive the degree Master of Science with a major in Education and specialization in Educational Research.
In addition to being highly qualified for PhD studies, our graduates also return to their places of work to apply their research.
Our graduates have achieved PhD positions at the following universities, among others: University at Albany in USA; University of Oslo in Norway; Ghent University in Belgium; and several have also achieved PhD positions at the University of Gothenburg.
Facilities
Faculty of Education, “Pedagogen” is located right in the middle of central Gothenburg, close to everything. Most teaching and research take place in three buildings: the A building at Västra Hamngatan 25, the B building at Läroverksgatan 15 and the C building at Läroverksgatan 5. In the A building you will find the Service Center, the University Library, the Student Union's office, study counselling, the International Student Office Pedagogen and a café. There is also a café in the B building, but also a large student kitchen with microwaves and refrigerators. In all the buildings there are plenty of places for students to work individually or in groups.
