Course summary

The information provided on this page was correct at the time of publication (October/November 2022). For complete and up-to-date information about this course, please visit the relevant University of Oxford course page via www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/ucas The MSc Education (Comparative and International Education) offers you an understanding of the factors that shape the development and trajectories of educational systems in different parts of the world. You will learn the research skills to compare policy choices and critically evaluate the major debates in the delivery of public and private education. This full-time course comprises three core papers that cover, among other things, 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. Students that make up the cohort have different professional and academic backgrounds and different perspectives on how the degree will best enable them to engage with their future careers. As such, students are encouraged to take charge of their studies by reading widely beyond the course materials and engaging their tutors in discussion about things that they are passionate about. A public seminar series in Comparative Education is normally hosted at St Antony’s College. Meetings take place on Tuesday evenings at 5pm. Attendance for CIE students is compulsory. Supervision 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. You should expect approximately 10 hours of supervision over the course of the academic year.