Master of Education in Educational Sociology and Social Pathology
Examine relationships between education, social institutions and persistent social problems.
About the course
Examine relationships between education, social institutions and persistent social problems. You will use sociological enquiry to analyse schooling, inequality and social responses without treating disadvantaged communities as inherently deficient.
What you'll learn
Compare sociological explanations of educational experience.
Analyse links among schooling, culture and social inequality.
Evaluate evidence about a defined social problem.
Design ethical research with a clear analytical framework.
Develop research-informed educational or policy recommendations.
Requirements
Prepare with a relevant degree-level background, research literacy and evidence of subject readiness. Admission, supervision and any bridging requirements require confirmation against BMIT rules.
Course content
The complete subject sequence below moves from foundations to specialist application. Stages show learning progression. Practical work and the final project draw together the subjects studied.
2 learning stages 10 subjects
1Stage 1: Foundations6 subjects
Subjects in this programme
The complete subject sequence below moves from foundations to specialist application. Stages show learning progression. Practical work and the final project draw together the subjects studied.
10 subjects are listed below with a short description of each. The Subject descriptions tab contains the learning outcomes, topics, practical tasks and assessments.
Stage 1: Foundations
- Sociology of Education. Examine how schools interact with inequality and social institutions. You will examine socialisation, school and family, class and inequality. Analyse a school-community case and propose a feasible response.
- Education, Inequality and Social Change. Investigate education's relationship with structural social problems. You will examine poverty, exclusion, violence. Prepare an evidence-based educational response to a social problem.
- Social Policy and Welfare Services. Evaluate welfare through need, rights and access. You will examine social protection, poverty, household needs. Compare responses to a defined community welfare need.
- Poverty, Inequality and Livelihoods. Analyse disadvantage through household and institutional evidence. You will examine poverty measures, inequality, livelihood strategies. Prepare a livelihood analysis and justified support proposal.
- Gender, Diversity and Social Inclusion. Examine unequal participation in institutions and communities. You will examine gender relations, intersectionality, discrimination. Review a programme for barriers to equitable participation.
- Community Development Practice. Work with communities to plan collective action. You will examine community entry, participation, needs and assets. Develop a participatory action plan using a realistic case.
Stage 2: Core subjects
- Advanced Research Design and Analysis. Develop a research design capable of addressing a complex organisational or social question. You will critically synthesise literature, justify methodological choices and assess evidence quality. The module develops the reasoning and analytical preparation required for an independently argued postgraduate research report.
- Quality Assurance in Education. Use evidence to improve programme quality and learner experience. You will examine quality criteria, self-evaluation, learner feedback. Complete a programme review and prioritised action plan.
- Programme Impact and Evaluation Methods. Assess the evidence supporting claims about programme change. You will examine causal questions, comparison strategies, mixed methods. Design an evaluation and explain its causal limitations.
- Dissertation or Substantial Research Report. Conduct an extended investigation into a focused programme-related problem. You will develop an argument through critical reading, appropriate evidence and sustained analysis. The completed report explains the contribution, limitations and practical or scholarly implications, supported by a transparent record of ethical research decisions.
Assessment and practical learning
- Theoretical essays and evidence critiques.
- A research proposal and methodological defence.
- A supervised dissertation and presentation.
Practical application
Conduct a proposed study of a defined educational issue such as exclusion, school participation or institutional responses to violence. Use respectful terminology, protect participants and avoid unsupported causal claims.
Subject descriptions
Select a subject to read its learning outcomes, main topics, practical task and assessment.
Stage 1: Foundations
Sociology of Education
Examine how schools interact with inequality and social institutions. You will examine socialisation, school and family, class and inequality. Analyse a school-community case and propose a feasible response.
Learning outcomes
- Explain socialisation in a relevant case.
- Analyse the relationship between school and family and class and inequality.
- Produce a reasoned response addressing gender, language and social mobility.
Main topics
- Socialisation
- School and family
- Class and inequality
- Gender
- Language
- Social mobility
Practical task
Analyse a school-community case and propose a feasible response.
Assessment
Submit the practical output with supporting evidence and an individual written or oral explanation. Assessment considers subject knowledge, accuracy, reasoning and the quality of the completed work.
Education, Inequality and Social Change
Investigate education's relationship with structural social problems. You will examine poverty, exclusion, violence. Prepare an evidence-based educational response to a social problem.
Learning outcomes
- Explain poverty in a relevant case.
- Analyse the relationship between exclusion and violence.
- Produce a reasoned response addressing gender relations, institutional responses and social change.
Main topics
- Poverty
- Exclusion
- Violence
- Gender relations
- Institutional responses
- Social change
Practical task
Prepare an evidence-based educational response to a social problem.
Assessment
Submit the practical output with supporting evidence and an individual written or oral explanation. Assessment considers subject knowledge, accuracy, reasoning and the quality of the completed work.
Social Policy and Welfare Services
Evaluate welfare through need, rights and access. You will examine social protection, poverty, household needs. Compare responses to a defined community welfare need.
Learning outcomes
- Explain social protection in a relevant case.
- Analyse the relationship between poverty and household needs.
- Produce a reasoned response addressing service access, policy instruments and evaluation.
Main topics
- Social protection
- Poverty
- Household needs
- Service access
- Policy instruments
- Evaluation
Practical task
Compare responses to a defined community welfare need.
Assessment
Submit the practical output with supporting evidence and an individual written or oral explanation. Assessment considers subject knowledge, accuracy, reasoning and the quality of the completed work.
Poverty, Inequality and Livelihoods
Analyse disadvantage through household and institutional evidence. You will examine poverty measures, inequality, livelihood strategies. Prepare a livelihood analysis and justified support proposal.
Learning outcomes
- Explain poverty measures in a relevant case.
- Analyse the relationship between inequality and livelihood strategies.
- Produce a reasoned response addressing vulnerability, social exclusion and policy responses.
Main topics
- Poverty measures
- Inequality
- Livelihood strategies
- Vulnerability
- Social exclusion
- Policy responses
Practical task
Prepare a livelihood analysis and justified support proposal.
Assessment
Submit the practical output with supporting evidence and an individual written or oral explanation. Assessment considers subject knowledge, accuracy, reasoning and the quality of the completed work.
Gender, Diversity and Social Inclusion
Examine unequal participation in institutions and communities. You will examine gender relations, intersectionality, discrimination. Review a programme for barriers to equitable participation.
Learning outcomes
- Explain gender relations in a relevant case.
- Analyse the relationship between intersectionality and discrimination.
- Produce a reasoned response addressing representation, inclusive practice and evidence.
Main topics
- Gender relations
- Intersectionality
- Discrimination
- Representation
- Inclusive practice
- Evidence
Practical task
Review a programme for barriers to equitable participation.
Assessment
Submit the practical output with supporting evidence and an individual written or oral explanation. Assessment considers subject knowledge, accuracy, reasoning and the quality of the completed work.
Community Development Practice
Work with communities to plan collective action. You will examine community entry, participation, needs and assets. Develop a participatory action plan using a realistic case.
Learning outcomes
- Explain community entry in a relevant case.
- Analyse the relationship between participation and needs and assets.
- Produce a reasoned response addressing local organisations, action planning and reflection.
Main topics
- Community entry
- Participation
- Needs and assets
- Local organisations
- Action planning
- Reflection
Practical task
Develop a participatory action plan using a realistic case.
Assessment
Submit the practical output with supporting evidence and an individual written or oral explanation. Assessment considers subject knowledge, accuracy, reasoning and the quality of the completed work.
Stage 2: Core subjects
Advanced Research Design and Analysis
Develop a research design capable of addressing a complex organisational or social question. You will critically synthesise literature, justify methodological choices and assess evidence quality. The module develops the reasoning and analytical preparation required for an independently argued postgraduate research report.
Learning outcomes
- Critique a research design
- Justify an analytical approach
- Develop a defensible research proposal
Main topics
- Critical literature synthesis
- Research philosophy
- Design justification
- Advanced sampling
- Analytical methods
- Research integrity
Practical task
Submit a postgraduate proposal with a critical literature review and pilot analysis.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Quality Assurance in Education
Use evidence to improve programme quality and learner experience. You will examine quality criteria, self-evaluation, learner feedback. Complete a programme review and prioritised action plan.
Learning outcomes
- Explain quality criteria in a relevant case.
- Analyse the relationship between self-evaluation and learner feedback.
- Produce a reasoned response addressing programme review, moderation and improvement planning.
Main topics
- Quality criteria
- Self-evaluation
- Learner feedback
- Programme review
- Moderation
- Improvement planning
Practical task
Complete a programme review and prioritised action plan.
Assessment
Submit the practical output with supporting evidence and an individual written or oral explanation. Assessment considers subject knowledge, accuracy, reasoning and the quality of the completed work.
Programme Impact and Evaluation Methods
Assess the evidence supporting claims about programme change. You will examine causal questions, comparison strategies, mixed methods. Design an evaluation and explain its causal limitations.
Learning outcomes
- Explain causal questions in a relevant case.
- Analyse the relationship between comparison strategies and mixed methods.
- Produce a reasoned response addressing contribution, bias and interpretation.
Main topics
- Causal questions
- Comparison strategies
- Mixed methods
- Contribution
- Bias
- Interpretation
Practical task
Design an evaluation and explain its causal limitations.
Assessment
Submit the practical output with supporting evidence and an individual written or oral explanation. Assessment considers subject knowledge, accuracy, reasoning and the quality of the completed work.
Dissertation or Substantial Research Report
Conduct an extended investigation into a focused programme-related problem. You will develop an argument through critical reading, appropriate evidence and sustained analysis. The completed report explains the contribution, limitations and practical or scholarly implications, supported by a transparent record of ethical research decisions.
Learning outcomes
- Conduct an approved investigation
- Develop an evidence-based argument
- Defend and revise research conclusions
Main topics
- Proposal refinement
- Ethical approval
- Evidence collection
- Sustained analysis
- Argument development
- Defence and revision
Practical task
Complete an independently assessed dissertation or substantial research report and oral defence.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Instructors
