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 programme is for existing education practitioners, leaders and wider educational professionals who want to gain a master's level qualification in education. It offers the option of a coursework pathway or a research pathway. The coursework pathway consists of six courses, while the research pathway includes a dissertation or a thesis, and is suited to students interested in developing independent research skills in education.
You can choose to take the Master of Education without a specialisation or specialise in educational leadership. The Master of Education is not a teaching qualification, and it does not lead to registration as a teacher.
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 brief CV that includes your tertiary qualifications and any relevant professional experience. If you want to enrol in the Educational Leadership specialisation, include relevant educational leadership experience. Use the CV template provided
To enrol in the Educational Leadership specialisation 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 need a total of 180 points to successfully complete the Master of Education. You can choose to take the Master of Education without a specialisation or specialise in educational leadership. For both options you can then choose either a coursework pathway or a research pathway.
To see the current timetable or for more details about the pathway you are interested in, please contact the postgraduate administrator at soe.postgrad@aut.ac.nz
Coursework pathway
- Consists of six 30-point courses
Research pathway:
- Includes the completion of a 60-point dissertation or 90-point thesis where you can explore a topic of your interest
- Suited to students interested in developing independent research skills in education
If you want to specialise in educational leadership
The Master of Education in Educational Leadership is aimed at education professionals in early childhood, schools, tertiary providers and other educational settings. The programme expands the knowledge and professional practice skills of current educational leaders and experienced educators aspiring to be leaders.
Educational leadership specialisation
If you want to complete this programme without a specialisation
Choose either the coursework or research pathway.
Complete these courses
- EDUC808 Aims and Conceptions of Education (30 points)
- EDUC911 Advanced Scholarship in Education Literature (30 points)
- EDUC912 Education Project (30 points)
And choose three from
- EDUC809 Global Influences on Education Policy in Aotearoa New Zealand (30 points)
- EDLD811 Conceptualisations of Educational Leadership (30 points)
- EDUC814 Individual Directed Study (30 points)
- EDUC819 Educational Research (30 points)
- EDUC827 Perspectives on Māori 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)
- EDUC867 Kaupapa Māori Educational Approaches (30 points)
Complete these courses
- EDUC808 Aims and Conceptions of Education (30 points)
- EDUC819 Educational Research (30 points)
And choose one or two courses from*
- EDUC809 Global Influences on Education Policy in Aotearoa New Zealand (30 points)
- EDLD811 Conceptualisations of Educational Leadership (30 points)
- EDUC814 Individual Directed Study (30 points)
- EDUC819 Educational Research (30 points)
- EDUC827 Perspectives on Māori 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)
- EDUC867 Kaupapa Māori Educational Approaches (30 points)
And complete one of
- EDUC998 Master of Education Thesis (90 points)
- EDUC997 Master of Education Dissertation (60 points)
*Choose one course if you're planning do to the 90-point thesis. Choose two courses if you're doing the 60-point dissertation. You need a total of 180 points to complete this programme,
Ready to enrol in your courses?
Find out how you can enrol in the courses and classes for your programme, whether you’ve just joined AUT as a new student or you’re already studying with us. If you’re looking for more info on a specific course use our course search.
Skills you will develop when you study the Master of Education
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
($10,028 tuition fees + $1,192 student services levy)
($36,300 tuition fees + $1,192 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.