Structure

Mode of study

The Joint MA Education and Human Rights is a two years full-time programme. Attendance in the programme’s modules and seminars is compulsory.

Programme structure and requirements, levels, modules, credits and awards

For a Master’s degree to be awarded students on the Programme must complete theoretical and practical coursework as provided below. The modules and the course units are evaluated on the ECTS basis. The Minimum Credit value of the Programme is 120 ECTS.

The programme of studies comprises of: a. Core Course Units which correspond to 45 ECTS and involve two Interdisciplinary Seminars, two core modules and a Dissertation b. Five elective Modules which correspond to 75 ECTS.

The core course units are offered at the University of Athens and taught by the UoA academic staff with the exception of the Interdisciplinary Seminar ‘Education Human Rights and Social Inequalities’ which is taught collaboratively by the UoA and IoE academic staff.

The elective modules are offered at both universities. Students of the Joint MA Programme attend two trimesters at the UCL Institute of Education, preferably the Spring and Summer trimester of the first year of studies (1^st week of January to the end of June), where they are required to take three elective modules.

1. CORE COURSE UNITS (45 ECTS)

1.1 Interdisciplinary Seminars (9 ECTS)

Interdisciplinary Seminar of first semester ‘Education, Rights and Inequalities’: UoA (4 ECTS)

Interdisciplinary Seminar ‘Education, Human Rights and Social Inequalities’, co-teaching: ΙοΕ and UoA (5 ECTS)

1.2. Core Modules (11 ECTS)

The Construction of social inequalities: contemporary theoretical issues: UoA (4 ECTS)

Research Methods contextualized in the social and educational setting: UoA (7 ECTS)

1.3. Dissertation (25 ECTS)

(second year, approx. 20,000 words). (25 ECTS)

2 ELECTIVE MODULES (75 ECTS)

Students take 5 modules elected among the following:

The UoA operates on a semester basis and the UCL IoE on a trimester basis. Each semester at the UoA includes 13 teaching weeks. The fall semester begins at the 3^rd week of September and runs through the 2nd week of February. The spring semester begins at the 3^rd week of February and runs through June.

The taught modules at the UoA provide 39 contact hours each, divided into 13 three-hour sessions. The taught modules at the IOE provide 30 contact hours each, divided into 10 three-hour sessions. Additional individual work is required in both universities. Core and optional modules of the Joint MA at the University of Athens are offered in the evening. This structure enables students who are working during the day to take all modules in the evening.

Teaching, learning and assessment strategies to enable outcomes to be achieved and demonstrated

Teaching combines various forms, such as lectures, workshops, seminars, student presentations and student led discussions. Within tutor led sessions, students often engage in individual, pair and group tasks which are then fed back to the plenary.

Assessment is by coursework. In most modules an essay type assignment, usually of 5000 words, is required. In course units carrying less than 5 ECTS the essay assignment is around 2.500 words. Individual support and tutorials throughout the semester are offered to the students for the definition of the topic and the elaboration of their essays.

The final piece of assessment on the Joint MA is a dissertation in which the students engage with a topic of particular interest or relevance to their own development. For Education and Human Rights, the dissertation is up to 20,000 words in length. There should be evidence in the dissertation that the field has been surveyed thoroughly. A full bibliography and references would be required.

Information about assessment regulations

Participants must successfully complete all elements of the programme, to achieve the minimum credits required for the award: 120 ECTS. All coursework is assessed according to the grade-related criteria for the programme level, found in the programme handbook.

At the UoA the tutor of each module assess the students on the basis of their participation in course-work and their written assignment. Student performance is graded from 1 to 10, with 5 being a failing grade and 10 being the excellent grade. A sample of student assignments from every module and across the grade range is sent to the IoE to be reviewed by an external examiner.

At the UCL IOE all assignments are independently marked by two staff members, who meet to discuss and reconcile the marks and comments for each individual. Assignments are graded from A to D, with D being a failing grade. A sample of the Joint MA students’ assignments from every module and across the grade range are sent to the attention of the Programme Governing Board for reviewing in order to facilitate convergence in assessment standards.

Participants who fail an assignment either at the UoA or at the UCL IOE may be re- assessed in that element of their programme of study on one further occasion only, within the deadline specified by the Regulation of Studies.

An external examiner is appointed by Senate of the UCL IOE and plays an important role in monitoring the quality of the programme and evaluating the effectiveness of the teaching and support provided for the programme participants and the reliability of the judgements made in assessing them.