Master's

Master of Studies (MSt) in Advanced Subject Teaching

A new part-time Master's degree for 2012-2014

This unique new postgraduate degree has been designed by the University of Cambridge in association with The Prince’s Teaching Institute to help English and History teachers develop their subject knowledge and enhance their professional and academic standing. It will provide a two-year, part-time route to a full University of Cambridge Master’s degree.

Scholarships for English teachers of up to £3,500 may be available to early applicants – see below for details.

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This MSt is unique in focusing on subject knowledge as well as pedagogy.                                  

As well as preparing students for possible future research leading to the degree of EdD or PhD, the course is especially useful as a career enhancement for teachers and potential subject leaders. The analytical and transferable skills it provides will be valuable to those seeking to develop or change their careers within the field of education.

About the MSt programme


The MSt has been developed by the University of Cambridge Institute of Continuing Education in association with the Faculties of Education, English and History and with the Prince's Teaching Institute. The MSt forms part of The Prince's Cambridge Programme for Teaching.                             

The course will run from September 2012 to July 2014, and has been designed to be accessible to teachers both in the UK and world-wide. Teaching and supervision by Cambridge academics will be offered through a combination of residential teaching in Cambridge (two concentrated teaching blocks in the first year, scheduled out of term-time) and online tuition.

Successful applicants will become members of a Cambridge college where they will be members of the wider graduate community as well as enjoying full access to the facilities of the University.

What will I be studying?

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When you embark on this innovative programme, you will  choose an aspect of your subject which you would like to explore further or perhaps tackle for the first time. You will then study it both academically and pedagogically, so that your new knowledge and skills can be put to effective use in the classroom.


It is an important aim of the programme that you should focus on areas of the curriculum that are under-represented in schools, not least because teachers themselves may be less familiar with them.


We hope that successful graduates of this MSt will go on to make major contributions to syllabus development not only in their schools, but also at national and international level.


Year 1

The first year consists of four taught modules, and you will be expected to produce a 3,000-word assignment for each:

  • Module 1: The history and development of the subject (residential)
  • Module 2: Updating subject knowledge (i): innovation and design (online)
  • Module 3: Teaching vs. testing in the subject (residential)
  • Module 4: Updating subject knowledge (ii): syllabus design and construction (online)
 

Year 2

In the second year, you will undertake a research project on a topic of your own choice, culminating in a 15,000 to 18,000-word dissertation.

Please visit the University of Cambridge website for more information on the course content and structure.

TDA scholarships available for English teachers

In 2011, the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) announced a new national St Angela's Pupilsscholarship fund for teachers. The fund is open to all teachers in England with qualified teacher status (QTS) who are working in eligible schools, namely:

  • Maintained schools (including Special Schools), non-maintained Special Schools, City Technology Colleges, Academies, Free Schools, Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) and 6th-form colleges.
  • In addition, Local Authority peripatetic (centrally employed) teachers with QTS will also be eligible.

The value of the scholarship award will vary according to the nature of the proposed activity, up to a maximum award of £3,500.

Please go to the Teaching and Development Agency's website and apply by 30 September 2011 for the chance of an award.

Find out more

For further enquiries, please visit the University of Cambridge website, or contact Dr Nigel Kettley: nck20@cam.ac.uk.