Funding FAQS
Follow the application process for the Programme, your funding eligibility will be determined by a funding panel.
There is one set of funding criteria for the National MA and all pathways for 2022 start. Candidates from independent schools and the Regions please refer to the ALN and Leadership pathway funding criteria only.
See funding criteria.
This means you must be in years 3-6 of teaching following successful completion of your NQT induction.
The funding for this programme is offered by the Welsh Government as part of the Early Career Teacher Package.
For ITE Partner Places, applicants must be from a partner school. Contact the Programme Director for further information.
Time spent employed as a teacher outside of the UK or time taken as a career break will not be counted as years of practice
Yes, you should be registered with the EWC as schoolteacher (which must be maintained throughout the course of the programme).
Yes as long as you are employed on a minimum of 0.4 FTE contract, this can include supply teachers/lecturers who are on long term contracts either with a Local Authority, school, college or an agency.
Yes, as long as your contracts total 0.4FTE or higher, you are eligible to apply for funding.
Yes, as long as your contracts total 0.4FTE or higher, you are eligible to apply for funding.
No, you must be registered with the EWC in the category of schoolteacher to be eligible to apply for funding.
In accepting this grant offer teachers are required to continue to work in Wales, within the maintained education system for a minimum of 2 years after completing the programme.
Residency requirement (pre-study) In order to be eligible for funding you must be resident in Wales (no time limit is stipulated).
If you have previously studied a subject specific master's programme then you are still eligible to apply for funding (subject to meeting all other criteria). Please note that if you have previously undertaken a funded MEd then you will not be eligible to apply for funding for the National MA
Applicants who are not satisfied with the decision of the National MA Education (Wales) Funding Award Panel should contact the Chair of the Panel in the first instance.
Upon receipt of your application, the Admissions team at your chosen institution will ensure that you meet the eligibility criteria. The National MA Education (Wales) Funding Award Panel will then assess all eligible applications to determine the outcome and award funding to those who are successful. The Panel consists of representatives from each Partner University and reports to the National Management Board (which has membership from the Welsh Government), to ensure clear accountability and oversight.
There are 500 funded places across the National MA Education (Wales) partnership.
There are 30 places for the ALN pathway and 50 places for the Leadership pathway, these are not in addition to the 500 but will form part of this cohort who meet the specific eligibility criteria.
No.
ITE partner funding is only for students in ITE Partner Schools linked with a particular University. Candidates must be supporting ITE Students.
Admissions FAQS
Please apply direct to your first-choice institution. Details can be found at: Main page link and 2 pathways.
The National MA Education (Wales) and the specialist ALN and Leadership pathways are truly transformative and sector leading programmes for educational professionals in Wales, from early career teachers to senior leaders. The educational landscape in Wales is changing rapidly. Teaching not only requires the mastery of a complex set of skills to guide, motivate, and facilitate student learning, but also the ability to enquire into professional practice in order to improve it. The National MA Education (Wales), which has been collaboratively developed by seven universities in Wales, through direct engagement with a variety of key stakeholders including Welsh Government - will ensure that all education professionals in Wales have the same high-quality opportunity to enhance their professional knowledge, engage with research, and to improve their professional practice.
The National MA Education (Wales): Additional Learning Needs is a truly transformative and sector leading programme for educational professionals in Wales, from early career teachers to senior leaders with an interest in Additional Learning Needs.
The educational landscape in Wales is changing rapidly. Teaching not only requires the mastery of a complex set of skills to guide, motivate, and facilitate student learning, but also the ability to enquire into professional practice in order to improve it.
The National MA Education (Wales): Additional Learning Needs programme - which has been collaboratively developed by seven universities in Wales, through direct engagement with a variety of key stakeholders including Welsh Government - will ensure that all education professionals in Wales have the same high-quality opportunity to enhance their professional knowledge, engage with research, and to improve their professional practice in the area of Additional Learning Needs. The National MA Education (Wales): Leadership is a truly transformative and sector leading programme for educational professionals in Wales, from early career teachers to senior leaders with an interest in leadership.
The educational landscape in Wales is changing rapidly. Teaching not only requires the mastery of a complex set of skills to guide, motivate, and facilitate student learning, but also the ability to enquire into professional practice in order to improve it.
The National MA Education (Wales): Leadership programme - which has been collaboratively developed by seven universities in Wales, through direct engagement with a variety of key stakeholders including Welsh Government - will ensure that all education professionals in Wales have the same high-quality opportunity to enhance their leadership and professional knowledge, engage with research, and improve their professional practice.
- Be educated to degree level or equivalent;
- Have qualified teacher status (QTS) and be registered with the EWC as a teacher in a school, an advisory teacher in a local authority or a teacher in a setting such as a pupil referral unit (QTS and EWC registration must be maintained throughout the course of the programme) OR be a college lecturer and be registered with the EWC (EWC registration must be maintained throughout the course)
- Be employed by a maintained school in Wales / college in Wales / local authority in Wales as a teacher / lecturer / advisory teacher OR be employed by a registered independent school or specialist college;
- Be employed on a minimum of 0.4 FTE contracts, this can include supply teachers/lecturers who are on long term contracts either with a Local Authority, school, college or an agency;
- Be accepted/enrolled on this specific Masters in Education offered by the seven partnership HEIs which are:
Swansea University
Aberystwyth University
Bangor University
Cardiff Met
UWTSD
USW
Wrexham Glyndwr University
- Candidates should have, where possible, the required approvals and support from their employer (school, local authority, setting or college) to undertake the National Masters in Education.
- Where someone has already achieved a subject specific Masters, they are still eligible to apply for the funding towards this programme.
- No other Masters in Education qualifications offered by the HEIs are eligible for this funding.
No - but candidates must hold Qualified Teacher Status and meet the specified eligibility criteria.
Admissions deadline 1: 30 June 2022
Funding Panel 1: 22nd July 2022
Funding Response date: 5th August 2022
Admissions deadline 2: 26th August 2022
Funding Panel 2: 16th September 2022
Funding response date: 30th September 2022
Admissions deadline 3: 23rd September 2022 Funding Panel 3: 28th September.
Funding response date: 12th October 2022.
Latest possible enrolment date (students must have completed enrolment by this date): 15 October 2022
Recognition of Prior Learning signifies the process recognising learning achieved by an individual before entry to the MA. For the purpose of this programme, the term covers the following: a) Credit Transfer - Where the credits or qualification have been awarded by a UK higher education institution as part of a formal qualification; b) Recognition of Prior experiential Learning (RPeL) – where learning gained through experience is assessed and recognised. (See new RPL documents)
It may be possible to admit you to the MA with advanced standing on the basis of M-Level modules studied elsewhere in the UK during the last five years. Please apply using the standard application form but ensure that you include your previous academic transcripts plus a copy of the course syllabus giving details of learning outcomes and credit weightings.
A personal Statement or CV (the latter is required if you are applying for Accreditation of Experiential Learning; If you are applying for Credit Transfer, you will need to enclose your QTS Academic Transcript listing modules; Supplementary Funding Application form if you are applying for Welsh Government financial support studied and grades obtained.
Recognition of Prior Learning (often referred to as RPL) enables Universities to make exemptions for modules or subject areas that applicants have already ‘completed’, either through formal education or through professional experience and development. Successful candidates will therefore not be required to repeat or complete learning that they are recognised as having already achieved.
The National MA Education (Wales) has been designed to recognise that many students will already have qualifications and/or professional experience that means they can demonstrate that they have achieved the modules comprising Year 1 of the programme, so that they do not need to repeat content. Recognition of Prior Learning will not apply to year 2 modules or the Dissertation, all of which must be completed by all students.
As a result, applicants who hold recognised qualifications (e.g. PGCE) and/or significant professional experience may apply for these to be formally recognised to offset some or all of the 60 credits of modules which comprise year 1 of the programme. To be eligible for consideration, applicants must provide appropriate academic and/or professional evidence that they meet the Learning Outcomes for the modules, listed on the RPL Application Form.
If you have a PGCE worth 60 credits at FHEQ Level 7 achieved normally in the last 5 years, you do not need to map your professional learning to the Learning Outcomes on the RPL Application form and should submit your transcript (if you do not have this, you should be able to request a new one from your University).
If you have QTS without a PGCE, your PGCE was achieved more than 5 years ago, or your PGCE consists of fewer than 60 Level 7 credits, you will need to submit your transcript for any elements of credit that you wish to include, and you will need to map your professional and/or experiential learning to the Learning Outcomes on the RPL Application form to the value of the credits missing (e.g. if your PGCE gives you 40 Level 7 credits, you will only need to demonstrate experiential learning worth 20 credits). You should map to the module(s) with the Learning Outcomes you feel best demonstrate your professional and/or experiential learning.
Where you can only provide evidence against some of the Learning Outcomes, you will enrol on any modules in year one as necessary to complete the necessary Learning Outcomes to progress to year two of the programme.
This form will detail initial module preferences for study and if any chosen are linked to either the ALN or Leadership specialist pathways. A statement of support can also be provided here from your school in order to reflect their commitment to your study on the course.
You do not need a GCSE in Welsh Language to apply for this programme.
Please check individual institutions websites.
Please see the course pages.
No.
Yes, but you will not be eligible for funding.
No.