Master of Education (Research)

The Master of Education (Research) at the University of Notre Dame Australia is a two-year research degree for teachers and education professionals who want to study a question in curriculum and instruction in depth. You'll spend most of your time on your own research project, supervised by an academic in the School of Education, rather than sitting through a full timetable of coursework units. The degree sits at AQF level 9, which means it's a research master's, the step between a bachelor degree and a doctorate.

How the degree is structured

Australian research master's degrees are usually built around a supervised thesis, with a smaller coursework component in research methods to get you ready for it. Notre Dame runs its academic year across semesters, with units measured in credit points. Your thesis is the main event: you'll propose a research question, get ethics approval if your study involves people, collect and analyse data, and write it up. In curriculum and instruction, that could mean investigating how a particular teaching approach works in a classroom, how a school plans and sequences its curriculum, or how assessment shapes what students learn. The exact mix of research methods units and thesis units is set by the university, so check the official course page for the current structure.

Skills you build

You'll learn to read research critically, design a study that stands up to scrutiny, handle qualitative or quantitative data, and write for an academic audience. Just as importantly, you'll learn to explain your findings to people who aren't researchers, principals, curriculum leaders, department heads. Those skills transfer straight back into schools and education systems.

Who it suits

This degree suits experienced teachers, curriculum leaders, heads of department, and education advisers who want to move into research-informed leadership, policy work, or further study. It's also a common pathway into a doctorate. If you're an international student, you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session, and the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream may be available after you finish, depending on your circumstances. English requirements are set out on the official page, IELTS 6.0 to 6.5 overall is the usual coursework standard, but some fields ask for higher. Confirm the current details, including tuition, on the CRICOS register and the university's official course page before you apply.

• Curriculum leader or head of department in a school
• Education researcher in a university, research centre or education department
• Policy adviser in a state or territory education department
• Education consultant working with schools and systems
• Assessment or curriculum developer for an education authority or publisher
• Senior teacher or instructional leader
• Pathway to a PhD or Doctor of Education

Graduates work across Australian schools, universities, education departments, and not-for-profit education organisations. The research skills also open doors in government policy and evaluation roles.