Longford International College offers you a unique pathway to management in education and beyond. You can follow our triple-accredited track if you wish. You will start with an MSc in Management in Education. If you can achieve 50% or better in your final exam, you can progress to year 2 of our executive MBA degree, and after two years, you graduate with both an MSc and MBA. We also offer you the possibility to study for your doctorate after the MBA. The average time to complete your doctorate is 2.5-3 years after the MBA. You will then be awarded the DBA.
The MSc is aimed at educators in the Irish education system but can equally be applied to any other country. The course builds on the pracademic approach by Longford College, where the theory is blended with a practical component. It is helpful, but not essential, that potential participants have some teaching experience in primary or post-primary schools. In doing this course, it is assumed that you are motivated to move into a leadership position in education and be, or wish to be, an innovative thinker.
The core focus of leadership and management is broad enough so that it can be applied to educators at different stages of their careers. The programme draws on wide-ranging international literature to focus on current policy, practice, and leadership challenges.
The course is delivered online and blended. Lectures are delivered live to ensure interaction with professors and fellow students. Where possible (depending on social-distancing rules), there will be optional residential weekends. The programme is intended to provide a dynamic and transformative learning experience for all participants.
We are committed to developing our participants’ critical voice through reading, discussion, peer learning, presentations and critical review. These participative learning experiences have been tried and tested by us and ensure that high-quality learning outcomes are achieved.
This course provides educators with the knowledge, skills, and competencies to support their career progression towards senior management positions.
The course has three tracks:
Track 1 – Study for just one year and obtain an MSc (Education Management), or
Track 2 – Continue after being awarded the MSc you may progress to year 2 of MBA.
Track 3 – Progress to DBA
After two years, subject to all coursework being successfully completed to the required standard, both an MSc and an MBA is awarded to the participant.
The MSc and MBA provide a broad but comprehensive underpinning in the principles of management and leadership that can be applied to any person engaged in the education of others at different stages of their careers. Aimed at aspiring leaders in education in educators, the unique approach allows for those who wish to expand their management skillset to progress to an MBA degree.
Modules
- Education Research Methods OR Action Research
- Transformational Leadership and Management in Education
- Managing People and Building Relationships in Education Leadership and Management
- Personal Effectiveness and Decision-Making in Education Leadership and Management
- Creating and Leading Innovative Learning Environments
- Leading and Managing Change in Learning Environments
- Research Project
After completing the MSc, you will be enabled to:
- Develop knowledge, skills and competence in educational leadership and management.
- Encourage reflection on the critical changes in education leadership both nationally and internationally.
- Engage critically and analytically with an area of research relevant to education leadership.
- Critically analyse the practical and academic debates about educational leadership.
- Develop an advanced and integrated pracademic and theoretical understanding of school leadership.
- Develop research skills and be able to research and apply established theories to research in school leadership.
- Develop an ability to critically analyse, reflect upon, and synthesise complex information, problems, concepts, and theories.
- Demonstrate a clear understanding of the complexity of educational leadership.
If you continue to the MBA in Year Two, you will study for our online MBA. Typically, the Executive MBA program is targeted at experienced, executive-level professionals with over ten years of work experience. It is therefore a unique opportunity to increase your strategic management skills further to a level that is highly regarded outside of education. You will study with senior business leaders to upskill, network, and share knowledge with participants bringing their professional projects into the classroom. If you gain a 50% mark or better in the MSc, you are guaranteed entry to the MBA program.
After completing the MSc, you will be enabled to:
- Understand theories and concepts applicable in managing organisational performance, resource allocation, management of people and leading organisations.
- Manage complex situations in business and other organisations based on knowledge of both the external and internal context of organisations; generating social and economic benefits
- Develop long term vision, goals and direction for organisations and develop strategies to deliver the goals, including through appropriate financial resource allocation.
- Critically collect and use valuable information and evaluate in the context of their application across different environments and settings.
- Conduct professional inquiries in problem identification and use and manage knowledge and evidence critically to solve problems and develop actionable solutions.
- Understand the ethical implications of management practice and respond to ethical issues as a socially responsible professional.
- Engage and manage in digital and entrepreneurial work environments.
- Communicate effectively using a wide range of media.
- Provide effective and ethical leadership that transcends functional perspectives.
- Reflect critically on learning from workplace practice.
Qualification
MSc (Management and Leadership in Education) – 60 ECTS
MBA (Master of Business Administration) – 90 ECTS
DBA (Doctor of Business Administration) – does not carry ECTSs
Duration
MSc – 1 year
MBA – 1 year after MSc
DBA – 2.5 to 3 years after MBA
Assessment
100% Continuous assessment (no written exams)
DBA assessed through viva-voce examination
Learning
Online, blended and face to face
(subject to Covid restrictions allowing)
Fees
MSc – €4900
MBA – €5500
DBA – €5500 per annum
Degree Awards
Degrees awarded through James Lind (Geneva)