MA in Academic Practice

Course Overview

Welcome to the final stage of taught programmes available in CELT - the MA in Academic Practice. This stage consists of two interlinked modules worth in total 30 ECTS.

CEL284 is 10 ECTS and runs across both semesters 1 and 2. Before the Christmas break, we focus on approaches to research, and afterwards we look more at the process of the MA. Many people complete the MA in one academic year, but technically you have 18 months for this process.  

Intended learning outcomes:

By the end of this module, participants should be able to: 

• Identify key issues in higher education policy and practice relevant to the topic of inquiry;
• Construct a research design appropriate to addressing the identified research questions; and
• Identify the ethical dimensions of the proposed research.

As there is overlap between this module, and the dissertation, it is useful to highlight the intended learning outcomes for CEL285 (20 ECTS) here:

• Research an aspect of teaching, learning or other dimension of contemporary academic practice;
• Apply appropriate research methodologies to address identified research questions;
• Assess the robustness of the original research design, including the research questions, methodology, ethics and analytical framework; and
• Present a synthesis of research findings in the form of a dissertation.

The first two of these will feature in the proposal you present for assessment in CEL284 - though it is entirely possible they may be refined as you progress through the dissertation phase.

Key elements of the programme:

Across the two modules, the following assessment elements are used:

Work-in-progress:     

All MA students need to make two work-in-progress presentations. One will take place early in the process, where you will present your project idea and rationale; the second somewhat later when you can confidently discuss your research design including proposed data collection and any applicable ethical issues. It is possible that the second presentation could take place when you have preliminary findings, or for those taking the 18-month route, in Semester 1 next year. Presentations will be no longer than 10-15 minutes, followed by questions and discussion amongst the group.

Ethical approval:       

If applicable. CELT has an arrangement with the School of Education for ethical review of ‘student’ research projects. Approval, if needed, must be gained before any data collection takes place.

Research proposal:   

The proposal is the final assessment for CEL284 and will be marked Pass/Fail.

Dissertation:             

The dissertation is the final assessment for the MA. It is between 12,000-15,000 words.

If you are interested in pursuing the MA, please contact celt@universityofgalway.ie