What are the backgrounds of students recruited to the MSc and DPhil programmes?
The Department recruits students from a wide range of backgrounds, professional, age and stage, cultural and national. Most students come from overseas, with China and USA currently being strongly represented countries. Slightly over one third of our Masters students come direct from an undergraduate degree, mostly obtained in a social science subject or in English language and literature. Many of our students, however, bring some professional experience in educational, NGO, policy or other settings which they have gained after their Bachelor degree before embarking on the Masters degree. On the DPhil programme almost all applicants have a relevant Masters before applying, and many applicants have additional experience in a professional context. It is essential that DPhil applicants have a grounding in the field of education before they embark on the DPhil, and for this reason a number of DPhil students undertake a Masters degree within the department before progressing to the DPhil it
