Master of Arts Academic Practice (MA AP)

Course overview

This online academic practice programme has been designed for students from both teaching and non-teaching backgrounds in higher education (HE) to provide an opportunity to enhance their academic practice, academic leadership and ability to support learning and teaching in a global context.

There are three study awards for the programme: the Postgraduate Certificate Academic Practice (PGCAP), the Postgraduate Diploma Academic Practice (PGDAP) and the full Master of Arts Academic Practice (MA AP).

Depending on a student’s background, the online PGCAP award offers two pathways.

Standard Pathway

If you do not hold a teaching position in a higher education institution, you can take the route of gaining a PGCAP that will provide you with the theory and practice of teaching and supporting learning in higher education in a global context.

FHEA Pathway

If you do hold a teaching position that enables you to demonstrate Descriptor Level 2 of the UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF), you can obtain a PGCAP and, through our partnership with Advance HE, gain recognition as a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA), the UK’s agency for driving excellence in higher education.

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Recognition

Study method

Online
Blended
In-class

Duration study load

30 months

Entry requirements

All applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

For both PGCAP pathways, applicants must have:

A degree equivalent to an upper-second class UK bachelor’s degree or equivalent.

For pathway two leading to Fellowship (FHEA), applicants must also:

Hold a teaching position in a higher education institution that enables them to demonstrate Descriptor level 2 of the UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF).

All applicants must provide evidence that they have an English language ability equivalent to an IELTS (academic) score of 6.5 (with all parts of the score being above a minimum of 5.5).

If you don’t have an IELTS or equivalent certificate, you can take our free online English test to assess your proficiency. You don’t need to prove your English ability if you are a national of, or have completed a qualification equivalent to a UK degree in, any of the eligible countries on our website.

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Professional recognition

Accredited by AdvanceHE

Assessment

Assessment is exclusively through online assignments rather than examinations. You will be assessed through a range of activities, including written assignments, presentations, discussion forum participation and journal entries.

Career destinations

Upon completion of the programme, you will gain initial training qualifications that are transferable to other HE institutions. You will have the opportunity to dive into learning, providing case studies and perspectives from their local contexts while creating a strong global active learning experience and a global network of contacts for all students.

The expertise you will acquire by studying this online programme is directly applicable to a workplace. The second FHEA pathway offers the postgraduate certificate and automatic professional recognition (FHEA) to successful graduates, which can fast-track your career in higher education.

Who's it for?

This programme is for those who are interested in transactional education and in developing a toolkit to work with international students and faculty. Beyond the curriculum-specific knowledge, you will also become more proficient in communication, digital literacy, teaching and research, ultimately opening doors to many new professional opportunities.

Delivery

This programme is designed to be studied online and part-time. Teaching is delivered through our state-of-the-art Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), which provides students with access to all resources required for interactive study online. On this platform, you will be encouraged to work collaboratively with classmates and actively read around your topic through our comprehensive library of eBooks and journals.

Programme modules, apart from the academic practice project, are delivered over an eight-week period with one module studied at a time. The student’s learning journey is facilitated by the use of written materials, lecture casts (video presentations), interactive individual activities, case studies, and discussion boards.

Subjects

Students are required to complete 60 credits to achieve the PGCAP (both pathways)

Core Modules

Foundational Approaches to Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (15 credits) - PGCAP (Standard Pathway)

Contemporary Approaches to Learning and Teaching (15 credits) - PGCAP (Standard and FHEA Pathway)

Alternative Approaches to Supporting Learning (15 credits) - PGCAP (Standard and FHEA Pathway)

Enhancing Teaching and Learning (15 credits) - PGCAP (Standard and FHEA Pathway)

Extending your HE Career in a Global Context (15 credits) – PGCAP (FHEA Pathway)

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Payment options

Full tuition fee – £15,300* (2022/2023 academic year)

Full tuition fee – £16,065* (2023/2024 academic year)

The tuition fee is fully inclusive of all costs: teaching materials, core textbooks, assessments and resits. If you live in England, you may be eligible for a postgraduate loan to cover some of the costs of your degree. If you are not eligible for a student loan, you will be offered a simple monthly payment plan to spread the cost of your tuition over the duration of your studies.

Scholarships and Discounts

10% discount for University of Liverpool alumni.
You will receive a 5% discount if you choose to pay the full tuition fee upfront.
Regional Scholarships of up to 15%. To find out about the scholarship offered in your region, please make an enquiry now.
Corporate discounts of 10% are available for organisations looking to invest in the skills of three or more employees.

*All tuition fees shown are net of any applicable sales tax payable by you in your country of residence. Where we are required to add sales tax at the local statutory rate, this will be added to the tuition fees shown and confirmed during the payment process.

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About University of Liverpool Online Programmes

The University of Liverpool, a member of the elite Russell Group of research-led UK universities, has been offering online programmes since 2000. We are recognised as one of Europe's leading providers of wholly online postgraduate degrees. All our programmes are designed for online delivery, and our state-of-the-art learning platform encourages collaboration with fellow professionals from around the world.