International Master's Programme in Educational Research

The International Master in Educational Research (IMER) is a postgraduate programme of study that takes two years to complete. The programme enables students to study research in education as academic discipline. Some students join the programme in pursuit of subsequent doctoral research. Some students join the programme as qualified teachers, aiming to give their professional practice a more scholarly footing.

The IMER programme offers theoretical and practical understanding of educational research. IMER teaching focuses on critical and empirical analyses of educational institutions, processes, and management. Courses in educational research methods and topical courses will put you in contact with research-active academics and their research projects.  You will develop a scholarly understanding of central themes in international educational research and you will gain useful experience in reading, writing, undertaking and reporting on educational research.

You will complete the programme by undertaking a 30hp (higher education credits) research project of your own choosing and design, on any topic in education. You will graduate from IMER with a Master degree in education, with specialisation in educational research.

As an IMER student you will join a small but vibrant international group of students. No more than 30 new students from around the world can join the programme each year. The IMER team of academic staff is itself internationally diverse. While some tutors are Swedish, other tutors have come to Sweden from Australia, China, England, Ethiopia, Germany, Poland, or the Netherlands. IMER staff can therefore draw from diverse international teaching and research experience. Tutors work well with the students and with each other as colleagues and have a strong team commitment to the IMER programme.

The programme in overview

The programme is organized on a two-year, full time basis. The study-load totals 120 higher education credits and is given exclusively as daytime study. The programme starts in the autumn term, which typically begins late August or early September.

In the very first course you will be introduced to critical inquiry into educational research as academic discipline. In the second course you will describe and critically assess one of the research environments based at the Faculty of Education. A few examples of possible research areas are:

Learning and assessment
Early childhood education
Special and inclusive education
Gender and gender equality in education
Power and agency in education
Communication in contemporary society

In the second semester of the programme’s first year you will be introduced to both qualitative and quantitative research methods that are commonly used in educational research and be given the opportunity to broaden your understanding of educational science and its relationship to both educational and social developments.

In year two—and depending on your own research interests—you will be encouraged to deepen your knowledge and analytical understanding of a specific field or topic in educational research. Choosing a good research topic and writing a good research design is practically supported through a series of lectures, seminars, and workshops in academic reading, writing and research design in the autumn term of year two. The last six months of the study programme involve carrying out your own educational research and writing it up. You will undertake your Master degree thesis under the supervision of an experienced researcher.

Further studies and future prospects

As IMER graduate, you will develop skills in academic reading, academic writing, and research design which will leave you well prepared to join a school system, a learning organization, or further academic study. The programme is suitable preparation for doctoral research in education.

More information

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