MA Professional Ethics and Leadership
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Why study MA Professional Ethics and Leadership at Goldsmiths
On this interdisciplinary and professionally focused Masters, you’ll develop your ability to analyse, evaluate, and pursue ethically informed responses to complex challenges across professional contexts.
- Drawing on interdisciplinary expertise across professional fields, the programme supports the development of advanced ethical reasoning and leadership capabilities required to navigate complexity, uncertainty, and accountability in professional practice.
- Your will explore ethical leadership grounded in research-informed practice, social responsibility and emerging digital, organisational and societal contexts.
- Your studies will consider professional contexts including education, social care, law, business, and digital sectors.
- You will be supported in critical reflection on your professional values, power and accountability.
- You will examine how ethical reasoning informs leadership, governance and professional decision-making within contemporary organisational environments.
- This programme promotes independent professional judgement, critical decision-making and responsible leadership practice, preparing graduates to contribute to organisational cultures and address evolving ethical, technological and societal challenges.
- You’ll be prepared to design ethically grounded strategies for leadership and governance across sectors
- in your professional career after you graduate.
- The programme also supports flexible lifelong learning through multiple progression and exit points, including the Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert), Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) and opportunities for Continuing Professional Development (CPD). These pathways enable professionals to engage with postgraduate study in ways that align with career development and professional learning needs.
Contact
If you have specific questions about the degree, contact Pearson Nkhoma .
Length
1 year full time, 2 years part-time
Entry requirements
You should have (or expect to be awarded) an undergraduate degree, or relevant experience working in an educational context.
Fees
Home - full-time: £11800
Home - part-time: £5900
International - full-time: £21000
Schools
Mind Body and Society
Creative Management
We are an Adobe Creative Campus. During your studies, you will be able to use Photoshop, Premiere Pro, Illustrator and more for free on your own devices.
What you'll study
Compulsory modules
You'll study the following compulsory modules:
- Introduction to Professional Ethics and Leadership (30 credits)
- Research the Professional Workplace (30 credits)
- Dissertation (60 credits)
Optional modules
You'll also choose 60 credits of optional modules from the following list. These include modules offered by the School of Mind, Body, Society, the School of Creative Management, and the School of Computing:
- Business Ethics (15 credits)
- Legal Ethics (30 credits)
- Safeguarding (30 credits)
- Trauma (informed Practice) (30 credits)
- AI & Digital Ethics (15 credits)
- Strategic Leadership & Talent Governance (15 credits)
- Ethics of community engagement (15 credits)
- Mental Health and Wellbeing (15 credits)
- Developing Management Skills (15 credits)
Note about optional modules (if available): The above is indicative of the typical modules offered, but is not intended to be construed or relied on as a definitive list of what might be available in any given year. The module content and availability is subject to change.
Teaching style
Teaching is delivered through lectures, seminars and case-based discussions that support critical engagement with ethical frameworks and professional dilemmas. Sessions encourage discussion and analysis of real-world examples drawn from professional practice.
Independent study includes directed reading, preparation for seminars and research for written assignments.
How you'll be assessed
Your assessments may include: Essays and analytical reports; Policy or governance briefings; reflective portfolios; Case-based analyses; Research proposals and a dissertation.
These assessments are designed to support the development of ethical reasoning, critical analysis and independent research skills.
Entry requirements
You should have (or expect to be awarded) an undergraduate degree. Alternatively, you will have completed appropriate professional experience.
International qualifications
We accept a wide range of international qualifications. Find out more about the qualifications we accept from around the world.
If your first language is not English, you will need a minimum score of 6.5 with a 6.5 in writing and no element lower than 6.0 to study this programme.
If you need assistance with your English language, we offer a range of courses that can help prepare you for postgraduate-level study.
For students who require a visa, you can use our Immigration Advisory Service to find out more about the visa application process and eligibility requirements.
Skills and Careers
Graduates of this course will develop transferable skills in research, teaching, facilitation, curriculum design, communication, and reflective practice.
The programme supports careers in:
- Teaching
- Language education
- Arts and cultural education
- Community work
- Educational leadership
- Publishing
- Policy
- Further research
Practice-based learning, placements, and the Final Project will help you build professional confidence, networks, and portfolios, while the emphasis on research-informed practice prepares you to adapt thoughtfully to changing educational contexts and roles.
Fees and funding
Annual tuition fees
These are the PG fees for students starting their programme in the 2026/2027 academic year.
- Home - full-time: £11800
- Home - part-time: £5900
- International - full-time: £21000
If your fees are not listed here, please check our postgraduate fees guidance or contact the Fees Office, who can also advise you about how to pay your fees.
It’s not currently possible for international students to study part-time under a student visa. If you think you might be eligible to study part-time while being on another visa type, please contact our Admissions Team for more information.
If you are looking to pay your fees please see our guide to making a payment.
Funding opportunities
Find out more about postgraduate fees and explore funding opportunities. If you're applying for funding, you may be subject to an application deadline.
Additional costs
In addition to your tuition fees, you'll be responsible for any additional costs associated with your course, such as buying stationery and paying for photocopying. You can find out more about what you need to budget for on our study costs page.
How to apply
You apply directly to Goldsmiths using our online application system.
Before submitting your application you’ll need to have:
- Details of your academic qualifications
- The email address of your referee who we can request a reference from, or alternatively a copy of your academic reference
- Copies of your educational transcripts or certificates
- A personal statement – this can either be uploaded as a Word Document or PDF, or completed online. You should include in this why you want to study for an MA in Education, and why you think this is the right MA for you.
You may be invited to an online interview as part of the admissions process where we will discuss your interest and motivation in undertaking this MA.
You'll be able to save your progress at any point and return to your application by logging in using your username/email and password.
When to apply
We accept applications from October for students wanting to start the following academic year.
We encourage you to complete your application as early as possible, even if you haven't finished your current programme of study. It's very common to be offered a place that is conditional on you achieving a particular qualification.
Late applications will only be considered if there are spaces available.
If you're applying for funding you may be subject to an application deadline.
Find out more about applying.
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