University of Aberdeen
Primary Education MA (Hons)
University of Aberdeen

Key Course Facts

Student Reviews

Below you can see course specific reviews for 75 graduates of Primary Education MA (Hons) at University of Aberdeen for each of the survey questions in comparison to the average for all UK degree courses in Teacher Training.

Overall student satisfaction
69 /100
75 total respondents
The NSS is commissioned by the Office for Students

Salary

Salary of Graduates in Teacher Training

Important: Salary data below is not course specific, but contains data of all students of Teacher Training at the university. Due to data collection methodology, salary data is mainly based on data related to undergraduate students.

  15 months after graduation 3 years after graduation 5 years after graduation
Median salary £32000 £27000 £31500
25-75 percentile range £27500 - £33000 £26500 - £27000 £30500 - £35000


Salary of all UK Graduates of Teacher Training

  15 months after graduation 3 years after graduation 5 years after graduation
Median salary £26506 £24514 £28116
25-75 percentile range £24888 - £29177 £18792 - £27897 £20130 - £32846

Course Description

The MA Education (Hons) degree in Primary teaching at Aberdeen produces creative, confident, motivated and reflective primary teachers. You will benefit from opportunities to engage with placement learning from year one whilst on-campus learning develops your understanding of theory and research. Your academic studies will be supported by exceptional staff within the School and the wider University so that, with experience in school each year, you can become equipped to inspire and guide young minds in the 21st century.

The School of Education has a long and distinguished record in the education of teachers with a culturally stimulating creative environment within the School, the University and across our wide networks. Our MA Primary Education programme is accredited by the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS), so on graduation you can apply for provisional registration as a primary teacher. You will be embarking on both an academic degree and a professional qualification from the start and consequently, part of the application process will be an opportunity to attend an interview. There are also many exciting professional learning and development opportunities with us beyond graduation.

Teaching is an exciting and demanding job that requires a range of personal and professional qualities. You will gain an in-depth understanding of what motivates younger students. You will explore teaching methods and issues not only within the core curriculum areas of literacy, numeracy and health and well-being but in terms of contemporary and global issues such as inclusion, social justice, diversity, sustainability and creativity.

Our highly qualified, experienced staff bring a wide range of expertise in learning and teaching. Many are recognised locally, nationally and internationally for research and development work in their particular specialist fields and you will benefit from the partnerships built over many years with communities, education authorities and other professionals.

Graduates wishing to apply for primary teaching training, should apply for the Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE). PGDE courses in both primary and secondary education are available and are professionally accredited by the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS).

Jobs & Career Perspectives

15 months after graduation, graduates of this course were asked about what they do and, if they are working, about their current job and their perspectives.

Current jobs

Required skill level of job after 15 months

Jobs of graduates of this course (15 months after graduation)

Example below based on all graduates of Primary Education MA (Hons) at University of Aberdeen

95% Managers, directors and senior officials
0% Business, Research and Administrative Professionals
0% Elementary occupations
0% Business and public service associate professionals

Grading & Study Time

**Students are assessed by any combination of three assessment methods:** Coursework such as essays and reports completed throughout the course; Practical assessments of the skills and competencies they learn on the course; Written examinations at the end of each course. The exact mix of these methods differs between subject areas, years of study and individual courses. Honours projects are typically assessed on the basis of a written dissertation.

Entry Requirements / Admissions

UCAS Tariff of Accepted Students for this course

Qualification requirements

Including a relevant subject/science @ C or above (80 UCAS tariff points)

31-30 overall or 665-655 in 3 HL subjects.

HNC in Care and Administrative Practice or Applied Science with B required in graded unit for entry to Year 1 Sufficient science and discursive subjects and a strong academic profile to be competitive. English and Maths at least at National 5 Grade B.

Scottish Higher qualifications are considered on an individual basis

Creative and Digital Media, plus 1 Higher such as English, History or Psychology at Grade C or above

Including one in a relevant subject/science (90 UCAS tariff points)

English Minimum • SCE Higher grade award in English* at Grade B or above; or • A Level English, Grade C or above; or • GCSE English Language AND English Literature, at Level 6 (previously Grade B) or above IN BOTH; or • O Level English Language AND English Literature, Grade B or above or pass IN BOTH; or • International Baccalaureate English at HL Grade 5; or • Irish Leaving Certificate English at Higher Grade 3 or above; or • National Course award (Higher Still) in English and Communication at Grade B or above; or • National Units – Communication (NC) at Higher level and Literature 1 at Higher level **; or • University of Aberdeen Online English (see below) or • English of an equivalent academic standard from outside the UK. *Higher ESOL acceptable for entry to PGDE Secondary only, NOT PGDE Primary or undergraduate Primary. ** Previously known as National Certificate Modules Communication 4 & Literature 1 Mathematics Minimum • National 5 Mathematics at Grade C or above; or • National 5 Applications of Mathematics (previously known as Lifeskills Maths) at Grade C or above; or • Core Maths 4 Pass; or • GCSE Mathematics at Level 4, or Grade C or above or Pass; or • O Level Mathematics at Grade C or above or Pass; or • International Baccalaureate Maths at SL Grade 4; or • Irish Leaving Certificate Mathematics at Ordinary Grade 4; or • National Course Award Intermediate Level 2 Mathematics at Grade C or above; or • SCE Standard grade (credit level) award in Mathematics at Grade 2 or above; or • SCE Ordinary grade award in Mathematics at Grade C or above or Pass; or • Open University Course – MU123 Discovering Mathematics#, Pass; or • University of Aberdeen Online Maths (see below) or • Mathematics of an equivalent academic standard from outside the UK. # Please note that with regard to OU MU123 – the course generally starts in January each year with exam results issued in the December of the same year. The following are not accepted as a Mathematics qualification at the University of Aberdeen: Standard Grade 3 or below, GCSE Grade D or below, CSE Grade 1, O Level Grade 3. The University will consult UK ENIC (The UK National Information Centre for global qualifications and skills), to determine whether or not qualifications achieved outside the UK meet the entry requirements detailed above. University of Aberdeen Online English and Mathematics The University of Aberdeen has launched online access courses, in English and in Mathematics. English is at SCQF Level 6 - the equivalent to Higher English and there are three Maths courses - SCQF Level 5, Level 6 and Level 7. All are accepted by the University of Aberdeen for entry to teacher training. For MA Primary we would require Aberdeen Online Access English (SCQF6) at Grade B3 or above and Aberdeen Online Access Maths (SCQF5) at Grade C3 or above. Full information on the Online provision, including costs, can be found at www.abdn.ac.uk/study/online/access-courses.php.

English language requirements

test Grade Additional Details
IELTS (Academic) 6

Overall - 6.0 with: Listening - 5.5 or above; Reading - 5.5 or above; Speaking - 5.5 or above; Writing - 6.0 or above.

IELTS Indicator or IELTS General Training are not accepted

TOEFL (iBT) 78

TOEFL iBT and TOEFL Home Edition (online) - DI code is 0818: Overall 78 with: Listening - 17 or above; Reading - 18 or above; Speaking - 20 or above; Writing - 21 or above.

PTE Academic 59

Overall - 59 with: Listening - 59 or above; Reading - 59 or above; Speaking - 59 or above; Writing - 59 or above.

Online Test is not accepted

Trinity ISE

Pass overall at ISE II with a distinction in writing and merit in the other three skills.

Institution's Own Test

Academic English Pre-sessional Programmes - Pass (valid for one year) OR Academic English Preparation Programme - Pass at Level Four (valid for one year)

Cambridge English Advanced

Overall - 169 with: Listening - 162; Reading - 162; Speaking - 162; Writing -169.

Cambridge English Proficiency

Overall - 169 with: Listening - 162; Reading - 162; Speaking - 162; Writing -169.

When you are thinking about studying overseas, it is important that you understand all the costs involved and budget accordingly. It is essential to budget for your studies prior to leaving your home country and to arrange all your funding for BOTH your tuition fees and your living costs.

View the University of Aberdeen Online Prospectus programme page to find out about any scholarships and funding you may be able to apply for.
Get advice on which foundation courses are best for you to still study Primary Education, MA (Hons), if you do not meet the minimum requirements in terms of UCAS score, A levels, or English language requirements.

Costs

Tuition Fees Primary Education MA (Hons)

Ireland £9250 year 1
EU £21900 year 1
Scotland £1820 year 1
England UK £9250 year 1
Northern Ireland £9250 year 1
Wales £9250 year 1
Channel Islands £21900 year 1
International £21900 year 1
EU £20800 year 1
Channel Islands £9250 year 1
International £20800 year 1

Additional fee information

EU/International Applicants: When you are thinking about studying overseas, it is important that you understand all the costs involved and budget accordingly. It is essential to budget for your studies prior to leaving your home country, and arrange all your funding for BOTH your tuition fees and your living costs.

Average student cost of living in the UK

Rent £518
Water, gas electricity, internet (at home) £50
Supermarket shopping £81
Clothing £35
Eating out £33
Alcohol £27
Takeaways / food deliveries £30
Going out / entertainment (excl.alcohol, food) £24
Holidays and weekend trips £78
Transport within city £17
Self-care / sports £20
Stationary / books £13
Mobile phone / internet £13
Cable TV / streaming £7
Insurance £51
Other £95
  
Average student cost of living £1092

London costs approx 34% more than average, mainly due to rent being 67% higher than average of other cities. For students staying in student halls, costs of water, gas, electricity, wifi are generally included in the rental. Students in smaller cities where accommodation is in walking/biking distance transport costs tend to be significantly smaller.

How to apply

Application deadline:

January 1, 2025

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Possible Entry Points:

  • year 1 (Default entry point)

University Rankings

Positions of University of Aberdeen in top UK and global rankings.

Rankings of University of Aberdeen in related subject specific rankings.

Education

    • #21 
    Education
    CUG The Complete University Guide - By Subject
    [Published 08 June, 2023]
    • #8 
    • #62 
    Education
    The Guardian University League Tables by Subject
    [Published 09 September, 2023]
    • #3 
    • #201 
    Education
    THE World University Rankings by Subject
    [Published 26 October, 2022]
    • #5 
    • #345 
    Education
    URAP University Ranking by Academic Performance - By Field
    [Published 22 July, 2023]
    • #5 
    • #401 
    Education
    GRAS Global Ranking of Academic Subjects - ShanghaiRanking
    [Published 19 July, 2022]

See all 28 university rankings of University of Aberdeen

About University of Aberdeen

Dating back to the year 1495 we find the University of Aberdeen, located in the Scottish city of the same name. The main site of this ancient institution is Old Aberdeen, where students in the arts and social sciences as well as the physical sciences carry out their learning. Meanwhile on the significantly more modern campus site Foresterhill, learners in the medical and research fields occupy their own purpose-built buildings, such as Suttie Centre.

List of 511 Bachelor and Master Courses from University of Aberdeen - Course Catalogue

Where is this programme taught

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Similar courses

Program University Student satis­faction Unem­ployed Drop­out Tuition (UK) Tuition (Inter­national) UCAS Tariff City
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