Bath Spa University - MA Professional Practice in Higher Education (PPHE)

What the MA Professional Practice in Higher Education gives you

You earn a part-time Master's degree while you keep working in higher education. You build it up module by module over three to five years. The fee for 2026 entry is about EUR 5,600 per year (GBP 4,725) for 90 credits. It can be fully funded if you are employed by, or a research student at, Bath Spa University (BSU). Students from other UK universities pay the fee in proportion to the credits they take. You can leave at set points with a smaller qualification: a Postgraduate Certificate after 60 credits, a Postgraduate Diploma after 120 credits, or the full MA after 180 credits, which includes a research methods module and a dissertation. The course is run by BSU's School of Education and Humanities. It can also count earlier qualifications, such as an HEA Fellowship or a teaching PGCert, towards your credits.

Who can apply

• Your job: You work in higher education as academic staff, professional services staff, or a research student. You stay employed or enrolled as a research student at a UK higher education institution throughout the course.
• Institution: Mainly for BSU staff and students, but also open to staff at other UK universities.
• Prior degree: You normally hold a bachelor's degree from a UK university or an equivalent foreign qualification.
• Or experience instead: If you have no bachelor's degree, at least two years of relevant work experience can qualify you, followed by an admissions interview.
• Location: Most teaching is in person at the Newton Park Campus in Bath, so you need to travel there regularly. Some modules are online.

How to apply

There is no application form to start. You email the programme team to talk through your work in higher education and the study path you want. Enrolment is flexible, with no fixed deadline. Applicants without a bachelor's degree may be invited to an admissions interview.

How realistic are your chances?

This is a professional development course, not a competitive scholarship. The main question is whether you fit its narrow target group: people already working in UK higher education who can travel to Bath. If you do, your place is realistic, especially if BSU employs you, which can make it fully funded. The flexible enrolment and lack of a hard deadline make it easier to fit around your job.