business and management

Master of Educational Management

Masters Degree MEdM
business and management

Advance your career as an aspiring senior leader in the education sector. Gain leadership and business skills, strategies and insights to deliver positive changes within your organisation and manage high-performing teams.

This is not a teaching qualification and does not lead to teacher registration. To become a registered teacher please look at Bachelor of Teaching, Graduate Diploma in Teaching, Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching, Master of Teaching and Learning.

180 points, 18-21 months full-time; or 3 years part-time

Hamilton

Trimester A (February) and Trimester B (July).

Why study the Master of Educational Management?

Meeting the complex demands of the education and training sector in New Zealand, and globally, requires educational leaders, trustees, policy advisors and senior administrators who can confidently make sound leadership and management decisions.

This 180-point part-time masters programme is designed for people who are looking to enter into, or progress within, a career in leadership and management in the education sector, where they can have a bigger impact on organisational performance.

The Master of Educational Management (MEdM) will deepen your understanding of transformative change, business strategy, financial analysis, and managing people within an educational institution.

Graduates who possess advanced professional knowledge of both leadership and management in the context of education are in great demand. For those wishing to move from middle management into senior roles, this qualification will strongly position you for a range of career opportunities.

You can study this programme part-time over three years by completing 60 points a year, or full-time over 18 months. Most of the education papers are also available online, offering participants the flexibility to study from home.

The MEdM is jointly delivered by the Division of Education and Waikato Management School. You will be taught by experienced lecturers who are experts in their field.

Participants will develop the skills and knowledge to:

  • Use appropriate leadership and management practices to initiate and manage positive change
  • Recognise ethical issues and responsibilities in the education context
  • Use research-led knowledge to advance professional practice and student learning

Please note: This qualification does NOT provide the depth of specialised study that is required for doctoral research. Additional research methodology and postgraduate papers would be required for admission to a Master of Philosophy, Doctor of Education or Doctor of Philosophy.

180 points, 18-21 months full-time; or 3 years part-time

Hamilton

Trimester A (February) and Trimester B (July).

Degree information

Entry Requirements Fees and scholarships

Structure of programme

Part One: Foundations (105 points)

Take ALL of the following six papers:

This paper explores key theories and practices of organisational development and collaborative change management in educational contexts. The complex drivers associated with change and innovation will be explored as a means to develop approaches to successfully respond to, embrace and lead change in education.

This paper applies key strategic, communication and marketing frameworks and tools to the analysis of real organisations, and then develops strategies to enhance their stakeholder centric positioning and performance.

This paper equips managers with the skills to determine the financial health of an organisation and make financial decisions, in order to support organisational resilience during growth, transformation, or a re-positioning of strategic priorities.

Develop your skills in leading and managing business projects.

Managers are required to demonstrate exceptional interpersonal, intercultural and negotiation skills in every aspect of their jobs. This paper equips students with the skills and competencies required to enable, engage and empower workers.

This paper takes an ambicultural approach to governance and covers the practicalities of business governance, including ethical decision-making, fiscal, societal and environmental responsibility, and reporting.

Part Two:  Educational Leadership (30 points)

Choose ONE of the following papers:

This paper introduces key theories and practices of educational leaders. Major research theories and research findings will be critically examined against the realities of educational settings. The paper will also explore the shape of the educational leadership landscape in a New Zealand setting and allow students to examine their own leadership practice.

This paper critically examines theories and models of continuing leadership development through mentoring and coaching. It focuses on the importance of critical reflection on practice, the change process through adult learning theory, and the leadership capacity building that is so important in educational settings. Participants will study the interpersonal skills and knowledge necessary for developing leaders and leadership. They will examine their practice in a coaching and mentoring context and articulate developing understandings.

This paper draws on research and theory from New Zealand and global contexts to critically examine leadership practices related to issues of social justice in education. This paper provides opportunities to engage in current debates related to equity, access, fairness, agency and success in education and offers a framework for raising socially just consciousness for action.

Part Three: Applications (45 points)

Choose ONE of the following papers:

This paper critically examines the contextual and relational nature of educational leadership in learning organisations and communities. Through examining and employing fundamental principles of Appreciative Inquiry (AI) - a strength-based approach to purposeful organisational change, participants will interrogate their leadership practice with a view to building, leading and sustaining flourishing learning organisations and communities. This paper seeks to enhance the participant's ability to strengthen professional relationships and engage individuals in change mechanisms within diverse communities of practice.

This paper provides an opportunity for the student to investigate a topic in depth and conduct applied research that results in a report that will be of value to practitioners and or organisations. Through critical awareness of issues in a field of practice, students will develop and apply skills and techniques they have learnt through prior papers to existing or emerging problems in business.

AND complete the following capstone paper:

In this capstone paper, students synthesise, reflect on, and apply the conceptual and practical knowledge gained throughout the MEdM degree to a significant contemporary and/or anticipated future issue of practice in their current educational setting.

Graduate attributes

Master of Educational Management (MEdM) graduates will demonstrate the following attributes:

  • Confidence to make leadership and management decisions in complex and unpredictable contexts
  • Recognition of the integrative nature of strategy, communication, people management, marketing, governance and the financial frameworks that support educational institutions
  • Recognition of how to lead and manage for positive change
  • Awareness of the ethical issues and responsibilities related to leadership and management in an education context
  • Appreciation, self-realisation and awareness of the importance of lifelong learning

What our students are saying

Contact us

Programme Leaders

Dr Michele Morrison

School of Education

Pavitra Ramaswamy

Waikato Management School