The MEd/PGD in Educational Leadership, Planning and Management is a major initiative of IED to build professional capacity in the national education system, particularly in primary and secondary education. It is an intensive one-year program, contextualized to the Bangladesh situation with special emphasis on education development efforts and reforms, and increasing efficiency and performance of the system.

    ‘Leaders have to be learners’ is the pivotal belief of the program. Better educational leadership has become a key issue throughout the world as governments and parents seek more effective education that will produce learners well-equipped for the 21st century. In Bangladesh, we need educational leaders who will be learners themselves and lead ! organisations that can respond to the challenges of today’s world.

Admission /Entry Requirements

 Admissions criteria for the MEd/PGD will include the following:

• A bachelor degree from a recognized or accredited institution.
• Fluency in written and spoken English.
• Evidence of professional experience.
• A statement of purpose, delineating why the candidate seeks admission to the program.
• A program-specific interview.
• Two satisfactory references.

Structure of the program

    All students will enroll in the MEd program and work towards obtaining an MEd degree or a Post Graduate Diploma. MEd and PGD is offered as a joint program. After completing the core program of nine courses, students will be selected to either complete MEd! or take the PGD. One year is required for completing the MEd,! while n ine months is required for the PGD. All participants enrolled in the program may only enroll through a cohort.

    The MEd/PGD program is designed in a flexible, modular delivery mode, each course following sequentially and concluding before the start of the next course. It combines face-to-face sessions with individual study, preparatory time and assignments. The instruction time for each course is based on its credit hours, with 14 hours per credit.

    For administrative purposes, the courses have been grouped into three semester periods. The academic year 2009-2010 will begin in the summer semester (May-September).

    The exact starting date of the program will be determined in each academic year, with the first cohort beginning in May 2009. This program will be offered independent of the BRACU academic calendar.

    Each course will be taught through a span of 3-5 weeks:! two weeks of face-to-face instruction (with the required number of direct lecture hours per course), and two weeks of independent learning.

    Nine core courses for 24 credits is a basic requirement for both MEd and PGD students. For obtaining the MEd degree, a participant has to undertake an additional 12 credits with a research course and a masters thesis, thereby completing 36 credits. PGD requires a participant to complete 27 credits, including a school placement case study, to obtain the diploma. Bifurcation of students into MEd and PGD groups will be based on performance and preference of the students.

The table below further clarifies this

    Each course has its own requirements, submission dates, relevant deadlines and course specific structures and instructions to follow. At the beginning of each course, this information will be provided by the course instructor.

List of courses

EDU 501: Educational Theories and Practices: A critiqu! e < /strong>

This course will introduce the participants with key theories and concepts in the interface of education and development and will engage them in critical analysis of present educational practices and issues in different contexts, from both a national and global perspective.

EDU 502: Leading Improvements in Education: Ongoing Work in Bangladesh

Different forms of education such as formal, non-formal and popular education will be analyzed to understand how these frameworks shape various educational projects and programs. Students will engage in policy analysis and debates around policies and programs.

EDU 503: Creating Learning Organizations: Leadership, Planning and Management

This course will enable the participants to understand the process of creating a learning organization, developing a collaborative management structure, and r! edefining the role of teachers, supervisors and students so that they contribute actively to create a learning organization.

EDU 504: Research Methods 1: Reading Research and Writing Reports

Research approaches, methods, and tools, both quantitative and qualitative, will be considered, including survey, questionnaire, observation, interview, and PRA. Students will also gain knowledge of literature review and report writing.

EDU 505: Principles of Curriculum and the Development of Learning Materials

This course will give basic understanding about curriculum concepts, models, basic principles, and the interrelated components and steps pertinent to curriculum and material development process.

EDU 506: Leaders as Learners: Leading People in Educational Institutions

This will help participants! understand school and programme management processes and deve! lop skil ls to improve a work place situation. It will focus particularly on collective decision making and progress monitoring.

EDU 507: Leaders as Learners: How Children and Adults Learn

Understanding learning theories and new research about how the brain functions and shapes children and adults’ learning and growth, is the key focus here. It will help participants integrate theories and research into teaching and management practices.

EDU 508: Educational Measurement and Evaluation

This course will help participants understand the process of measurement and classroom assessment, and design effective tools, including alternative assessment techniques.

EDU 509: Whole School Improvement Approach: How Can We Make It Work?

In this course, participants will analyze factors that contribute to t! he overall improvement of a school, understand the relationship between reform and school improvement, and develop plans for pedagogical, supervision, and infrastructure development to improve learning and efficiency of the school.

EDU 601: Improving Outcomes in Bangladeshi Schools: A Case Study

This course is for the PGD candidates and requires 10 days placement in school rather than course attendance at seminars and lectures. Participants will do a systematic inquiry/observation at the school and prepare a case study, identifying good practice in school leadership and suggest improvements at the school.

EDU 602: Research Methods 2: Planning and Preparing Research

This course is for the Masters candidates and aims to develop their skills of planning and preparing research. In this course they will learn to identify educational problems, formulate re! search questions, select appropriate methodology and develop a! researc h design. This course will result in the development of a research proposal for the Masters thesis by the participants.

EDU 603: Masters Thesis

This will provide the participants the opportunity to conduct independent research and write a dissertation. As part of the requirements for the MEd degree, the candidates will conduct research based on a research proposal and submit a written thesis.