Tackling Wicked Issues in Education Microcredential: Online distance learning
Duration: 20 weeks (across Semesters 1 & 2)
Credits: 20 Academic Credits (PG)
Delivery: All course content is delivered on Moodle, our virtual learning platform. You will converse with the tutors and fellow students in online forums.
Timetable: Fully online and flexible, with no scheduled classes to attend.
Fee: £321 per place (Home & rUK students) (See Fees & Funding section below)
College: College of Social Sciences
School: School of Education
Course start date: This course is anticipated to run in October 2026
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This course examines a range of contemporary issues and hot topics in education, equipping participants to critically navigate enduring challenges such as sustainability, technological innovation, big data, and equity in diverse learning contexts.
Why this course
This course supports participants to:
• Critically engage with both emerging and enduring challenges in educational leadership and management.
• Deepen understanding of key societal issues impacting education, including:
- Sustainable education
- Children’s rights
- Technological innovation and generative AI
- Big data and digital transformation
- Inclusion, diversity, and equity in a post-truth world
• Analyse the strategic role of educational leaders in framing and conceptualising complex problems and systemic issues.
• Strengthen practical skills to support ethical, strategic, and responsive leadership.
By the end of this course participants will be able to:
• Demonstrate conceptual clarity around a chosen ‘wicked issue’ in education.
• Articulate actionable practice responses for addressing evolving challenges, drawing on leadership praxis, organisatioal culture, international context.
The Tackling Wicked Issues in Education course is one of the 20-credit components of the MSc in Educational Leadership & Management (Online).
Course structure
This 20-credit course is delivered over Semesters 1 & 2 (October - April).
Course alteration or discontinuation
The University of Glasgow endeavours
to run all courses as advertised. In exceptional circumstances, however, the University may withdraw
or alter a course. For more information, please see: Student contract.
Career prospects
This course is designed to equip learners with the skills needed to progress and flourish in the following roles, with the tools and knowledge to lead improvement efforts across a variety of educational contexts.
Typical career pathways include:
- Headteachers, deputy headteachers and department heads
- Educational consultants and advisers
- Policy officers and civil servants
- Curriculum designers and developers
- Learning and development managers
- Educational administrators in schools, colleges and universities
- Leadership roles in private, public and international education organisations
Fees & funding
Course fee: £321 (20 credits) per place for Home and RUK learners, and £2,940 (20 credits) for International learners.
Please direct and fees and funding enquiries to Keir.Elder@glasgow.ac.uk
Entry requirements
It is suggested that participants on this course are educated to at least Undergraduate 2.1 Hons degree (or non-UK equivalent) in Education or similar subject, and have an IELTS equivalent of 6.5.
Further Study Options
This Microcredential can be taken as a stand-alone course, but also contributes 20 credits towards the 180 credits required for completion of the MSc in Educational Leadership & Management (Online) degree programme.
MSc Educational Leadership & Management
The Masters in Educational Leadership & Management will provide you with opportunities to develop as a confident, ethical and evidence-informed leader for a rapidly changing global education landscape. The programme is designed for aspiring and current leaders, bringing together leadership and management theory and applied learning to strengthen your capacity to lead improvement across diverse educational contexts.