Does anybody know Middlesex University London?

[Tol_Eressea]

Hi all, here I keep looking for a masters to do, so far Im between a masters in Education or a masters in SEND and Inclusion (more on that in another post).. A colleague recommended to me a very interesting programme (masters in SEND and Inclusion) which modules are much more appealing to me and useful than all the modules I have seen so far in other universities for any masters related to Education (not leadership). And I have searched quite a lot… I even keep an Excel spreadsheet to compare programmes!!!

This programme offers a Postgraduate Certificate, a Postgraduate Diploma or Masters depending on how many modules you take (you can get a PC and then continue for the Diploma or Masters, no extra cost than the price of each module). You need to be working in a school setting and the content of the modules seem actually more serious than other programmes as you need to be working with the children, sometimes parents, other stakeholders, audit, etc. The thing is, it is an online course “developed, delivered and assessed by Real Training, awarded and quality assured by Middlesex University (https://www.mdx.ac.uk/).” Real Training is an online provider: https://realtraining.co.uk/why-choose-real-training

I am not British and don’t have much idea of the reputation of British universities… a Google Search doesn’t put Middlesex University in a great place but a British SENCo I met told me that at least it is a well-known university for training within the public sector (education, social work, environmental health)... but of course most people he knows went to the Institute of Education in the University of London for their NASENCO.. I wouldn't be doing an ISENCO but this does say something about reputation I guess..

I of course know it would be much better to study anything in University College London… but there is no way I can afford it as I am not British (a similar masters for an international student is around 30000 pounds…, with Real Training is around 10000 pounds).

So far the modules in Real Training are way more interesting as I said… but wondering how the reputation of Middlesex University is… how does it look to have a masters awarded by them... (unfortunately marketability is also important, though I cannot afford the best marketability lol) not to mention Real Training itself right…

If anybody has any experience or has heard of anything, I would really appreciate it if you could share it with me!

Thank you in advance!

[interteach]

On the undergraduate level, Middlesex is not very selective and isn't considered a top or even middle tier university. So what.

If the program offers you the kind of studies and skill development that you can't find at other programs, it may well be worth your while. If you believe it's going to make you the best educator you can be compared to other options, it's something to consider. Even lesser considered universities have a number of strong programs.

I wouldn't worry much about school pedigree in the hiring practice. I don't see it being used much, and a lot of hiring administrators don't know much about schools around the world. Good and bad educators can come from anywhere.

Job experience and accomplishments along with recommendations matter so much more than where you studied. As a former recruiter I can say with some confidence employers hire people, not universities.

[popgirl]

No, but:

Global rankings:

ARWU (2023) 901–1000
US / Canada Colleges given this or similar ranking: Loyola University Chicago, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, University of Quebec Montreal

QS (2024) 661–670
US / Canada Colleges given this or similar ranking: Brandeis University, Boston College, University of Kentucky, University of Manitoba

THE (2024) 501–600
US / Canada Colleges given this or similar ranking: Syracuse University, University of Houston, University of Windsor

[interteach]

I would ignore the rankings. Their formulas are questionable at best, and they're not used by any HR department that has a clue of what they're doing. There's only one purpose to rankings: To make money. Who uses them: Kids and parents (and perhaps their relatives). And, actually, some of the schools you list are really rather/quite good.

Again, as a former recruiter, I've never seen anyone check the rankings for an applicant. And you'd be amazed at how many recruiters attended lesser-known (as opposed to lesser-ranked) schools.

What it really comes down to is this: Where are you right now? Strong recommendations? Strong skill set? Accomplishments at your last job? In terms of research, the best indicator of an applicant's quality is what they've been doing recently. So even then, strong recommendations from a lesser-known school can go a long way towards landing the first job post-graduation.

Obviously, you can judge where you want to attend based on rankings if you want. But it's not going to help you get where you want to be. I worry if you attend a program that doesn't meet your ranking requirements it might be a de-motivating factor for you, and would advise reconsidering your criteria. It's not where you went, it's who you are and what you can do. Really!

[Tol_Eressea]

Thank you very much for your replies! Your words were really helpful Interteach, I'll copy paste them to one of my nerd files I have with all the university options (no joke).

Thanks a lot!

[interteach]

You're very welcome. Best of luck in your search and moving forward in your career!

[PsyGuy]

There is nothing inherently wrong with online academic programs, but you should be mindful that some MOEs dont accept them and some leaders have a dim view of them.

In direct reply to your inquiry.
Middlesex isnt anything special its. Its a UK Uni, thats about all anyone is going to think or care or even know. In rankings they tend to be rather low. In the US it would be what many might call a safety Uni. They tend to have stronger recognition in the work sector, but that again is a because they arent difficult to get into.

Where I disagree with @interteach, is that there are Unis and UK Unis that do carry significant even substantial weight in IE. OxBridge, a degree from OxBridge does mater and have superior marketability in IE.

As to the program.

First,What are you getting from Real Training? When programs advertise their association with various institutions if they arent explicit about what the association is it usually means little more than the programs participants have had credits accepted at the Uni towards some program. In this case Middlesex is basically printing the scroll. Not that anyone would be drooling over a qualification from Middlesex.

Second, are you getting QTS out of this? I dont think you are. In the UK SPED/SEN/LD is somewhat different than it is in the US. In the US you find DTs with pro.edu credentials in SPED/SEN/LD, you dont find that in the UK in so much as what you find are professionals in various fields of psychology who then either undertook an ITT/EPP program that leads to QTS, or they are just MH providers placed in DSs. Essentially they do a first degree in something like Psychology in Education or just Psychology and then they pursue a PGCE to get the QTS. The key difference that matters here is its the ITT/EPP program (PGCE is one route) that gets QTS and you dont need a first or advanced degree in a psychological field to get into a SPED/SEN/LD EPP/ITT program. Without QTS and this might sound harsh, but in the world of IE youre just a student support or paraprofessional with a certificate thats little more than a piece of paper. You could just take some Coursera courses for that matter.

Third, the association with the BPS (British Psychological Society) is more an organization focusing on the various clinical applications of psychology rather than on edu. Whats more valuable and relevant would be the Society for Education and Training as you can at least get QTLS through their organization. Otherwise the BPS doesnt have a specific membership category for SPED/SEN/LD edus.

If youre already an IT in SPED/SEN/LD and you just need a Masters whether its a bump in coin or your leveraging it into a leadership position or just looking for increased marketability than if its not a Global Ivy, a Masters is a Masters.

[estudyabroad]

Don't worry too much about rankings as they don't really matter in the real world. The most important things are getting trained well in the content and skills that will be most useful for your career goals, while also pursuing opportunities that inspire your passion for helping kids. Consider if this particular qualification will meet your future needs, but don't stress as you have options to continuously build your skills over time. Focus on finding a program that provides a great learning experience. You've got this!

[Tol_Eressea]

Your answers were super useful! I didn't know what PsyGuy mentioned. In the end I contacted Middlesex University and they said they wouldn't be able to do anything related to the degree (for example if a government wanted them to send my transcripts, as it already happened to me) as they are not in charge of the course but Real Training is. I am not sure a government from certain countries would understand any of this (or mostly would be ok with it) so I took it out of my options and will consider doing some of their courses later on, if I am still teaching and have the funds and time.