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!