Programme structure: Dance Science and Education

This programme combines theoretical and practical work to promote learning and understanding of the key concepts required to become an effective dance scientist.

As part of this programme, which is taught full-time in blocks of teaching, you will take both compulsory and option courses and complete a dissertation. 

Masters degrees at the University of Edinburgh comprise 180 credits. The first 120 credits are made up of taught courses. Students who achieve an average mark of 50% or more can continue to the final 60 credits of the programme. This is the dissertation component. Successfully completing the full 180 credits leads to the award of MSc. 

Courses

You must complete four compulsory courses and a further 40 credits’ worth of option courses. 

Compulsory courses

Instructors deliver the compulsory courses in intensive blocks of study. This enables students with other commitments some flexibility to complete the degree by combining the intensive blocks with online optional courses. 

Option courses

You will choose 40 credits of option courses from a range offered by the School. These may include: 

You may choose additional options from courses offered by other relevant Schools within the University, subject to approval. 

Please note that courses and course content may change each year. 

Course descriptions (2024-25) 

This course gave me an opportunity to think critically and engage with concepts that were valuable to other courses. [The course organiser's] detailed responses to final course assessment was very helpful; I will be able to employ the recommendations to improve performance in future assessments.

Sources of Knowledge: Understanding and analysing research literature - nominated for Outstanding Course in the EUSA Teaching Awards 2021

Dissertation

Once you successfully complete your courses,  you may progress to the MSc. To complete the MSc, you will produce an independently researched dissertation. 

I very much enjoyed the opportunities for interdisciplinary study as part of the MSc Dance Science and Education. Opportunities to study sport science, for example, were a useful supplement to my MSc and made my work far more accomplished than it would otherwise have been.

Holly Byron-Staples
MSc Dance Science and Education

Dance Science and Education with Teaching Qualification pathway

The specialist Dance Science and Education with TQs pathway is accredited by the General Teaching Council of Scotland (GTCS). Graduates of this pathway may register with the GTCS and teach in primary and secondary schools with dance as their subject specialism. 

Many dance teachers work in school and community contexts. However, it is a legal requirement for anyone teaching in the Scottish state school system to be registered with the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS). Registration not only allows you to teach but also provides assurances to employers, parents and children that you meet a national standard of teaching. 

You will be recommended to the GTCS for provisional registration once you successfully complete the master's degree. 

Once you complete the required probationary period of teaching, you will further register with the GTCS as a teacher with a subject specialism in dance. This is currently the only route to GTCS registration as a dance teacher. 

This is a Master of Science (SCQF level 11) programme which can be completed over 15 months (full-time). It is not available as a Postgraduate Diploma. 

The Teaching Qualification pathway starts in mid-to-late August, ahead of typical masters programmes. 

General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS)

Programme Structure

Required courses:

Course descriptions for Teaching Qualification pathway (2024-25)

Professional Placement

Professional Placement courses comprise practicum strands that address classroom knowledge and skills such as planning, managing, organising, assessing and evaluating pupil learning. Students also take on the role of a class teacher for increasing periods of time. 

School-based learning takes place in placement schools. The national Student Placement System (SPS), hosted and maintained by GTC Scotland, allocates all student teacher placements.  

Student teachers are not permitted to arrange their own placements. Placements in Scotland are matched via SPS using an automated process. Schools, local authorities and Universities work together to complete this process.  

More information about SPS and the allocation process

Moray House has established partnerships with six local authorities: 

Moray House School of Education and Sport has established partnerships with six local authorities:

Whilst most placements are located within the partnership authorities, you might be placed in an independent school and other local authorities across Scotland. You should not normally be required to travel more than 90 minutes each way from your stated term-time address.  

Key local authorities

Expertise, facilities and resources

The  MSc Dance Science and Education is unique to Scotland. The University of Edinburgh and the Institute for Sport, Physical Education and Health Sciences (ISPEHS) have a long history of education in physical activity, including dance. More recently, they have incorporated research in sports science and medicine. 

ISPEHS staff have expertise in dance and all the related movement sciences. Our facilities include dance studios, a dance research room with an extensive archive and BASES-accredited scientific research laboratories.  

Because of the University's historic and well-founded reputation in dance education, students can access extensive resources related to the fields of dance and medical practice in the University's libraries. 

Institute for Sport, Physical Education and Health Sciences

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