Digital Education - Online Learning (MSc)

The MSc in Digital Education will challenge your thinking about education and technological change. We'll provide you with the skills and knowledge to assess, develop, deliver and critique the various aspects of digital education.

Learning, teaching and training are profoundly affected by the challenges of the digital age. The MSc Digital Education programme gives professionals, policymakers, entrepreneurs and leaders in education the practical skills and critical insight needed in this fast-moving and richly diverse field.

This Masters programme is delivered fully online, on a part-time basis to fit around your existing commitments, with start dates in September and January. Although taught by distance learning, you won’t be alone: you will work closely with your fellow students and tutors in a properly supported, collaborative and vibrant online learning environment, studying at the times and in the places that suit you best. 

Visit the MSc Digital Education Programme site to learn more

Apply now

Visit the University’s Degree Finder for detailed entry requirements, fees, international grade equivalency, language requirements and to apply.

Key facts (MSc/PgDip/PgCert Digital Education)

Programme duration and degrees awarded: 

  • MSc | part-time | 3 years
  • MSc | part-time intermittent | Up to 6 years
  • PgCert | part-time intermittent study | Up to 2 years
  • PgDip | part-time intermittent study | Up to 4 years

Full-time or part-time: Part-time

Location: Online

Entry requirements: UK 2:1 honours degree or international equivalent in a relevant discipline

Programme courses

Programme cost

Scholarships and funding

Why study Digital Education at the University of Edinburgh?

  • Ours was one of the first research-led programmes in this area
  • You can create assignments that are relevent to your professional work and can enhance your career
  • We have 20 years' experience teaching students to understand how digital technologies shape the work we do as teachers, learners, leaders and researchers
  • The programme combines practical work with the latest research, and is taught by a team of academics who are global leaders in the field
  • You will be part of a diverse, global community of students studying and connecting online from all over the world
  • Our part-time programme allows you to study at the times and in the places that suit you best.

What you will study on the MSc Digital Education

This is a part-time, fully online masters programme.  

You can study towards a: 

  • Postgraduate Certificate over 1-2 years
  • Postgraduate Diploma over 2-4 years
  • full Masters (MSc) degree over 2-6 years.  

Courses

The MSc Digital Education programme consists of three core courses and a range of options. 

Details of courses offered in the 2026-27 academic year are available on the Degree Programme Table. Information about 2027-28 courses will be made available in spring 2027.

MSc Digital Education course descriptions (2026-27)

Doing the MScDE was one of the best decisions I have ever made. It was hard work but worth it. I have no doubt that it contributed to me being able to move into my current role and work, which I love.

Marion Smallbones

Assessment

Students are assessed by coursework; there are no exams. Our students have the freedom to create assignments that are relevant to their own professional work, and we encourage them to explore the potential of multimodal and multimedia work in their assignments. 

View examples of our students' work

Careers in Digital Education

Our digital education graduates have gone on to roles that include:

  • teaching and lecturing at some of the UK’s top universities
  • developing and designing MOOCs, online courses and other digital learning programmes and environments
  • researching learning technology and ways to enhance digital education and research
  • helping organisations develop or improve their online learning and training
  • delivering large-scale education reform programmes around the world
  • managing learning technologies.

They work in both the private and public sector, including:

  • Education Development Trust (international NGO)
  • Imperial College London
  • Royal Holloway, University of London
  • Trinity College Dublin
  • University of Edinburgh
  • University of Glasgow
  • University of St Andrews

Some of our students continue on to a PhD with us.

PhD study at Moray House

Our MSc Digital Education students

It's possible to build 'real' friendships in an online space. I've been to both Greece and Scotland to meet friends that I met on the MSc. I think it's a testament to the quality of the course, our interactions and communications that facilitated us forging real and long-lasting relationships with both our classmates and tutors.

Janet Benson

The programme is so interactive that at times I forget I am an online student. Did I mention that we had a chance to meet and engage with some of the facilitators who travelled all the way to Uganda? That's how awesome this programme is.

Jennifer Namutebi

My tutors and peers have been incredily kind, creative, and knowledgeable, and I've gained so much from both the course content and the inspiring people in the programme.

Mai Nguyen

Fees and funding: MSc Digital Education

Annual tuition fees are listed on the Postgraduate Study Programme Fees pages related to your desired pathway, exit level and duration of study.

If you register to study on a 'part-time intermittent study' basis you will pay the academic tuition fees on a course-by-course basis, rather than paying for the entire programme at the outset.

University of Edinburgh tuition fees are subject to increase each year. From 2023-24, tuition fees for new entrants to this programme will be fixed for the duration of their studies. In most cases, if you joined us from August 2023 onwards and you are studying for a degree or qualification that will take more than one year to complete, the annual fee charged will be fixed at the level charged on the year of entry.

The cost for courses on this programme is the same for all students, whether based in the UK, the European Union, or elsewhere. 

For reference, the Masters programme is equivalent to 180 credits: ‘An Introduction to Digital Environments for Learning’ (40 credits), four 20-credit courses (including Research Methods), and the Dissertation (60 credits).


Scholarship opportunities are subject to change each year. We are pleased to offer a number of School-specific scholarships, but students are encouraged to seek out opportunities from the University and external funding bodies.

More information about available scholarships and funding can be found on our Scholarships and Studentships page.

Scholarships and studentships

The 3-year part-time MSc Digital Education pathway is eligible for student loans in the UK.


Contact the Digital Education team

Programme-specific enquiries

For programme-specific enquiries, contact the Programme Director.

Dr Janja Komljenovic

Programme Director

  • Moray House School of Education and Sport

Contact details

Questions about your application or how to apply

For enquiries about your application or how to apply, contact the Postgraduate Admissions office.

Postgraduate Admissions Office (Education)

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences (CAHSS)

Contact details

Join the Online Learning mailing list

Join the Online Learning mailing list to learn more about studying an online postgraduate degree at the University of Edinburgh and to find out about upcoming Open Days and virtual events.

Join the online mailing list

Related programmes at Moray House

This article was published on