Professional Graduate Certificate in Education

These courses aim to provide graduates with the opportunity to develop professional knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes to become teachers, tutors and/or trainers in the learning sector and skills sector (post-compulsory education and training).

These courses have been developed as a result of major changes in the requirements for teachers within the learning and skills sector.

These new and exciting courses offer the prospect of teaching and assessing students across a breadth of curricula and provide an online learning capability that promotes flexibility through a variety of learning opportunities.Training builds upon your previous knowledge and experience and there is a strong emphasis on active learning.

You will gain a qualification enabling you to teach students in further education, sixth form and tertiary colleges, prisons, adult education and work-based learning settings.

Key facts

• Teaching in the post-compulsory sector has undergone a period of professionalisation in recent years, and this award is now the nationally-endorsed qualification for the sector
• The quality of training you will receive is paramount to your effective continued development as professionals in the sector, and this is reflected in the support and guidance afforded throughout the period of training with tutorand mentor guidance
• The University has strong links with local further education colleges and training institutions in the region
• A Welsh Government training bursary may be available if you are studying via the full-time route
• The programme is taught through flexible study depending upon the selected route

Course duration

Full-time

Professional Certificate: 1 year

Part-time

Professional Certificate: 2-3 years

Location: Northop. The part-time route is also offered at Deeside College and Yale College, Wrexham.

Start month: September

Before you are offered a place on this course you will be required to complete a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance (previously known as CRB), and pay the appropriate fee, so that a check can be made on your suitability for working with children and vulnerable adults. For more information click here

Career opportunities

Post-compulsory education and training is a rapidly developing and expanding area which, through the requirement of an endorsed professional teaching qualification, is establishing clearly defined career progression routes within the sector and opportunities for further advanced study.

Course content

The courses are designed in two phases: Phase 1 is designed to support generic skills for teaching and learning in relation to the following:

• Planning lessons
• Strategies for teaching and learning
• Assessment strategies
• Resources for learning
• Reflection and evaluation of teaching and learning
• Subject specific teaching and learning

Phase 2 considers extending your practice through creative and innovative strategies for teaching, learning andassessment and encourages wider reading and scholarly research to inform and underpin your practice. This phase of the programme examines the role of a teacher in the learning and skills sector and the impact of national policies and strategies on subject-specific and organisational processes and practice. The concept of continuous professional development is explored as an ongoing process that extends beyond the course and into your career as a teacher in the learning and skills sector.

Professional Graduate Certificate in Education

Phase 1 modules:

• Introduction to Teaching
• The Reflective Practitioner
• Teaching to Enable Learning
• Subject Specialist Pedagogy

Phase 2 modules:

• The Organisation and the Individual
• Teacher as Self-Developer
• Negotiated Study
• Innovation and the Teacher

Entry requirements

For the Professional Graduate Certificate in Education you will be expected to hold a bachelors   degree in the subject you wish to teach. For entry onto the part-time course you will have to secure 150 hours of teaching for the duration of the course, with an appropriate education or training institute. For the Certificate in Education you will be required to hold a Level 3 qualification in the subject that you wish to teach.