STUDY

Postgraduate

Certificate in Education / Professional Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE)

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Institution code: S82
UCAS code: N/A
Start date: September 2025
Duration: Two years part-time
Location: East Coast College (Great Yarmouth)
Typical Offer: PGCE - an honours degree or equivalent qualification. Certificate in Education - a Level 3 subject qualification
Institution code: S82
UCAS code: N/A
Start date: September 2025
Duration: Two years part-time
Location: East Coast College (Great Yarmouth)
Typical Offer: PGCE - an honours degree or equivalent qualification. Certificate in Education - a Level 3 subject qualification

Overview

The Certificate in Education and Professional Graduate Certificate in Education are professional qualifications for people teaching in further education colleges, sixth form colleges, schools, adult education, prison education, higher education, and a wide range of other education and training settings. 

The courses are available to graduates and to non-graduates with appropriate vocational qualifications and is studied in-service (2 years part-time).

The course is designed to encourage you to engage in activities which are directly related to their own teaching context. You are assessed through a mixture of essays, reports, assignments and practical tasks as appropriate for the learning outcomes of each individual module. It is a requirement that you pass the practical teaching elements of the course. Participants will be observed teaching in their normal teaching context and formally assessed a number of times throughout the programme.

The course is designed to develop a range of skills and knowledge required of a professional teacher in a post 16 environment. The course places a significant emphasis on participants developing the appropriate skills and knowledge they require to meet the needs of the learner. The fundamental principles of practice are underpinned by reference to theoretical perspectives, thus encouraging participants to effectively link theory to practice. Successful completion of the course is determined by continuous assessment.

Postgraduate Information Week 2025

Join us for PG Information week, where we will be exploring how postgraduate study can maximise your career prospects. The week will include live Q&As, discussions, and presentations, from industry professionals and current students about the benefits of postgraduate study, and how it can give your career a boost.

Find out more about PG Information Week Sign up to our PG Week sessions here
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Course Modules

Full downloadable information regarding all University of Suffolk courses, including Key Facts, Course Aims, Course Structure and Assessment, is available in the Definitive Course Record.

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This module equips you with initial and essential skills to enable you to prepare and ready yourself for initial teaching practice. During this module you are introduced to the theories and principles of teaching, learning and assessment together with legislation and policy that may have an impact on your role. Supporting Learner Progress and Behaviour This module is designed to prepare you for the design and implementation of assessment and the monitoring required to ensure progress and achievement. It introduces the relevant theories and principles of assessment to trainees, requiring you to apply your learning by designing and evaluating effective learning and assessment strategies and materials.

The purpose of this module is for you to develop as a reflective and effective practitioner through engagement with personal and professional development planning. You will reflect upon and track the progress of your professional practice and digital literacy skills regularly, drawing upon planned experiences, feedback, theory and current research taught in the other modules to inform practice.

This module will introduce you to the history of the FE and Skills sector, analyse recent educational developments and predict the future of the sector. You will explore the theories, principles and models influencing curriculum and demonstrate a critical approach towards curriculum design in your own teaching practice and subject specialism. There are a number of principles that underpin the module and will be investigated by you in order to gain a broad overview of the education sector, recent reform and other contemporary issues influencing curriculum design.

Within this module, you will select an educational issue based on classroom practice to generate an exploratory case study. The aim of this case study is to find the answers to the questions of “what, why, how and who” concerning real-life situations within the classroom. An exploratory case study has been assigned as a methodology to allow you the opportunity to utilise the module as a precursor to a formal, large scale research project within your professional development or progression on to Masters pathways.

The purpose of this module is for you to develop as a reflective and effective practitioner through engagement with personal and professional development planning. You will reflect upon and track the progress of your professional practice and digital literacy skills regularly, drawing upon planned experiences, feedback and theory and current research taught in other modules to inform practice. Through regular reflection, you will develop focussed actions and creative solutions to develop your professional practice and enhance the learner experience. Throughout Professional Practice 2, the trainee builds upon learning from Professional Practice 1, continuing to develop the skills and knowledge required to make judgements as to the suitability of learning, teaching and assessment strategies.

Course Modules 2024

Full downloadable information regarding all University of Suffolk courses, including Key Facts, Course Aims, Course Structure and Assessment, is available in the Definitive Course Record.

East Coast College building

This module equips you with initial and essential skills to enable you to prepare and ready yourself for initial teaching practice. During this module you are introduced to the theories and principles of teaching, learning and assessment together with legislation and policy that may have an impact on your role. Supporting Learner Progress and Behaviour This module is designed to prepare you for the design and implementation of assessment and the monitoring required to ensure progress and achievement. It introduces the relevant theories and principles of assessment to trainees, requiring you to apply your learning by designing and evaluating effective learning and assessment strategies and materials.

The purpose of this module is for you to develop as a reflective and effective practitioner through engagement with personal and professional development planning. You will reflect upon and track the progress of your professional practice and digital literacy skills regularly, drawing upon planned experiences, feedback, theory and current research taught in the other modules to inform practice.

This module will introduce you to the history of the FE and Skills sector, analyse recent educational developments and predict the future of the sector. You will explore the theories, principles and models influencing curriculum and demonstrate a critical approach towards curriculum design in your own teaching practice and subject specialism. There are a number of principles that underpin the module and will be investigated by you in order to gain a broad overview of the education sector, recent reform and other contemporary issues influencing curriculum design.

Within this module, you will select an educational issue based on classroom practice to generate an exploratory case study. The aim of this case study is to find the answers to the questions of “what, why, how and who” concerning real-life situations within the classroom. An exploratory case study has been assigned as a methodology to allow you the opportunity to utilise the module as a precursor to a formal, large scale research project within your professional development or progression on to Masters pathways.

The purpose of this module is for you to develop as a reflective and effective practitioner through engagement with personal and professional development planning. You will reflect upon and track the progress of your professional practice and digital literacy skills regularly, drawing upon planned experiences, feedback and theory and current research taught in other modules to inform practice. Through regular reflection, you will develop focussed actions and creative solutions to develop your professional practice and enhance the learner experience. Throughout Professional Practice 2, the trainee builds upon learning from Professional Practice 1, continuing to develop the skills and knowledge required to make judgements as to the suitability of learning, teaching and assessment strategies.

Fees and Funding

UK Full-time Tuition Fee

£6,870

per year
UK Part-time Tuition Fee

£1,145*

per 20 credit module
International Full-time Tuition Fee

£6,870

per year

*Please contact Student Centre for further information on part-time fees

Further Information

Postgraduate Loans are available for this course, we also offer University of Suffolk Alumni a reduction on fees, find out more below.

Postgraduate Funding Alumni Loyalty Scheme International Students

How to apply

Applying for a postgraduate programme is simple, you can apply using the link below. You can also find out more about what to include on your application and how to contact us for support during the process on the Postgraduate Study link.

Apply Now Postgraduate Study
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