A degree is necessary to join or pursue a postgraduate diploma in education (PGDE). Your bachelor’s degree should preferably be in the area of study you aim to teach. As a PGCE, I will not train you regarding your field in depth, but how to teach.
If it’s only related, you may have to acquire more knowledge by taking knowledge enhancement training. As a result, before applying for such a course, you must be sure of your content or field knowledge.
However, this article explains to you all you need to know before applying for a post-graduate diploma in education (PGDE) if you intend to.
What is a Postgraduate Diploma in Education?
Although they are both referred to as PGDEs, which might be confusing, a Postgraduate Diploma in Education and a Scottish Professional Graduate Diploma in Education are distinct.
The primary distinction between a PGDE and a PGCE is that the post-graduate Diploma in Education allows you to earn 120 CATS credits, which is two times as many as a PGCE. This implies that if you would like to transform your PGDE into a 180-credit Master’s, you’ll need fewer credits than if you did a 60-credit PGCE.
If you, therefore, intend to apply your credits toward a Master’s degree, a post-graduate diploma in education is an excellent choice.
What is a PGCE?
The Postgraduate Certificate in Education is an educational certification existing to support graduates entering the teaching profession.
PGCEs provide you with valuable teaching methods via school placements, as well as a solid foundation in significant teaching principles.
The PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate in Education) is an entrance, early teaching, and training program that summarizes an undergraduate degree or an approved diploma. There are numerous PGCEs accessible that are aimed at enabling you to pursue a career as a specific type of teacher.
What are the types of PGCE?
In addition to these options, you must determine if you just want to accept a university-led or a school-led program.
University-led teacher training, as you should expect, is rooted in a university but provides plenty of real classroom experience. You can anticipate
- Spend at least 24 weeks on school placement.
- Obtain QTS as well as a postgraduate qualification (usually a PGCE)
- Discover more about pedagogy (the theory of teaching)
Whereas, school-led teacher training classes provided by school-based initial teacher training (SCITT) services vary in different ways and often do not include a PGCE. You can anticipate doing the following with these programs:
- Get the qualifications you need to tutor in England and Wales.
- Collaborating with and learning from colleagues at your placement school will provide you with first-hand experience from day one of your course.
How much does PGCE tuition cost?
Tuition costs for most PGCEs seem to be within the range of $9,250 to $12,450.
However, there are numerous financing alternatives available, including student grants, scholarships, and lending, as well as funded salaries.
What are the admission requirements for a PGCE?
A 2:2 bachelor’s in the field of study you want to tutor is considered necessary. In certain situations, you could be able to obtain a joint advanced degree if you invested 50% of your time in college on your PGCE lecture.
If your bachelor’s course is widely relevant to the field you wish to practice in, similar standards apply.
To start teacher training, you must also have the following criteria:
- English GCSE grade C or grade 4 (or equivalent)
- Maths GCSE grade C / grade 4 (or equivalent)
Eventually, some training will necessitate that you discern a teacher in action before applying. Even if that’s not a stated necessity, it’s still worthwhile to do.
Is pursuing a postgraduate diploma in education worth it?
Even though PGCEs are not the only method of becoming a teacher, they seem to have some advantages over other choices.
It is possible to earn up to 60 postgraduate credits from various PGCEs; these credits can be used toward a master’s degree after completion. One possible use for these credits is to build a Master’s degree program in education.
While a PGCE isn’t strictly necessary for teaching in the UK, it is often required for positions outside of the UK.
More opportunities will open for you with a PGCE than with QTS alone because of its worldwide recognition. You can work in the US, AU, or CAN with a PGCE from the UK.
Conclusion
The PGCE, like several other postgraduate degrees, requires a year of full-time study or two years of part-time study. Sections of it can be done on the internet, but because the training teaches students to teach, users will need to do it physically. I hope you found this article useful.