Course contact details
Student Recruitment & Admissions
Email:futurestudents@ed.ac.uk
Phone:0131 650 1000
The University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh
Old College
South Bridge
Edinburgh
EH8 9YL
Physical Education
- Master of Arts (with Honours)
- 4 Years
- Full-Time
- 13 September 2027
- Undergraduate
- Central area campus
Course summary
Physical education (PE) offers a range of activities that engage children and young people in purposeful, worthwhile, fun, enriching learning experiences.
We aim to educate teachers who can teach and motivate children and young people to live active lives. PE allows young people to develop physically, emotionally, intellectually and socially within an educational context that values and cares for them.
Our degree programme prepares you to teach pupils between 3 and 18 years old and offers an excellent route into physical education careers both in the UK and abroad. Over the course of the programme, you will learn about the primary and secondary curriculum in physical education, and complete placements in primary and secondary schools. After you graduate, you can register with the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS).
Wherever you go on to work, our programme will leave you well-positioned to articulate, advocate and take action toward teaching for a better world.
Programme benefits
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We have over 400 passionate students currently studying Physical Education with us, the highest number of undergraduate PE student teachers in the UK.
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Our dedicated staff and student teams work to promote a strong sense of community and belonging in our Physical Education cohort.
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We embrace the University’s vision, fostering an environment where every student thrives.
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We actively encourage applicants from all backgrounds, cultivating a rich and varied teacher workforce.
Qualified teacher status (QTS)
To work as a teacher at a state school in England or Wales, you will need to achieve qualified teacher status (QTS). This is offered on this course for the following level:
- Has qualified teacher status
How to apply
Apply by
13 January 2027
This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.
Application codes
- Course code:
- XC61
- Institution code:
- E56
- Campus name:
- Central area campus
Points of entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
- Year 1
Entry requirements
Typical qualification requirements
A levelABB
Required subjects: A levels: no specific A Level subjects required. GCSEs: English Language and English Literature, both at C or 4, and Mathematics at C or 4.
UCAS TariffNot accepted
Scottish HigherABBB
ABBB by end of S5 or AABB/ABBBB by end of S6 (Standard). ABBB by end of S6 (Minimum). BBB must be achieved in one year of S4-S6. Required subjects: Highers: English at C. National 5s: Mathematics or Applications of Mathematics at C.
For alternative acceptable Mathematics qualifications please contact the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Undergraduate Admissions Office.
https://cahss.ed.ac.uk/about-us/staff-contacts/college-office
For alternative acceptable Mathematics qualifications please contact the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Undergraduate Admissions Office.
https://cahss.ed.ac.uk/about-us/staff-contacts/college-office
International Baccalaureate Diploma ProgrammeOffer: 34
34 points with 655 at HL. Required subjects: HL: English Language and Literature at 5. SL: Mathematics at 4.
It is important that applicants for teacher education degrees show commitment, motivation and suitability for their degree and the profession.
This can be demonstrated in your personal statement by reflecting on relevant work experience, and explaining your understanding of the teacher's role.
For more guidance please see the school website:
https://education-sport.ed.ac.uk/
Detailed entry requirements, including typical offer levels, and information about other qualifications we accept, are available on the University of Edinburgh’s website. You’ll also find important information on how to apply.
You must submit a fully completed UCAS application that includes details of the qualifications you are taking, including full predicted grades for qualifications not yet completed, your personal statement and your reference. https://study.ed.ac.uk/programmes/undergraduate/2027/352-physical-education?utm_source=ucas&utm_medium=programme&utm_campaign=ug_institution_profiles&utm_content=listing
Minimum Qualification Requirements
Typical qualification requirements
A level ABB
Required subjects: A levels: no specific A Level subjects required. GCSEs: English Language and English Literature, both at C or 4, and Mathematics at C or 4.
Scottish Higher ABBB
ABBB by end of S5 or AABB/ABBBB by end of S6 (Standard). ABBB by end of S6 (Minimum). BBB must be achieved in one year of S4-S6. Required subjects: Highers: English at C. National 5s: Mathematics or Applications of Mathematics at C.
For alternative acceptable Mathematics qualifications please contact the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Undergraduate Admissions Office.
https://cahss.ed.ac.uk/about-us/staff-contacts/college-office
For alternative acceptable Mathematics qualifications please contact the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Undergraduate Admissions Office.
https://cahss.ed.ac.uk/about-us/staff-contacts/college-office
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme Offer: 34
34 points with 655 at HL. Required subjects: HL: English Language and Literature at 5. SL: Mathematics at 4.
Additional entry requirements
- Health Checks
- There is fitness to practise guidance for people who wish to become teachers. We strongly advise you to make yourself aware of this before you apply. Consult the Higher Educational Occupational Physicians/Practitioners (HEOPS) website for fitness to practise guidelines for this degree. https://heops.org.uk/guidance/
- Interview
- Admission to this degree programme includes an interview process. Further details on the process will be sent to candidates shortlisted for interview.
- Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) / Disclosure Scotland Check
- Other
- It is important that applicants for teacher education programmes show commitment, motivation and suitability for their programme and the profession. This can be demonstrated in your personal statement by reflecting on relevant work experience, and explaining your understanding of the teacher’s role. For more guidance please see the University website.
English language requirements
| Test | Grade | Additional details |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic) | 6.5 | total 6.5 with at least 5.5 in each component.We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements. |
| TOEFL (iBT) | total 92 with at least 20 in each component (before 21 Jan 2026); total 4.5 with at least 4.0 in each component (from 21 Jan 2026). We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements. | |
| Cambridge English Advanced | total 176 with at least 162 in each component. | |
| Cambridge English Proficiency | total 176 with at least 162 in each component. | |
| Trinity ISE | ISE II with distinctions in all four components. |
You must prove that you can read, write, listen and speak in the English language at a level that will allow you to succeed in your studies. This is the case for all applicants, including UK nationals. You can meet our English language requirements with qualifications from school or an English language test. We accept any of the following, at the specified grade or higher: National 5: English at C; GCSE: English at C or 4; Level 2 Certificate: English at C; International Baccalaureate (IB) Standard Level: English at 5 (English ab initio is not accepted for entry). Before you apply, check the required subjects for this programme, as you may need a higher English grade to meet the academic requirements. If you don’t have school qualifications that meet our requirements, we accept any of the English language tests, at the specified grade or higher, as detailed above. We also accept other English language tests and qualifications from around the world. Qualifications from the following English language tests must be no more than two years old from the start date of your programme, regardless of your nationality: IELTS, TOEFL, Oxford ELLT, Oxford Test of English Advanced, Trinity ISE. All other types of English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of your programme. If you are a national of a majority English-speaking country or region, as defined by UKVI, there is no time limit on how old these other types of English language qualifications can be.https://study.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate/entry-requirements/english-language
Contextual admissions
Universities and colleges consider more than grades when assessing applications and may make offers based on a range of criteria. Learn more about contextual offers.
The University of Edinburgh welcomes students from the UK and all over the world. We accept a wide range of qualifications and our policies support students with diverse backgrounds and experience. UCAS entry grade data is currently not available for our degrees but we publish admissions statistics on our website. We also provide information on widening access offers and entry requirements.
International entry requirements
We accept a wide range of international qualifications. https://study.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate/entry-requirements/international-qualifications
Historical entry grades data
This section shows the range of grades that students who received offers were previously accepted on to this course with (learn more).
It is designed to support your research but does not guarantee whether you will or won't get a place.
Admissions teams consider various factors, including interviews, subject requirements, and entrance tests. Check all course entry requirements for eligibility.
Not available
Historical entry grades data is not currently available for The University of Edinburgh - we are working with them to try and make it available soon - learn more.
Historical entry grades report
This report uses your grades to show how students with similar results have done when applying to this course in the past. Sometimes, there isn’t data for every possible set of grades. When that happens, universities and colleges occasionally fill in the gaps for sets of grades that are typically accepted.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
Per year tuition fees
| Location | Fee | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Scotland | £1820 | |
| England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Channel Islands & Republic of Ireland | £10050 | |
| EU & International | £40900 |
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.
Additional fee information
Scotland - Scottish students must apply to the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) for payment of their tuition fees.
England/Wales/Northern Ireland - The Rest of UK (RUK) students commencing or continuing their studies in September 2027, the tuition fees will be £10,050.
EU On 9th July 2020 the decision was made by the Scottish Government to end free university tuition for European Union (EU) students starting in 2021-22. Funding policy for EU nationals and associated groups starting a course of study in academic year 2022-23 or later will be in line with international fees.
Full time international and EU students will pay a fixed annual fee rate for the duration of their programme
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