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PGDE Secondary Teaching (English Medium) Art and Design (Taught)

Course details
  • 1 Study option
  • Postgraduate
Course location
7 Campuses
Awarded by:
University of the Highlands and Islands

Course summary

The course is offered in partnership with Argyll and Bute, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Highland, Moray, Orkney Islands, Perth and Kinross, and Shetland Islands Councils, each working with the university through their local campus. The course is also offered in partnership with Aberdeen City and Scottish Borders councils, with applicants based in the Borders registered through UHI Inverness.

The PGDE (Secondary) consists of 17 weeks study at the university plus 19 weeks in professional practice in schools.

The subjects listed below can be studied at the following campuses: Aberdeen City; UHI Argyll; UHI Inverness; UHI North, West and Hebrides; UHI Moray; UHI Orkney; UHI Perth; UHI Shetland; or the Scottish Borders.

• Art and Design (code: X3AR) * not available at Aberdeen City or Scottish Borders Campuses*
• Biology and Science (code: X3BG) * not available at Aberdeen City Campus*
• Business Education (code: X3BS) * not available at Aberdeen City Campus*
• Chemistry and Science (code: X3CS) * not available at Aberdeen City Campus*
• Computing Science (code: X3CO)
• English (code: X3EN) * not available at Aberdeen City Campus*
• Gaelic* offered on the Gaelic-medium Secondary pathway (code: X130)
• History (code: X3HS) * not available at Aberdeen City, Perth or Scottish Borders Campuses*
• Home Economics (code: X3HO)
• Mathematics (code: X3MA) * not available at Aberdeen City Campus*
• Music (code: X3MS) * not available at Aberdeen City or Scottish Borders Campus*
• Physics and Science (code: X3PS) * not available at Aberdeen City Campus*
• Religious Education (code: X3RG) * not available at Aberdeen City or Scottish Borders Campus*
• Technological Education (code: X3TC) * not available at Aberdeen City Campus*

The course is sometimes available at Lochgilphead (through UHI Argyll) and at Benbecula ((through UHI North, West and Hebrides). This decision is made annually and is dependent on the number of applicants in those areas.

Applicants based in Aberdeen and the Scottish Borders should register via UHI Inverness.

Important: Please read our FAQ sheet on our website for essential information about applying to this programme.

Modules

Module outline

PGDE Taught Modules:

Building professional knowledge and understanding (20 credits)
This module introduces the PGDE weekly themes, through key readings, tutor input and collaborative tasks. The core themes have been aligned to GTCS (2021) Standard for Provisional registration. You will make connections between what you read or hear and other readings, observations, discussions and school-based practice experience. It has a cross-sector, wider teaching profession and Scottish educational landscape perspective.


Developing Teacher Identity and Professionalism (20 credits)
This module builds upon and develops the PGDE weekly themes, through individual tasks and a group seminar. The module supports you to dig deeper into the weekly themes (and therefore aspects of the GTCS (2021) Standard for Provisional Registration) and to take ownership of these themes, in terms of the professional learning you will need to undertake to become ready for classroom practice. The content has been designed with the programme journey and planned blocks of time in Placement in mind.


Reflection and Enquiry as Professional Learning (20 credits)
This module is delivered by tutor-led workshops linked to work in dialogic triads in each Academic Partner, focussing on the development of reflection as a key skill to underpin classroom practice and enquiry, and on gathering evidence as the means to illustrate practice aligned to the SPR (GTCS, 2021). The workshops and activities relate to the e-portfolio, academic writing and assignments.


Professional Practice (Secondary) (60 credits)
For this module, you will develop your teaching practice and professional identity as a teacher across 19 weeks of school placements. These are allocated to afford you experience of:

  • Broad General Education in S1 to S3

  • Senior Phase Education in S4 to S6


You will gradually increase the duration and scope of your responsibility for learning, teaching and assessment in your school placement class, culminating in classroom leadership for 0.8FTE during the final 6-week placement.

This outline reflects the modules as currently delivered and is subject to change.

How to apply

Open days

Entry requirements

Typical qualification requirements

A level
D

English

Scottish Higher
C

English

GCSE/National 4/National 5

GCSE English Language (C/4 or above) and English Literature (C/4 or above) or equivalent PLUS

Mathematics or Applications of Mathematics:

  • National 5 at grade C or above, OR
  • SQA Intermediate 2 or Standard grade Credit OR
  • GCSE Mathematics (Grade C or above) or equivalent

Bachelor Degree

You must also hold an undergraduate degree and meet the subject-specific requirements. Please see the requirements link on our webpage.

Please note: There are equivalent qualification entry guidelines for secondary teaching stipulated by GTC Scotland. These are available from the GTC Scotland website: Memorandum on Entry Requirements to Programmes of Initial Teacher Education in Scotland (GTCS 2024) (Appendix A).

It is essential that you read the Frequently Asked Questions prior to submitting your application, these can be found on our webpage.

This course does not accept applications for deferred entry. Applicants must provide details of their degree, English and Mathematics qualifications within the application, as failure to do so will lead to automatic rejection. https://www.uhi.ac.uk/en/courses/pgde-secondary-english-medium/

Additional entry requirements

Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) / Disclosure Scotland Check
Successful applicants will be required to complete a PVG Disclosure Check and become PVG Scheme Members in order to undertake this course. Applicants who have lived outside the UK for a period of six or more consecutive months in the past 5 years will also be required to provide a criminal record check(s) from all the relevant country(-ies) prior to enrolment on the programme.
Interview
Selection events are usually held virtually in late February or early March.

English language requirements

TestGradeAdditional details
IELTS (Academic)6.5with no element below 6.0
PTE Academic6262 average with 55 in each component
TOEFL (iBT)92Min 92 or above with min 20 in each section

Our programmes are taught and examined in English. To make the most of your studies, you must be able to communicate fluently and accurately in spoken and written English in an academic environment and provide certified proof of your competence before starting your course. Please note that English language tests need to have been taken no more than two years prior to the start date of the course. The minimum English language requirements to study at the University of the Highlands and Islands are detailed below.https://www.uhi.ac.uk/en/studying-at-uhi/international/international-courses/eligibility/english-language-requirements/

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.

UHI is committed to achieving widening access, and achieving a fair balance of entrants to higher education. Widening access can be broadly defined as ‘ensuring fair access to higher education’. Widening access is principally about ensuring that those who have the ability and potential to benefit from a higher education, irrespective of their background or economic circumstances can do so.

Learn more on the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) website

International entry requirements

This course is not currently available for international students (including EU/EEA and Swiss nationals without settled or pre-settled status in the UK) requiring Student Route visa sponsorship to study in the UK. Students currently living in the UK and assessed as international for fees please refer to our website.

Further information for International applicants can be found on our website. https://www.uhi.ac.uk/en/studying-at-uhi/international/

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

Per year tuition fees

LocationFeeYear
Scotland£1820*
England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Channel Islands & Republic of Ireland£9790*
EU & International£16820*

* This is a provisional fee and subject to change.

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

For course specific fees information please refer to the Fees/funding tab on the university website course page.

You can also find information on additional funding available such as bursaries and scholarships at https://www.uhi.ac.uk/en/studying-at-uhi/first-steps/how-much-will-it-cost/funding-your-studies/bursaries-and-scholarships/

Sponsorship information

Scholarships, Bursaries, Awards and Discretionary Funds

Further information on funding, scholarships and bursaries can be found on our website.

https://www.uhi.ac.uk/en/studying-at-uhi/how-much-will-it-cost/funding-your-studies/bursaries-and-scholarships/

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