Higher and Professional Education

Award

PgCert

Key facts

Location:: Stoke-on-Trent campus
Study option:: Part-time
Duration:: 16 Months
Start date:: 1 September 2021
School:: School of Life Sciences and Education

HE Teaching

This award is for lecturers/trainers delivering higher or professional education

Work-based Professional Development

Participants will critically evaluate and develop their own approach to facilitating student learning

Professional Standards

Accredited by Advance HE, and aligned to the UK Professional Standards Framework

This award has been purposely designed for staff who work within a higher or professional education context in order to respond to the challenges and opportunities presented to student learning within this sector. The overall aim of the PgCHPE award is to provide a framework for the initial and continuing professional development of academic staff in higher and professional education.

The overall aim of the PgCHPE is to provide a framework for the initial and continuing professional development of academic staff in higher and professional education. The PGCHPE is designed to encourage participants to critically evaluate their own approach to teaching within their discipline area, supporting student learning and contributing to development across their Higher Education Provider (HEP). The PgCHPE therefore aims to:

critically analyse research informed evidence to enhance their ability to plan, implement, evaluate and reflect on their professional practice;
support the development of academic professionals to facilitate teaching, learning, behaviour enhancement, assessment and use of feedback;
support academic professionals’ ability to contribute to curriculum development
develop their teaching and learning through working collaboratively with stakeholders;

engage in practitioner led research to improve professional practice in order to meet changing demands within the higher education environment and across their discipline.

Staffordshire University employees may be directed to complete the PgCHPE as part of an Academic Professional Apprenticeship. You can read more on our Higher Degree Apprenticeships page.

On successful completion of study, we will issue the following award: PgCert Higher and Professional Education

Course content

This programme aims to support your development as an academic professional in terms of:

Planning learning;
Developing resources;
Delivering and facilitating learning;
Enabling student participation and achievement;
Developing your ability and role as a researcher;
Providing networking opportunities.

This programme context provides a forum for sharing good practice between disciplines and role, as well as offering an environment where peer support and the development of a community of practice are fostered.

Mentoring provided by your employer provides an opportunity for participants to link their learning to their own discipline and professional context.

Professional body accreditation

Accredited by the Staff and Educational Development Association (SEDA) for the purpose of professional recognition.

Accredited by Advance HE for the purpose of professional recognition.

Entry requirements

Staffordshire University employees may be directed to complete the PgCHPE as part of an Academic Professional Apprenticeship. You can read more on our Higher Degree Apprenticeships page.

An Honours Degree or equivalent professional qualification from an institution of Higher Education, or its equivalent from overseas.

An appointment as a full-time or fractional member of staff working in a teaching or supporting learning capacity at Staffordshire University or another institution in the higher or adult education sector.

Undertaking a job role which includes teaching and assessing learners at level 4 and above, with a minimum of ten hours teaching per month.

For international students, the expected IELTS average is 6.5.

For equivalent entry requirements in your home country, please see the information on our country pages.

Choose your country

Check our entry and English language requirements for your country.

Facilities

Headspace (Library)

Based in the Cadman Library, our Headspace areas are a quieter, restful place to think and relax with jigsaws, novels and more.

Learning Spaces

We also house our new 21st century teaching and learning classrooms with integrated Wolf Vision technology to enhance interactive learning through the use of mobile technologies in theory lessons.

Careers

The overall aim of the PgCHPE award is to provide a framework for the initial and continuing professional development of academic staff in higher and professional education. You will be working within a university or other Higher Education Provider (HEP), typically with students studying at levels 4 to 8 in the Framework for HE Qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (FHEQ).

Teaching and assessment

Teaching

The modules will be delivered through a combination of lectures, collaborative learning activities, student led presentations, workshops, work-based tasks and self-assessments, online delivery, independent study and mentor supported learning.

All four modules will require you to attend a series of tutor led classes which are normally scheduled to be delivered on a weekly basis. The classes will include a variety of teaching and learning methods, including presentations by experienced practitioners, large and small group discussions, case studies and task-centred investigations. Classes have been specifically designed so as to synthesise the theoretical underpinning and/or current educational research with your own practice in order to encourage engagement in reflective practice. Such reflective practice will help to develop your learning about teaching in order to improve the quality of the student experience. Additionally, you will lead and participate in group activities which will develop your teamworking skills, enable sharing good practice and provide you with an opportunity to professionally network.

In this way the classes will be designed to build on your current practice in order to maximise personal development and shared learning among diverse subject areas and/or professional domains.

Assessment

The PgCHPE consists of 4 x 15 credit modules, assessed at level 7. The following is a summary of the type of assessments for each module:

Teaching and Learning in Higher and Professional Education

The module provides an overview of key knowledge, skills, values and behaviours required by the lecturer new to higher and professional education. As such, it covers key principles of teaching, learning, enhancing behaviour and promoting inclusion. This includes consideration of the context of the HE sector and how learner and employer needs can be identified and met. It is assessed through a piece of reflective writing.

Research Proposal

This module develops your understanding of the use of technology enhanced learning (TEL) in higher education as well as principles of education research. A key part of this module involves sharing practice relating to technology enhanced learning. This will help you to identify an area of your practice which could be improved by technology. Alongside TEL, sessions will explore varied approaches to small-scale practitioner led research in order to help you develop a coherent and relevant research proposal. Subject to receiving ethical approval, you will complete this research project in the final module, Conducting and Publishing Research. The assessment for this module is a written research proposal.

Wider Professional Practice

This module develops your understanding of assessment, feedback, curriculum and quality. As with the other modules, this is practice based so will enable you to reflect on and develop your current practice within these areas. Additionally, we will examine broader issues of higher and professional education such as widening participation, social mobility and hoe education can contribute to society and the economy. The assessment for this module is a presentation.

Conducting and Disseminating Research

This module develops your understanding of the use of technology enhanced learning (TEL) in higher education through conducting a small-scale practitioner led research report based on your work in the Research Proposal module. As well as completing your research you will develop awareness of how research can be publicised. This will help you to take steps to disseminate your own findings amongst colleagues and the broader higher education environment.

Learning support

Your course tutors will provide lots of support. But you can also take advantage of our Academic Skills team, who can help you with:

Study skills (including reading, note-taking and presentation skills)
Written English (including punctuation, grammar)
Academic writing (including how to reference)
Research skills
Critical thinking
Revision, assessment and exam skills (including time management)

Additional support

If you have additional needs like dyslexia or a sensory impairment, then our Student Inclusion Services are here to help make sure nothing stands in your way.

Staff

The course is delivered by experienced lecturers, all of whom have Advance HE Senior Fellow status.

Dr Duncan Hindmarch

Course Director

My enthusiasm for learning led me to qualify, design and deliver to initial and subject specialist teacher training courses. I have an interest in developing virtual learning environments to support learning.

Duncan's profile

Tina Richardson

Senior Lecturer

I have extensive expertise of working in the secondary and post compulsory sector as well as experience of teaching in Greece and China. I am also an external examiner for PGCE Post Compulsory Education and Training (PCET) courses.

Tina's profile

Fees

For the course starting on 1 September 2021 the tuition fees are:

Tuition fees for PgCert-Part-time
Study option	UK / Channel Islands	International
Part-time	£3,400 per year of study	£3,400 per year of study

The expected study pattern on this programme enables you to complete modules totalling 90 credits in your first year of study and the other 90 credits, in your second year of study. Following this pattern of study you will pay the same fee for each year of study.

If you would like to know more about the fees listed and what this means to you then please get in touch with our Enquiries Team.

Alumni discount

If you have previously completed an undergraduate degree with us, you may be entitled to a discount off your course fee for any subsequent postgraduate taught course. For further information please contact Graduate Relations.

Accommodation and living costs
Accommodation and living costs
Accommodation and living costs are not included in our fees. For more information on accommodation and living costs, please see: Accommodation

Sources of financial support

Providing you are studying towards a full Masters qualification you may be able to apply for a postgraduate loan of up to £11,222 to help with tuition fees, maintenance and other associated costs. Student loans are available for many of our postgraduate degrees and are provided by the Student Loans Company (SLC). The loan can cover a wide range of postgraduate study options; part-time, full-time and distance learning.

For more information and how to apply visit masters loan.

Apply

Location	Award	Study option	Start date	Apply Link
Stoke-on-Trent campus	PgCert	Part-time	1 September 2021	Apply now

Rules and regulations

If you are offered a place at Staffordshire University, your offer will be subject to our rules, regulations and enrolment conditions, which may vary from time to time.

Students of Staffordshire University enter into a contract with us and are bound by these rules and regulations, which are subject to change. For more information, please see: University Policies and Regulations.

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