The Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) Primary course provides the formal teaching qualification for provisional registration with the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS), giving you the skills, knowledge and experience to build a career as a primary school teacher.
You cover a wide range of subjects that feature in the primary school curriculum including English/Literacy, Health and Wellbeing, and Mathematics/Numeracy.
The PGDE enables you to develop core skills in planning, teaching, assessment and evaluation strategies, classroom and behaviour management, and contemporary issues in Scottish education. You can also study one module at Masters' level which can help you in later years work towards a further qualification.
Successful completion of all elements of the course means that you receive the formal teaching qualification necessary for provisional registration with the GTCS, a requirement for entry into the guaranteed one-year Teacher Induction Scheme in Scotland.
Eighteen weeks of school experience placements occur in at least two primary schools/education and childcare settings within local authorities in Scotland. This placements occur in in each school term, with a block of at least four weeks duration taking place towards the end of the PGDE, in early childhood and primary school.
Most UWS graduates remain in mainstream teaching in the UK or abroad. Others work in specialist educational areas including working with children with additional learning support needs, adult training, museums, writing and publishing, health education, curriculum development, and social services.
Successful applicants who gain a place on this programme are required to register on the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme, managed and delivered by Disclosure Scotland.
The Times / The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2019
The School of Education at UWS is recognised as one of the most innovative providers of education degrees in the UK. From early years to adult education, students gain rich experience from our innovative courses and graduate with unrivalled career prospects.
Our research informs our teaching courses, influences policy and contributes to wider research networks across the world. Our work into the nature and causes of youth violence, crime and gang culture has had an international impact.
* this ranking was achieved for our undergraduate course in initial teacher training
We welcome Scottish, UK and international students and consider all applicants on an individual basis.
If you are applying with an EU or non-EU qualification, please check our Postgraduate Entry Requirements page which gives more information about country-specific entry requirements.
You are advised to visit both the The General Teaching Council for Scotland and Teach in Scotland websites for full information on what is required to become a teacher in Scotland.
You are also advised that recent experience of working/assisting in a Scottish primary school classroom is normally required and is certainly desirable.
All applicants should hold a degree validated by a university in the UK or a degree of an equivalent standard from outside the UK. Given that the demand for places significantly exceeds the number of places, priority is given to applicants who have attained a 2.1 or 1st class Honours degree.
All applicants must also have achieved qualifications in both English and Mathematics as follows prior to their application being considered*:
English
Mathematics
Applications will be rejected if these minimum qualifications have not been attained prior to application.
Note: We will accept alternate International qualifications in English and Mathematics where evidence is provided via NARIC (National Recognition Information Centre).
Attainment of the minimum entry qualifications does not guarantee that the application will progress.
An offer of a place on this course is made on the basis of your application and successful interview.
Candidates who meet the academic requirements will be considered for interview. The interview is designed to enable applicants to demonstrate their interpersonal skills; ability to communicate; insight into the role of a teacher; knowledge about current Scottish primary education. Recent experience of a Scottish primary school classroom is normally required and is certainly desirable.
Successful applicants who gain a place on this course will need to register on the PVG Scheme, managed and delivered by Disclosure Scotland. An application form will be sent from the University once you have accepted your offer. The fee for joining the scheme is £59.
Visit the Disclosure Scotland website for more information on the PVG scheme.
For applicants whose first language is not English, the University sets a minimum English Language proficiency level. The qualifications below must have been gained within two years of the start of your course.
General English language requirements at UWS: International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic module (not General Training)
All stated English tests are acceptable for admission for both home/EU and international students for this programme:
For our research degrees (MRes, MPhil, PhD, DBA, DProf), applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:
For Health, Nursing & Midwifery courses that lead to professional registration with the Nursing & Midwifery Council, applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:
For our Certificate of Higher Education courses, applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:
TOEFL IBT*: 78; no sub-test less than:
* Please note that TOEFL is still acceptable for admission to this programme for both home/EU and international students.
For international students, the Home Office has confirmed that the University can choose to use TOEFL to make its own assessment of English language ability for visa applications to degree level courses. We therefore still accept TOEFL tests taken in the last two years for admission to this programme.
West African Senior School Certificate of Education (WASSCE) including acceptance of WAEC Scratchcard*
*UWS will accept a WAEC scratchcard confirming that an applicant has achieved C6 or above as evidence of meeting English language requirement from Nigeria if the student graduated within the last 5 years. After 5 years applicants would be required to provide the WAEC Certificate.
Applicants who do not meet the minimum English language requirements have the option to study one of our preparatory and pre-sessional English courses. The UWS courses available are:
You will cover a wide range of subjects that feature in the primary school curriculum.
The PGDE Primary is an intense course, comprising 18 weeks of on-campus teaching and 18 weeks of placement in primary schools. The main pedagogy is interactive lectures and workshops. Collaborative tasks and group learning are integral to the programme. One of the core modules - School and Professional Studies – is taught through a combination of face-to-face classes and online tutorials.
The course comprises three core modules:
All modules are studies at SCQF Level 10. Students have the opportunity to be assessed at Level 11 in School and Professional Studies.
For the Professional Graduate Diploma Education (PGDE), you will study three of the following modules:
Plus either:
or
and
The PGDE Primary programme is an intense course, comprising 18 weeks of on-campus teaching and 18 weeks of placement in primary schools.
The main pedagogy is interactive lectures and workshops. Collaborative tasks and group learning are integral to the programme.
One of the core modules - School and Professional Studies – is taught through a combination of face-to-face classes and online tutorials.
The module Primary Curriculum is assessed by both examination and assignment.
The module School Experience is assessed based on the GTCS Standards for Provisional Registration.
The module, School and Professional Studies is assessed by assignment.
Find out more about the structure, learning outcomes, compulsory and optional modules in this course.
You receive the formal teaching qualification necessary for provisional registration with the GTCS, a requirement for entry into the guaranteed one-year Teacher Induction Scheme.
Most UWS graduates remain in mainstream teaching in the UK or abroad. Others work in specialist educational areas including working with children with additional learning support needs, adult training, museums, writing and publishing, health education, curriculum development, and social services.
£1,820 per year of study
£9,250 per year of study
£9,250 per year of study
PGDE programmes are funded in the same way as undergraduate programmes. You can apply to SAAS to have tuition fees paid. Eligibility conditions apply. Check SAAS for more information.
The cost of attending university is an investment in your future career.
PGDE courses are funded in the same way as undergraduate courses. You can apply to SAAS to have tuition fees paid. Eligibility conditions apply; check SAAS for details.
In addition to tuition fees and living expenses, some courses involve extra costs like study materials, field trips, equipment and uniforms.
Fortunately, there is a great deal of financial support available to help students meet the cost of their study. This ranges from:
The sections below provide details of additional costs that your course may involve along with any financial support that may be available.
You can also find additional information in our Undergraduate Money, Fees & Funding section.
Students on certain degrees will incur some additional costs not covered by their tuition fees. These could be for things like specialist equipment, study materials, work placements, graduation, membership of relevant organisations or costs related to carrying out fieldwork.
For students on course with an element of fieldwork, there may also be extra costs for travel and accommodation.
Please contact the course leader for details of the additional costs associated with this course.
Tuition fees are calculated based on where you are from and what you are studying. Some courses also involve additional costs, such as mandatory field trips, equipment or studying abroad.
Find out how much it will cost you to study at UWS as an undergraduate student.
Scottish students studying at undergraduate level at UWS are entitled to various funds and support towards tuition fees and living costs.
English, Welsh and Northern Irish students studying at undergraduate level at UWS are entitled to various funds and support towards tuition fees and living costs.
EU students studying at undergraduate level of UWS may be eligible for SAAS funding, as well as support to meet the costs of childcare and various sources of additional funding.
There are several scholarship and incentive schemes available to international students studying at undergraduate level at UWS, as well as support to meet the costs of childcare and various sources of additional funding.
UWS administer a range of discretionary and childcare funds. These are designed to support students who are experiencing financial difficulty or struggling to meet the costs of childcare.
Becoming a student can have an impact on your entitlement to certain benefits. It may mean you are no longer eligible to claim a benefit you have been receiving, or your new income from student funding may affect the amount you are able to receive.
If there isn’t a statutory source of funding for you or your course, or you are in need of additional financial support, you may wish to consider more alternative sources of funding such as trust funds and scholarships.
Choosing to become a student can have a big impact on your budget and you may need to reassess your spending to account for a reduced income. We’ve put together some guidance to help you manage your money and make the right financial choices for you and your family.
To apply for the PGDE you must apply through UCAS. All PGDEs in the UK are classified as undergraduate courses for the purposes of application/admissions even though you must have at least a Bachelor's/undergraduate degree to apply.
All UK, EU and International (non-EU/non-EEA) applicants for this programme should apply through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service).
The on-time application deadline for 2020/21 entry is 15 January 2020, 18:00 (UK time). For some courses it may still be possible to apply beyond this period, subject to suitable vacancies remaining. The final deadline for late applications via UCAS is 30 June 2020, 18:00 (UK time). Beyond this deadline, you may be able to apply via ‘UCAS Clearing’ if the course you are interested in has remaining places.
Please refer to our Undergraduate Application Guide for domestic & EU/EEA to find more information on when and how to apply to study at UWS.
An ATAS certificate is not required for overseas students applying for this course.
Do you have a question about applying for this course? Get in touch. We are here to help!
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