PGDE (Secondary)
Award
PGDE
Duration & study mode
9 months, full-time
Additional information
Course starting dates
-
Ayr: August
Our Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) Secondary programme gives students the skills and qualifications for a career in secondary school teaching.
The programme is a one-year (36 weeks) full-time course, divided between 18 weeks on campus and 18 weeks on school placement. It's accredited by the General Teaching Council for Scotland.
You'll love the PGDE because of the relationships you build, with University and school staff, with your peers and with the pupils in your placement schools.”
Elaine Wotherspoon, Programme Leader
Applications for The Teaching Bursary are now closed.
A £20,000 bursary is available from the Scottish Government to career-changers undertaking a one-year Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programme in Scotland in STEM subjects and Modern Languages.
Subjects available at UWS:
Check out our PGDE Secondary FAQs (PDF)
Successful applicants who gain a place on our PGDE Secondary programme must register on the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme. This scheme is managed and delivered by Disclosure Scotland.
Our administration team will be in touch with regards to the process for this. Please do not contact Disclosure Scotland yourself.
We welcome Scottish, UK and international students and consider all applicants on an individual basis.
During Clearing our entry requirements remain flexible, and we are committed to providing opportunities to study with us based on a range of qualifications. Please get in touch, and we can discuss your specific circumstances.
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.
Entry Requirements to the PGDE Secondary programme are shaped by the GTC Scotland Memorandum on Entry Requirements for Programmes of ITE and the application procedures of the university. This section details the overarching entry requirements that apply to all secondary subjects, some subjects have additional entry requirements specific to the subject (e.g. Art & Design, English, Languages and PE). Details of these are included in the GTC Scotland Memorandum but are also detailed in our FAQ documentation which is hosted further up this page.
All applicants should hold a degree validated by a university in the UK or a degree of an equivalent standard from outside the UK. This is the minimum with which an applicant can apply. It may be that only applicants with a good Honours degree (Grade 2.2, or above) will be considered depending on how many places we have available in any specific year.
The degree qualification must contain a minimum of 80 credit points relevant to the teaching qualification that an applicant plans to qualify for in Secondary, with at least 40 of the credit points studied at SCQF Level 8 (RQF Level 5 or EQF Level 5) or above (i.e. around two years full-time study in Higher Education).
All applicants must also have achieved qualifications in both English and Mathematics prior to their application being considered*:
Applicants who are working towards these qualifications will also be considered on the condition that the applicant, if successful at interview, has attained these qualifications prior to the start of the course in August 2024.
Note: We will accept alternative International qualifications in English and Mathematics where evidence is provided via NARIC (National Recognition Information Centre).
Applicants are strongly advised to visit the Teaching in Scotland website for full information on what is required to become a teacher in Scotland.
An offer of a place on this programme is made on the basis of your application and successful interview.
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 Secondary education. Recent experience of a Scottish secondary 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.
All academic degrees/awards at UWS are taught in English. For applicants whose first language is not English*, the University sets a minimum English Language proficiency level. All English language qualifications must have been gained within two years of the start of your UWS course.
* applicants who are exempt from english language requirements include:
In general terms, if you are applying to study a course at, or above, Year 1 (SCQF Level 7) bachelor’s degree level, then the UKVI’s minimum level of English proficiency is Common European Framework for References of Languages (CEFR) at B2 (Upper Intermediate).
At UWS, we define our general English language requirements using the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic module (not General Training) as follows:
These are minimum requirements and some courses may require a higher standard for admission†.
† Exceptions to this level of IELTS scoring exist for some accredited or professionally-recognised courses (see IELTS Score Exceptions section below for more information).
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 (BSc Adult Nursing, MSc Adult Nursing, BSc Mental Health Nursing, MSc Mental Health Nursing, BSc Midwifery and MSc Midwifery), applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:
Our BSc Paramedic Science degree leads to professional registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC); it has different IELTS requirements than other Health-related courses. Although it is not possible to apply for this degree directly as an international student, for applicants who meet SAAS residency requirements and for whom English is not their first language, then the following IELTS scores are required:
For our BSc (Hons) Applied Biomedical Science, BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science and MSc Advanced Biomedical Science degrees, which may lead to professional registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:
Our BA (Hons) Social Work and MSc Social Work degrees are professionally recognised by the Scottish Social Services Council and 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:
In additional to IELTS, we also accept a number of alternative English language for application and admission to our courses for both home/EU and international students at bachelor's degree study at Year 3 (SCQF Level 9), and above. From Cambridge to TOFEL iBT qualifications the number of these qualifications is extensive.
Find out about non-IELTS English Language Tests
UWS has also reviewed a range of High / Secondary School qualifications studied by non-EU applicants that can be used as a basis of entry to a UWS. These range from Botswana GCSEs to USA High School Graduation Diplomas, the number of these qualifications is extensive.
Find out more about international English Language high-hchool qualifications
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:
Teaching qualifications are offered in the following areas*. You will select one or two of the following subjects, depending on qualifications:
Our course currently consists of three compulsory modules, one of which is taught in conjunction with PGDE (Primary) and is offered at both SCQF levels 10 and 11, giving the option of 40 credits of internationally-recognised Master's level study.
You will develop an understanding of the curriculum and a range of approaches to teaching, learning and assessment in your chosen subject discipline(s).
* The University reserves the right to withdraw certain subjects, depending on the quotas set by the Scottish Funding Council.
Our course currently consists of three compulsory modules, one of which is taught in conjunction with PGDE (Primary) and is offered at both SCQF levels 10 and 11, giving the option of 40 credits of internationally-recognised Master's level study. You will develop an understanding of the curriculum and a range of approaches to teaching, learning and assessment in your chosen subject discipline(s).
There are three 40-credit modules throughout the course focussing on developing the attributes, knowledge and skills encompassed by the following core areas as set out by the Standard for Provisional Registration (GTC Scotland, 2021):
For the Professional Graduate Diploma Education (PGDE) stage, you will study three of the following modules:
Either
or
Plus either:
or
and
LEARNING AND TEACHING
A variety of teaching methods will be used throughout the PGDE: Lectures, tutorials, workshops and use of Aula (the online, Virtual Learning Environment - VLE). These will employ a range of learning and teaching methodologies including group work, problem-based learning, concept visualisation (e.g. using drawing and collage), walking, student presentations, online tutor/student-led discussions, and resources such as subject-specific equipment, interactive whiteboards, laptops and the outdoors will be used to develop your learning.
In order to enable students from the PGDE (Primary) and PGDE (Secondary) programmes to benefit from working together, the PGDE School & Professional Studies module will be delivered through a blended approach using Aula and some face-to-face lectures, tutorials and workshops.
Within Aula, students will make use of e-learning methods such as remotely accessing set and extension readings and other course materials, and online and asynchronous communication with peers, and supported by tutors, to address problem-based learning tasks. The additional eight hours of contact time available for programmes calibrated at SCQF Level 10 will be used in the PGDE (S) School Experience module to introduce students to the concept of Personal Development Planning.
LEARNING AND TEACHING BREAKDOWN
ASSESSMENT
Our PGDE Secondary courses are assessed using a variety of assessment methods including:
ASSESSMENT BREAKDOWN
Programme Specification and Module Descriptors for Undergraduate and Postgraduate courses are available to download (PDFs). These provide you with core information concerning your chosen subject.
£1,820 cost per year of study (usually paid by the Scottish Government via SAAS*)
£9,250 Cost per year of study, but not more than £27,750
£9,250 Cost per year of study, but not more than £27,750
£15,500 per year of study
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.
Apply on UCASAll UK and EU applicants for undergraduate study, not applying through an agent or partner, should apply through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service)
The on-time application deadline for 2025/26 entry is 29 January 2025, 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 2025. 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.
You can find out more about applying for this undergraduate course on UCAS.
Students from non-EU/non-EEA countries can apply directly to UWS via our dedicated online application system. The latest we can process your application is 6 weeks before the course start date to allow for visa processing times. For more information on when and how to apply to study at UWS please refer to our International Undergraduate Application Guide.
For part-time & online study, you should apply directly to the University through our online application system, not through UCAS. Please select the part-time mode of study when submitting your application. Before you begin your application, it is important to read the part-time application step-by-step guide for a smooth process.
To come to UWS as a visiting student on a study abroad or exchange programme, you must apply entirely through our online system.
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!
We will always try to make sure that we publish accurate course information but we do not accept responsibility for any mistakes or omissions. We will also try to make sure that we deliver our courses in line with our published information. However, we may not always be able to do so and you can find further information about this in our enrolment terms and conditions.