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Postgraduate courses 2024/25

Higher Education, PGCert

This Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education by online learning is ideal for people already employed in higher education who need to gain a teaching qualification.

Our PGCert in Higher Education explores a range of pedagogies and innovations in higher education teaching via online learning. You will learn how to design and implement effective modules and sessions, as well as strategies for assessment and feedback, student support, technology-enhanced learning, inclusive teaching and reflection on practice. We promote engagement with various approaches to teaching, learning and assessment, using a variety of models and tools which you can use in the classroom or online.

This PGCert is ideal for anyone who is currently teaching at Level 4 or above in Higher Education or HE in FE settings. If you are not yet employed in the sector, you may need to find suitable higher education level teaching to meet the entry requirements. On graduation, students gain Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy and are able to transfer to the university's MA in Education.

School

Education

Duration

1 years distance learning

Start month

September

Fees information

For fee information related to this course, please see fees section below

What you should know about this course

  • Most learning takes place online. Tools such as Moodle provide a socially interactive experience.
  • Online content includes learning materials, resources, webinars and other activities and opportunities for sharing.
  • This course leads to recognition as a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
  • Graduates can apply for the MA Education with automatic advanced standing, and with the option of a higher education endorsement.

What you will study

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Course information is currently unavailable for this programme. Please contact course-info@gre.ac.uk for more information.

About the course team

Welcome to our PGCert in Higher Education. Your teaching comes from an experienced team of lecturers. These include academics and practitioners with a wide range of experience. 100 per cent of our teaching team holds a teaching qualification.

Entry requirements

If you are

An undergraduate (honours) degree at 2:2, or above.

Applicants without a degree that have completed the university's Award in Learning and Teaching in HE may be considered.

For more information, contact courseinfo@greenwich.ac.uk or 020 8331 9000.

You can also read our admissions policy.

The University of Greenwich accepts a broad range of international qualifications for admission to our courses. If you cannot find your country on this list, please contact international@gre.ac.uk.

Choose your country:

Further information about entry

Plus appropriate qualifications and experience for your specialist area to make you a credible candidate for appointment to the HE sector.

Plus a guaranteed minimum of 60 hours teaching in HE (Levels 4-7) during the registration period, with at least 10 hours in the first term. This may include a range of teaching activities, including tutorials and supervision.

Available to overseas students?

Yes

Can I use Prior Learning?

You can apply for exemption from one 20-credit module via Recognition of Prior Learning. Applicants should apply for the course and then contact the programme leader for guidance about the RPL process.

Examples:

  • If you hold qualifications or courses in teaching and learning from another HE institution, or if you have significant experience of the areas covered in a module, these may exempt you from one module.
  • If you already have Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy, you may be eligible to apply for RPL for the portfolio module.

How you will learn

Learning experience

Most teaching and learning activities are online and use a range of tools, including Moodle, to provide a socially interactive and engaging experience. Content includes learning materials, resources, webinars and other activities and opportunities for sharing. Student interaction is both in study groups and across the course cohort.

Distance learning allows you to study flexibly, so you can arrange your studies around your other commitments.

Class sizes

The typical student intake per year averages 50 to 80. Webinars are normally attended by 20 to 30 and tutorials by five to ten. You will also work as part of a study group of four to six people.

Independent learning

Outside of webinars you will need to dedicate time to online group work and self-study to prepare for coursework. Our library and online resources will support your further reading and research. You can also join a range of student societies, including law and debating.

Overall workload

Your overall workload consists of contact hours (lectures, seminars, etc), independent learning, and assessments. You should anticipate four to six hours of work per week, although this may intensify during assessment periods -  the same as our sibling programme page, the Award.

Assessment

You are assessed through individual and group assignments, including a portfolio of your professional development, with third party observations of teaching.

Formative assignments throughout provide feedback, feed forward and include group assignments. Summative assignments are individual and are marked on a pass/fail basis.

Feedback summary

Information coming soon.

Dates and timetables

Full teaching timetables are not usually available until term has started. For any queries, please call 020 8331 9000.

Fees and funding

Your time at university should be enjoyable, rewarding, and free of unnecessary stress. Planning your finances before you come to university can help to reduce financial concerns. We can offer advice on living costs and budgeting, as well as on awards, allowances and loans.

Full time Part time Distance learning
Home N/A N/A TBC
International N/A N/A £2,908 per 30 credits

Funding your study

There is a range of financial support options available to support your studies, including the Aspire@Greenwich award for study resources that many full-time students will receive.

EU students may be eligible for a bursary to support their study. View our EU bursary to find out more.

Discover more about grants, student loans, bursaries and scholarships. We also provide advice and support on budgeting, money management and financial hardship.

Financial support

Further costs may include (but are not limited to):

  • Resources: you may choose to purchase books for your studies. However, there are considerable resources freely available online. You may need to purchase earphones or a headset to participate in webinars.
  • Memberships: in addition to the course fee, there is a fee payable to the HEA for the award of Fellowship (FHEA). See details.
  • Field trips: you will need to fund your travel to on-campus study days. Refreshments will be provided. You will need to provide your own lunch.

Careers and placements

Will I have a work placement?

If you are not employed in higher education, you will need to find and undertake an HE-level teaching placement or part-time hours which meet the admissions requirement for teaching hours.

How long is my placement?

The hours of HE-level teaching required for admission to the programme must be between September and May during the year of study.

What sort of careers do graduates pursue?

The course provides a recognised teaching qualification for those working in higher education.

Do you provide employability services?

Our services are designed to help you achieve your potential and support your transition towards a rewarding graduate career.

The Employability and Careers Service provides support when you are preparing to apply for placements and graduate roles. It includes CV clinics, mock interviews and employability skills workshops.

Each School also has its own Employability Officer, who works closely with the industry and will provide specific opportunities relevant to your own course.

Support and advice

Academic skills and study support

We want you to make the most of your time with us. You can access study skills support through your tutor, our subject librarians, and our online academic skills centre. Where appropriate, we provide support in academic English and mathematics. If you need to use particular IT packages for a specific module, we provide training for this.

Support from the department

Throughout your time with us, you will be supported by the programme team as well as your peers. You will have a personal tutor, and a mentor who is normally from your own department or institution. If you are based in the UK, you will have face-to-face teaching and observations. There will be video/Skype as well as face-to-face observations for our international students.

Our Award of Institutional Credit in Learning and Teaching in HE offers a potential two-year route through this programme and is suitable for those with limited HE teaching hours. Contact the programme leader for more information.

Not quite what you were looking for?

We've got plenty of other courses for you to choose from. Browse our postgraduate courses or check our related courses below.....

Education studies at the University of Greenwich

Are you passionate about education? Whether you’re working in the field or looking to start your career, our award-winning lecturers will help you get the best from your studies.

Visit our education studies degrees page.

Become an educational practitioner


Robert Morgan, Programme Leader talks us through the programme.

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Apply now

If you are a UK student or have settled/pre-settled status (EU) and you want to study full-time then you apply through the Universities and Colleges Admission Service (UCAS).

If you are a UK student or have settled/pre-settled status (EU) and you want to study part-time then you can apply directly via our online application form.

If you are from outside the UK, you can apply via UCAS, directly via our online application form or via one of our in-country representatives. If you require a student visa, you cannot study part-time at undergraduate level.