Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (Secondary) PGDE

This programme is comprised of three blocks. Each block contains a balance between University-based and school-based activities.

Campus activities will include lectures and workshops, with a focus on student-centred learning in a multidisciplinary setting.

Professional Placements in schools include observation and analysis of teaching and learning, through to developing and implementing your own teaching practice. Students address classroom knowledge and skills; and experience of planning, managing, organising, assessing and evaluating pupil learning and taking on the role of a class teacher for increasing periods of time.

Find out more about compulsory and optional courses

We link to the latest information available. Please note that this may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.*

Award		Duration		Study mode		Indicative programme structure
PGDE		9 Months		Full-time		PGDE Art and Design 2020
PGDE		9 Months		Full-time		PGDE Biology 2020
PGDE		9 Months		Full-time		PGDE Chemistry 2020
PGDE		9 Months		Full-time		PGDE Chinese 2020
PGDE		9 Months		Full-time		PGDE Design and Technology 2020
PGDE		9 Months		Full-time		PGDE Drama 2020
PGDE		9 Months		Full-time		PGDE English 2020
PGDE		9 Months		Full-time		PGDE French 2020
PGDE		9 Months		Full-time		PGDE Geography 2020
PGDE		9 Months		Full-time		PGDE German 2020
PGDE		9 Months		Full-time		PGDE History 2020
PGDE		9 Months		Full-time		PGDE Mathematics 2020
PGDE		9 Months		Full-time		PGDE Music 2020
PGDE		9 Months		Full-time		PGDE Physical Education 2020
PGDE		9 Months		Full-time		PGDE Physics 2020

(*Revised 22 October 2020 to include indicative programme structures.)

Combining campus-based courses taught at Moray House and experiential Professional Placements undertaken in schools, this programme provides an excellent foundation for an impactful career in education.

Professional Placement courses address classroom knowledge and skills; and experience of planning, managing, organising, assessing and evaluating pupil learning and taking on the role of a class teacher for increasing periods of time.

Professional Placements constitute approximately half of the programme, with students being allocated a placement within one of six key local authorities.

Graduates from this programme are qualified to teach, and eligible for provisional registration from the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS).

On successful completion of this programme, students are recommended to contact the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) for provisional registration. Full registration is awarded on the completion of one satisfactory year of teaching the subject(s) for which qualification has been gained through this programme.

Eligibility for Teacher Induction Scheme

Students from Scotland, other parts of the UK (RUK) and other Member States of the European Union, who are studying at a Scottish Higher Education Institution are eligible to join the Teacher Induction Scheme (TIS), a guaranteed and paid one-year probationary teaching post, organised by the General Teaching Council for Scotland.

Preference Waiver Payment Scheme

If you join the General Teaching Council’s Preference Waiver Payment Scheme - which means you agree to work in any Scottish local authority for your induction post - in return, you will receive an £8,000 payment made if you complete your Teacher Induction Scheme year in the local authority to which you were allocated.

A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in the subject to be taught is preferred. This qualification should contain at least two graduating courses (80 UK credits) in the relevant subject.

You should also hold SQA Higher English at minimum grade C or GCSE English Language AND GCSE English Literature, both passed at grade C/4 or above, and National 5 Mathematics or Applications of Mathematics at minimum grade C or equivalent qualifications – please contact the admissions office for advice.

• futurestudents@ed.ac.uk

Selection involves a professional interview.

We also expect you to have experience of working with children in formal or informal settings (both employment and volunteering roles will be considered) and an ability to reflect thoughtfully on that experience. You should have some knowledge and understanding of the Scottish curriculum. (Revised 18th November 2020)

Protecting Vulnerable Groups

All successful applicants will be required to join Disclosure Scotland's Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme before starting the programme. In addition, all applicants who don't live in the UK, or who have spent more than a year abroad, will need to provide equivalent verification from the relevant national authority.

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

• Entry requirements by country

English language requirements

You must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies, regardless of your nationality or country of residence.

English language tests

For 2021 entry we will accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS: total 6.5 (at least 6.0 in each module)
• TOEFL-iBT (including Special Home Edition): total 92 (at least 20 in each module). We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• CAE and CPE: total 176 (at least 169 in each module)
• Trinity ISE: ISE II with a distinction in all four components

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL or Trinity ISE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

• UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries.

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than three and a half years old at the beginning of your programme of study.

Find out more about our language requirements:

• English language requirements

Tuition fee status

Tuition fees for eligible students from Scotland or a non-UK European Union country are paid by Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS). Check your fee status to see whether you are eligible.

• Fee status

Tuition fees

For tuition fee purposes, the PGDE is treated in the same way as an undergraduate programme.

• Tuition fees

Featured funding

• Tom & Maureen Fairlie Scholarship

STEM Teacher Education Bursary

Applications are open for a £20,000 incentive for career changers to ease the transition from paid employment into Initial Teacher Education. For eligibility and to apply, visit:

• STEM Teacher Education Bursary

Other funding opportunities

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

• Search for funding