The Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) is a one-year course in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for undergraduate degree holders that allows them to train to be a teacher.
In addition to the PGCE qualification itself, those taking the course in England or Wales are recommended for either English or Welsh Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), which is required to teach in maintained schools in England and Wales. Those passing PGCEs in Northern Ireland are granted 'eligibility to teach' in Northern Ireland (equivalent to QTS). Though the QTS/eligibility to teach only applies in the Home Nation it was awarded in, applying for QTS/eligibility to teach in either of the other two Nations is a formality and is nearly always awarded to PGCE holders. Furthermore, the PGCE is also widely-recognised in Scotland and the rest of world, allowing holders to easily register as teachers there.
This course includes credits towards a master's degree. In England and Wales only, a PGCE without master's credits was phased in from 2005 to 2007, which is called a Professional Graduate Certificate in Education.
The PGCE was previously also offered in Scotland, but was renamed the Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) from 2005 to 2006 (the exact year depending on the university offering it). It is identical in content to the previous PGCE. Like the PGCE, the PGDE is widely recognised throughout the rest of the United Kingdom and the rest of the world.
Applications for admission to PGCE (and PGDE) courses are handled by a national clearing house, the Graduate Teacher Training Registry (GTTR).
Further and higher education lecturers are not usually required to hold QTS/eligibility to teach. However, many lecturers attend lecturer training courses to gain qualifications such as the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (FE), which is comparable to the regular PGCE.
Read more about Postgraduate Certificate In Education: Course Content and Structure, Equivalence, Fees, Independent Schools, Other Qualifications
Famous quotes containing the words certificate and/or education:
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—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
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—Andrew Jackson (1767–1845)