PgCert Teaching and Learning in Higher and Professional Education
Course Overview
This course is designed for those seeking a teaching qualification and professional recognition as a Fellow of Advance HE. Underpinned by the relevant professional standards, it's designed to help you attain professional recognition for your work, meet your organisational goals and enhance your professional profile.This programme consists of two modules. The first, Teaching and Supporting Learning in Higher and Professional Education, covers essential topics such as teaching methodologies, learning strategies, assessment techniques, and feedback mechanisms. Tasks include a reflective screencast demonstrating your alignment with the D1 Associate Fellowship criteria of Advance HE.
The second module, Professional Academic Practice in Action, supports you in exploring the nature of action research and its application to programme planning, design and evaluation in professional practice. This module focuses on an action research project, which involves obtaining ethical approval, conducting primary research, and presenting your findings at the Online PgCert Conference. You will also reflect on your teaching practice and provide evidence of meeting the D2 Fellowship Criteria through reflective narratives.
Highlights
- The course aims to help you develop a comprehensive understanding of the local and national context and trends across the sector.
- By committing to ongoing critical reflection, evaluation and action, you could develop high-level scholarship and research-informed practice.
- You'll have the chance to consider how to improve the quality of the learner experience by sharing good practice with a network of professional peers.
- Our supportive learning environments promote learning, equality of opportunity, and responsiveness to student diversity.
Key Features
- You'll have the chance to evaluate current developments, up-to-date research in teaching and learning, and your own professional practice.
- This postgraduate certificate provides the opportunity to work collaboratively and network with a range of teaching professionals.
- Face-to-face sessions and continual support are offered by our team of highly experienced, enthusiastic and dedicated experts.
- Our academic team is actively involved in educational research, helping you to explore issues from a robust research-informed knowledge base.
- Our well-stocked library offers a comprehensive selection of relevant texts and access to an extensive online database of multimedia sources, including eJournals, podcasts, vodcasts and eBooks.
Entry Requirements
- Normally, you'll have at least an upper second class (2.1) honours degree (or equivalent).
- You must be currently teaching (at least 6 hours per week or equivalent at an accepted employer) as you are required to reflect critically on your experience and relate theory to practice.
- You must produce a reference or letter of support from your organisational line manager.
- You must have an identified mentor in teaching practice.
- You'll need access to a computer with the appropriate software and accessories, including a webcam, microphone and a sufficient broadband connection. You'll also need basic IT skills. In particular, you'll need to be able to access and use the University of Bolton's virtual learning environment, Moodle. Please contact the programme leader for details if you are uncertain that you'll be able to meet these requirements.
- You may be required to attend an interview and/or provide a portfolio of work.
- If English isn’t your first language, you’ll also need IELTS 6.5 with normally no less than 6.0 in any band (or equivalent). We also accept a range of other English language qualifications – please visit our English Language Requirements web page for more details.
- Please note that this course is subject to the University of Bolton's Fitness to Practise procedure.
Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.
Career Opportunities
This postgraduate course is ideal if you already have experience and current employment in teaching and learning in higher or professional education. It aims to help you develop high-quality teaching skills underpinned by relevant professional practice, scholarship and research skills. It can help you develop a critical, reflective and scholarly approach to teaching and supporting student learning.
Skills gained through this course can enhance your professional practice in a wide range of areas, including developing learning plans, creative and innovative methods for teaching, approaches to learner assessment and support, designing and managing programmes of learning and accountability in assessment. Additionally, it aims to develop your e-learning and communication skills.
What can I do with this qualification?
The skills and knowledge on offer would benefit anyone aiming for a career in education. Obtaining this qualification will assist entry to further study at the master's or doctoral level; for instance, when applying to the University of Bolton's MA Teaching and Learning in Higher and Professional Education or doctorate programmes.
Alternative career options
Postgraduate certificate holders can also use the qualification as a stepping-stone into a range of other careers. Some of these roles may require relevant experience and/or postgraduate study. Possible careers include:
- Higher education
- Education officer
- Mentoring
- Family liaison
- Educational psychology
- Education administration
- Student services advice
- Student liaison
- Educational writing and journalism
- Examinations
- Counselling
- Careers guidance
- Training
- Quality Standards
Professional Recognition
Our Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher and Professional Education is informed by the Professional Standards Framework (PSF) for Teaching and Supporting Learning in Higher Education.
The programme is accredited by Advance HE. It may lead to Fellowship of Advance HE after successful completion and award of the programme.
If you're not employed at an Advance HE subscribing institution, additional fees may apply that you will need to pay directly to Advance HE.
Fees & Funding
Home/EU Fees
Home students starting this course in the first year will be required to pay a Home fee of £2,832 for the academic year 2024/25.
International Fees
Overseas students starting this course in the first year will be required to pay a Overseas fee of £5,317 for the academic year 2024/25.
Bursaries
Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2024-25 academic year: EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for 'Home' fee status. If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for 'Home' fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement. Please read the student finance for EU students web page on www.gov.uk for information.
The fees for a student's course of study will be set for the normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.
How to apply
Home Applicants
You may apply directly to the University using the University's online application form. Please select your chosen start date from the list below:
You should have to hand:
-
Details of the educational establishments you attended and dates
-
Your certificates for the qualifications you are using to gain entry to the course – you will need to enter the completion date and upload copies
-
Details of any employment history including name, address, dates and role
-
Personal statement – this can be either input into the relevant field or uploaded separately
-
Details including e-mail addresses of two referees, at least one of which should be someone who can provide an academic reference
Please make sure any documents you wish to upload in support of your application are in pdf or jpeg format. Personal statements may be word documents.
Please ensure your data is correct at each stage of the application before you proceed to the next page. If you use the back button at any time during the application, you should check the validity of the data you have already input.
If you experience difficulties during the application process, contact the Admissions Team on 01204 903394 or admissions-team@bolton.ac.uk
-
Apply online: University of Bolton Pg Cert Teaching and Learning in Higher and Professional Education - UOB Staff - 13 January 2025
-
Apply online: University of Bolton Pg Cert Teaching and Learning in Higher and Professional Education - 08 September 2025
International Applicants
International applications are not possible for this course
As an international student you are not allowed to study this course because of the restrictions on your visa.
We offer a wide range of full-time courses in lots of different subjects, many of our courses start in September and January. If you would like to see what courses are available please visit our Course Search.
Teaching & Assessment
You'll study two core modules, each worth 30 credits at HE7 (master's level). Throughout the course, we aim to deliver stimulating, challenging and engaging programmes of study that help you broaden and deepen your knowledge.
By building on your current knowledge and experience with informed research, this course aims to help you develop the skills needed to study at the master's level. You'll be exposed to a mix of subject knowledge, theoretical perspectives and professional best practices, using a wide variety of teaching and learning strategies to enhance your overall experience.
To help keep you engaged, we'll use various teaching and learning methods. This course also features the use of technology and multimedia: resources are made available through our virtual learning environments (VLEs).
You'll also be encouraged to build strong relationships with your peers, sharing ideas and discussing relevant ideas for practice and development. Personal study time is also a significant element of this programme.
Modules
The modules listed below may be a mixture of compulsory and optional. You may not have the opportunity to study all the modules shown as part of the course.
- Teaching and Supporting Learning in Higher and Professional Education
- Professional Academic Practice in Action
Assessment methods
| Level | Assessment method |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Coursework 75% Practical exams 25% |
Learning Activities
| Level | Activity |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Guided independent study 80% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 20% |
The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.
