Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (Online) PG Cert
Program Overview
The Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education is a fully online program designed for staff in higher education. It provides participants with the opportunity to develop and professionalize their teaching practice while gaining an internationally recognized postgraduate qualification. Participants will engage with quality materials, interact with an international community of practice, and prepare a portfolio of professional teaching practice. The program includes two core modules and one elective, and participants can progress to the Postgraduate Diploma and MA Teaching & Learning in Higher Education upon successful completion.
Program Outline
Degree Overview:
The Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education is a part-time, fully online program designed for staff in higher and further education. The program aims to provide participants with the opportunity to develop and professionalize their teaching practice to enhance learning while gaining an internationally recognized postgraduate qualification in Teaching and Learning. The program allows participants to be part of an international and interdisciplinary community of practice and attend live sessions led by the Centre for the Integration of Research Teaching and Learning (CIRTL). The highly experienced teaching team of CIRTL will facilitate participants to engage with quality materials on this fully online program. Students who have completed the PG Certificate and wish to further their professional development can progress to the PG Diploma and subsequently the MA Teaching & Learning in Higher Education, also coordinated by CIRTL.
Outline:
The Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education is a 30-credit program comprising three modules in total. Two core modules to the value of 25 credits are taken sequentially, typically in one academic year:
- TL6017 Theories of Teaching, Learning and Assessment (10 credits) - Semester 1
- TL6004 Practice Approaches to Teaching, Learning and Assessment (15 credits) - Semester 2 Students also choose one 5-credit module from the following electives to be taken in Semester 1:
- TL6009 Digital Education for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (5 credits) - Semester 1
- TL6010 Inclusive Academic Practice for Research Supervision (5 credits) - Semester 1 The Postgraduate Diploma is a part-time, fully online course and runs for two semesters over the academic year. Participants complete 2 x 15-credit modules. On successful completion of the Postgraduate Diploma, participants may progress to the MA Teaching & Learning in Higher Education.
Assessment:
Participants will prepare a portfolio of professional teaching practice over the course of the academic year. The portfolio consists of six entries that emerge from participants’ own practice. Assignments are undertaken on a pass/fail basis, in keeping with the spirit of continuing professional development.
Teaching:
The program is fully online. Students will get access to the program through Canvas, UCC’s Learning Management System. There will also be opportunities during the program to engage with peers in webinars as part of a community of practice approach to learning enhancement. The teaching team includes Dr Owen Jump, Dr Sarah Thelen, Dr Katy Dineen, and Teaching Fellows drawn from the four colleges of the University and related centers.
Careers:
This program provides staff who teach in higher education with an ideal opportunity to develop their practice by researching their teaching to enhance learning.
Irish/EU fee: €1,800 for 30 Credits to complete the Postgraduate Certificate (€900 per 15-credit module).
Entry Requirements:
- Academic Requirements: Applicants must hold a primary honors degree (NFQ, Level 8) and be currently teaching in the third-level education sector with an active teaching timetable. This includes supervision, placement work, lab-based work, in-field work, or online teaching. A minimum of 12 hours of teaching in both semesters 1 and 2 is required, totaling at least 24 teaching hours over the academic year.
- Exceptional Circumstances: In exceptional cases, applicants with a primary ordinary degree (NFQ, Level 7) may be considered, subject to meeting the teaching requirements and review by the program team.
- PhD Students: PhD students who cannot meet the minimum teaching hours are not eligible for the Postgraduate Certificate but are encouraged to apply for the Postgraduate Training Modules in teaching and learning. They should also consider, along with their supervisors, the workload of the 30-credit program and whether the 5-credit Postgraduate Training Modules are more appropriate.
- International/Non-EU Applicants: Not all courses are open to international
on-EU applicants.
Language Proficiency Requirements:
- For applicants from non-native English speaking backgrounds: Proof of English language certification is not required if currently employed in the third-level education sector where the main language of instruction is English. Applicants in this category must provide proof of employment, such as a letter from their director of Human Resources, demonstrating their work in a third-level educational setting where English is the primary language of instruction.
