Overview

The Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice is an innovative and flexible professional development programme designed for individuals engaged in teaching within higher education. This fully online/blended programme promotes best practices in higher education teaching, learning, and assessment, empowering both staff and students to adapt to the evolving demands of the higher education landscape and society at large. The programme stands out for its unique design, allowing participants to create their personalized professional development paths, establish learning goals, and document their engagement in professional learning through a dynamic and portable ePortfolio.

Key Features

• Flexible delivery format, accommodating both online and blended learning options.
• Interactive and collaborative engagement strategy, grounded in evidence-based scholarly practices.
• Utilization of a virtual learning environment (Moodle) for asynchronous access to module materials.
• Access to recorded synchronous (live) sessions for those unable to participate in real-time.
• Peer and mentor meetings can be scheduled online or face-to-face at convenient times.

Participants are encouraged to reflect on their professional experiences, engage with relevant disciplinary literature, and implement evidence-based academic practices through a structured cycle of planning, execution, and evaluation.

Career Opportunities

This programme is tailored for individuals currently in teaching roles within higher education—including academic and professional services staff. It serves as a pathway for professional growth and leadership opportunities in higher education academic practice.

Student Experience

Participants typically select a module or other academic practice context to plan, implement, and evaluate their initiatives. Past enhancement projects have included:

• Facilitating student engagement through co-creation of learning experiences.
• Utilizing podcasting to develop subject knowledge and language skills.
• Employing student-generated video for authentic assessments.
• Piloting theological reflection models.
• Enhancing understanding of academic integrity through formative feedback on plagiarism.

Throughout their engagement, learners maintain an ePortfolio documenting and reflecting on their experiential learning cycle, supported by peer learning groups and regular mentorship.

Embedding Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

The programme integrates Universal Design for Learning principles, empowering learners to craft personalized UDL experiences that inform similar approaches for their own students. The UDL Digital Badge is embedded in the programme since September 2022, fostering learners' competencies in UDL and inclusive academic practices.

Student Profile

The programme caters to:

• Academic staff across disciplines.
• Educational and learning technologists.
• Educational and academic developers.
• Research staff.
• Library and support staff.

The online and blended formats ensure maximum flexibility, effectively aligning with current practices and priorities.

Programme Content

Structure and Modules

The programme spans two semesters, with each comprising one module of 15 ECTS credits. The assessment involves the creation or updating of a teaching and learning portfolio, allowing for flexibility in start dates within the academic year.

• EDU508 Enhancing Academic Practice 1: Focuses on a practice-based approach to improving academic practice, supporting learners in self-selecting enhancement areas grounded in their current contexts. This module is underpinned by the UDL Digital Badge, equipping participants with an understanding of inclusive practices.
• EDU509 Enhancing Academic Practice 2: Builds on the first module, enabling learners to implement and evaluate their action plans while critically reflecting on evidence-based practices. It emphasizes creating and finalizing a comprehensive teaching and learning portfolio that encapsulates the learners' commitment to professional development.

Entry Requirements

This programme is designed for all individuals involved in teaching within higher education. Applicants should have an active engagement in a teaching and learning environment throughout the programme. The minimum academic entry requirement is an undergraduate degree at Level 8 (QQI).

English Language Requirements

Applicants whose first language is not English must demonstrate their proficiency through an IELTS composite score of 6.5 – 7.0, with no less than 6.0 in any one component, or an equivalent qualification accepted by the University of Limerick. An interview may be required for such applicants.

Application Process

Applications are accepted for the September intake. Interested candidates must complete specific application steps, including submitting the application form and any necessary academic documentation.

Mary Immaculate College (MIC), known in Irish as Coláiste Mhuire Gan Smál, is a university-level College of Education and the Liberal Arts in Limerick, Ireland, academically linked with the University of Limerick. Founded in 1898 by Bishop Edward Thomas O'Dwyer and the Sisters of Mercy for the professional education of Catholic primary school teachers, MIC is the oldest third-level institution in Limerick City.

The foundation stone was laid on 8 December 1898 on an 11-acre site jointly purchased by the Bishop and the Sisters of Mercy, with construction led by Dublin architect George Byrne and Limerick contractors Molloy. The College opened its doors to its first students on 21 September 1901, and was officially opened on 16 May 1902. From its original 75 young women enrolled in 1901, MIC has grown into a multi-campus institution with a student population of over 5,000.

Mission

Mary Immaculate College is a third-level Catholic College of Education and the Liberal Arts. The College community promotes excellence in teaching, learning and research at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and seeks to foster the intellectual, spiritual, personal and professional development of students within a supportive and challenging environment that guarantees the intellectual freedom of staff and students. In particular, the College seeks to foster in its students a spirit of justice and compassion in the service of others, together with an openness to the religious tradition and values of each individual.

The College promotes a sense of identity enriched by an awareness of its Catholic tradition, the cultures, languages and traditions of Ireland, and its special commitment to the Irish language. Mary Immaculate College respects cultural diversity and strives to promote equity in society, providing an environment where all have the freedom and opportunity to achieve their full potential.

Founding vision

MIC continues to embrace the founding vision of Catherine McAuley, who established the Sisters of Mercy as champions for the most marginalised in society, with the conviction that education was essential to that mission. This emphasis on social justice and educational inclusion remains central to the College's institutional identity as it has grown and diversified over more than 125 years.

Academic structure

MIC offers programmes across two faculties, Education and Arts, spanning Level 4 to Level 10 on the National Framework of Qualifications. Undergraduate programmes are offered in:

• Primary and Post-Primary Teaching (Bachelor of Education, Teaching Council-accredited)
• Liberal Arts, with a choice of 14 subjects across a flexible, wide-ranging programme
• Early Childhood Care and Education
• Psychology, including a Bachelor of Science in Psychology incorporating workplace experience
• Drama and English
• English Language and Literature

The MIC Thurles campus additionally offers post-primary teacher education programmes in Home Economics, Gaeilge, Mathematics, Business Studies, Theology and Religious Studies, and Accounting. Postgraduate study is available across both faculties at Diploma, Master's and PhD level, alongside professional development and lifelong learning programmes.

Campuses

MIC is a multi-campus institution with centrally located, state-of-the-art facilities in both Limerick City and Thurles, Co. Tipperary:

• MIC Limerick: the College's original and main campus on South Circular Road, home to the historic 1899 building that remains central to College life today, alongside a state-of-the-art Sports Complex completed in 2008 at a cost of €16 million, and the 510-seat Lime Tree Theatre, officially opened in October 2012
• MIC Thurles: incorporated into MIC in 2016, originally established as a second-level school in 1837 and later a major seminary, today offering seven undergraduate programmes delivered by staff from both the Faculty of Education and the Faculty of Arts, with on-campus accommodation and the O'Dwyer Library housing approximately 15,000 print resources

Both campuses are characterised by an informal, relaxed atmosphere and a close rapport between students and staff, with the amenities of city and town life on the doorstep.

Affiliation with the University of Limerick

MIC has been academically linked with the University of Limerick since a formal partnership was established in 1990, with UL becoming MIC's accrediting body. Degrees were conferred by the National University of Ireland until 1994, and by UL from 1995 onward. In 1999, MIC became the first Irish College of Education to offer a Bachelor of Arts degree programme. The first PhD was awarded by MIC in 2003. MIC is also a member of the Shannon Consortium, a collaborative framework alongside the University of Limerick and Technological University of the Shannon.

Student life and facilities

• Wired FM (Wired 99.9FM): Limerick's only licensed student community radio station, run in partnership with the Technological University of the Shannon
• Lime Tree Theatre: a 510-seat venue on the Limerick campus hosting theatre, music, comedy, traditional arts, school performances and conferences
• MIC Munster GAA Centre of Excellence and extensive College Sport opportunities, supported by the dedicated Sports Complex
• CRAFT Maker Space, supporting hands-on creativity and enterprise
• Mary Immaculate Students' Union (MISU), marking 25 years of representing the student body
• Clubs and Societies, Arts and Culture programming, and a strong Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Interculturalism (EDII) commitment
• Recognition as an Age Friendly Campus
• Careers Service, Study Abroad opportunities, and an Off-Campus Programme

Leadership and governance

The College's first six Presidents were members of the Sisters of Mercy, beginning with Sr Paul Quinlan in 1898, followed by Sr Veronica Cullinan, Sr Celsus Barry, Sr Loreto Ní Chonchúir, Sr Cabrini Moloney and Sr Angela Bugler. Professor Peadar Cremin, appointed in 1999, was the seventh President and the first lay person to hold the position. He was succeeded by Professor Michael A. Hayes in 2011 and Professor Eugene Wall in 2018, the ninth President in the College's history. Mary Immaculate College is currently led by Professor Dermot Nestor, President of the College, with the Bishop of Limerick serving as Chairperson of the Board of Trustees.