Program Overview

Creative Education at UCA

UCA’s Creative Education Postgraduate Certificate programmes give you the tools to develop your confidence as an educational professional, within creative contexts and settings.

There are two pathways for this course:

• Postgraduate Certificate Creative Education
• Postgraduate Certificate Creative Education (Advance HE Fellowship Pathway)

The Fellowship Pathway is available to UCA staff and Advance HE collaborative partners only. For more information please see the course information documents.

At UCA, we recognise the transformative potential of education to improve the lives of individuals and communities, and the two pathways offered will help you build on your teaching practice to make more confident judgements regarding teaching, learning and assessment. Using a range of creative approaches, you will develop your ability to design, plan and facilitate effective learning to meet the needs of a diverse student body.

As part of our commitment to maintaining an equitable, diverse, connected and democratic community that supports effective learning, we offer flexible study opportunities, and the courses are delivered predominantly online to enable you to study around your professional commitments.

Taught sessions are delivered by video-conference on Wednesday mornings between 10am and 12noon (GMT), and on Thursdays with the option of either 11:30am to 12:30am (GMT) or 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm (GMT). In addition to these, you will participate in online discussions and activities that enable you to apply your learning in your own professional context.

On the Advance HE Fellowship pathway only, each unit of study is aligned with Descriptors 1 and 2 of the UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF), ensuring you are well prepared to work effectively as a creative educator in the Higher Education sector upon graduation. Successful completion of each unit of study on this pathway enables you to be recognised as an Associate Fellow (unit 1) or Fellow (unit 2) of Advance HE.

Course Entry Options

• PgCert Creative Education: The Postgraduate Certificate Creative Education is a 60-credit taught programme designed to support the inclusive learning and teaching practices of those in adult education. This pathway is suitable for those in Further Education, Higher Education and the Adult Lifelong Learning sector.
  • Campus: Canterbury
  • Start date(s): September 2025, September 2026
  • Duration: Less than a year
  • Entry requirements: See details on course page
• PgCert Creative Education (Advance HE Fellowship Pathway): The Postgraduate Certificate in Creative Education (Fellowship Pathway) is accredited by Advance HE up to D2 (Fellowship). This 60-credit programme is designed to support the inclusive learning and teaching practices of those in Higher Education at UCA. This pathway is eligible for UCA staff and Advance HE collaborative partners only.
  • Campus: Canterbury
  • Start date(s): September 2025, September 2026
  • Duration: Less than a year
  • Entry requirements: See details on course page

What You'll Study

Unit One: Learning About Creative Education

The first unit, Learning About Creative Education , focuses on how students learn in creative contexts and enables you to explore inclusive and intercultural approaches to education. Using relevant academic literature, you will examine the characteristics of creative learning environments and guidance, and consider the role of assessment and feedback in effective learning. The unit also provides opportunities to compare the educational value of a range of learning technologies, and to consider ways of engaging and motivating students.

Unit Two: Analysing Creative Education

The second unit, Analysing Creative Education, explores the ways in which educational experiences can enable us to transcend personal and professional constraints, and examines your role in facilitating these opportunities. By relating your professional experiences to relevant academic literature, you will critically reflect on issues including:

• The role of assessment and feedback in effective learning
• Your role in quality assurance
• Appropriate and creative use of a range of learning technologies
• The wider social and policy context of creative education

By the end of the unit, you will be able to critically reflect on your professional development needs and identify potential next steps.

Fees & Funding

UK

• Tuition fees: 2025/26: £1,390 (per 30 credits)
• Financial support: There are lots of ways you can access additional financial support to help you fund your studies - both from UCA and from external sources. Discover what support you might qualify for please see our financial support information.
• Additional course costs: In addition to the tuition fees there may be other costs for your course. The things that you are likely to need to budget for to get the most out of a creative arts education will include books, printing costs, occasional or optional study trips and/or project materials.

Course Connections

Industry Links

Our course provides the opportunity to focus on developing teaching practice, at the same time as professional art and design practice. This dual professionalism is highly valued in FE and HE contexts.

You will gain experience of developing a small-scale research project provides experience of producing, writing and disseminating research.

Past participants have found this valuable when applying for practice-based research funding or writing PhD proposals.

Careers

A successful career in teaching or supporting learning in FE and HE contexts requires three key ingredients. These include: a subject discipline qualification (preferably at Masters level), significant professional art and design or professional support practice, and a teaching qualification

The Postgraduate Certificate in Education is the generally accepted teacher or supporter of learning qualification in the FE and HE sectors.

For those working in the FE sector - the Postgraduate Certificate in Creative Education covers the FE and skills sector mandatory content of the Diploma in Education and Training.

Further Study

You may want to undertake further study or research to specialise even more.

Entry & Portfolio Requirements

UK

• Entry requirements for the PgCert Creative Education:
  • Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector (PTLLS)/equivalent (e.g. City and Guilds 730 or Certificate in Education) or,
  • BA (Hons) (normally first or upper second or equivalent)/international equivalent in a relevant discipline),
  • A confirmed teaching/supporting learning related workload of at least 40 hours for the duration of the programme. This must be in a teaching/supporting learning role at a Higher Education/ Further Education and Skills establishment.
  • Your teaching/supporting learning workload must include student contact hours and assessment responsibilities
• Entry requirements for the PgCert Creative Education Advance HE Fellowship Pathway:
  • Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector (PTLLS)/equivalent (e.g. City and Guilds 730 or Certificate in Education) or,
  • BA (Hons) (normally first or upper second or equivalent)/international equivalent in a relevant discipline),
  • A confirmed teaching/supporting learning related workload of at least 70 hours for the duration of the programme. This must be in a teaching/supporting learning role at UCA, or an approved UCA collaborative partner.
  • Your teaching/supporting learning workload must include student contact hours and assessment responsibilities

International and EU

Due to visa requirements, this course is not available to students that require a Tier 4 (General) visa.

If you have another category of visa please contact us: to find out if you are eligible to study.