Program Overview

Education (Primary) PGDE

The Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) provides students with the skills, knowledge, and experience to develop a career in primary teaching. This GTCS-accredited qualification combines classroom learning with comprehensive placements throughout Dumfries & Galloway.

Programme Details

• The programme is 10 months full-time and is based at the Dumfries campus.
• Applications to PGDE must be made through UCAS.
• The programme starts in August.

Why this Programme

• This programme is accredited by the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS), giving students the qualification to pursue teaching roles in schools across the UK.
• The programme provides students with the knowledge, skills, and values needed to become a committed professional in today's schools.
• Students will develop creative ways to enthuse and educate children, building on their subject-specific knowledge.
• The programme emphasizes reflective practice linked to professional standards, helping students develop skills to become a reflective practitioner in the classroom.

Programme Structure

• Students will undertake 18 weeks of study at the University and 18 weeks of school experience in partner schools.
• Core courses include:
  • Learning And Teaching In The Primary Curriculum
  • PGDE with Teaching Qualification: School Experience
  • Professional Enquiry
  • Understanding Learning And Teaching

Career Prospects

• Upon successful completion of the PGDE, students will have met the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) Standard for Provisional Registration, allowing them to begin working within a school(s) to achieve the Standard for Full Registration.
• Many graduates are teaching in Scotland's primary and secondary schools, as well as throughout the UK and further abroad.

Fees & Funding

• Tuition fees for international and EU students: È26,460 (full-time)
• Tuition fees for Scotland: È1,820 (full-time)
• Tuition fees for the rest of the UK: È9,790 (full-time)
• Additional fees:
  • Fee for re-assessment of a dissertation (PGT programme): È370
  • Submission of thesis after deadline lapsed: È350
  • Registration/exam only fee: È170
• Funding opportunities:
  • Chevening Scholarship
  • Commonwealth Scholarship Schemes
  • Colfuturo Fundacion para el Futuro de Colombia
  • Postgraduate Tuition Fee Loans England only (PTFL)
  • Postgraduate Loans for Welsh Students
  • Postgraduate Student Loan (Scotland and EU)
  • Erasmus+ Master Degree Loans
  • India Excellence Award
  • DAAD-University of Glasgow 1-year Masters grant
  • Glasgow Highland Society Scholarship

Entry Requirements

• The programme is aimed at graduates with relevant subject content in their academic study, who have demonstrated an interest in teaching children through a range of experiences in both formal and informal settings.
• Academic entry requirements:
  • Degree: validated by a higher education institution in the UK or an equivalent standard from a higher education institution outside the UK.
  • English: National Qualifications in English at SCQF Level 6 or an accepted alternative.
  • Mathematics: National Qualifications in Mathematics at SCQF Level 5 or an accepted alternative.
• Accepted alternative qualifications in English and Mathematics are listed.
• Evidence of completed qualifications is required.
• Personal statement, experience, and reference are considered.
• Interviews will be held from December.

English Language Requirements

• For applicants from non-English speaking countries, the University sets a minimum English Language proficiency level.
• Accepted English language qualifications include IELTS, TOEFL, Pearsons PTE Academic, Cambridge Proficiency in English, and others.
• Alternatives to English language qualification, such as a degree from a majority-English speaking country, are accepted.
• Pre-sessional courses are available.

How to Apply

• Applications must be made online through the UCAS website.
• The University of Glasgow UCAS code is required.
• The programme remains open after the UCAS deadline of 14 January 2026.
• Deferral of entry may be requested in unforeseen and unforeseeable circumstances.