Program Overview

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Professional Master of Education (Art & Design)

Course Outline

Our Professional Master of Education in Art & Design is a two-year full-time professional teacher education programme offered jointly by UCC's School of Education and the Munster Technological University (MTU) Crawford College of Art & Design (CCAD). This Professional Master of Education (PME) leads to a professional qualification as a post-primary teacher of Art and Design. It is recognised and accredited by the Teaching Council of Ireland for the purpose of registration as a post-primary teacher of Art and Design in both Ireland and the EU.

The programme integrates three strands of study:

• The practice of teaching Art and Design through two school placements - one per year of the programme;
• Workshop attendance to broaden subject knowledge and meet the demands of the post-primary Art and Design curricula along with exploring Art and Design Pedagogy;
• Lecture and tutorial attendance, at MTU, CCAD, and UCC. These lectures develop the requisite professional knowledge, skills, understanding and competencies of the student-teacher.

During the two-year PME (Art & Design) programme, you will be introduced to best practice in teaching, learning and educational research with special emphasis placed on meeting the diverse needs of learners, on the curriculum and on current issues in education.

Students are encouraged to integrate educational theory and practice through extensive reflection on their own professional classroom practice. They are supported in their development by experienced teachers in schools and tutored by specialist MTU, CCAD, and UCC staff in nurturing their professional identity as teachers.

Placement Information

The PME-Art and Design programme is organised in partnership with second-level schools, normally located within a 50 km (30 miles) radius of Cork city. Please note given its nature this programme is subject to the University's Fitness to Practise Policy.

As part of their University programme, some students are required to undertake placement and training that involve dealing directly with patients, clients or service users.

• Year 1

In Year 1 the responsibility for securing a placement school rests with the student with guidance and support by the school placement coordinator (MTU). A school placement should not be secured until students have been offered a place on the programme. After an interview by the school, students are contracted until the end of the school year to carry out their teaching placement in the school where their school placement forms were signed. Students must ensure that there is a minimum of twelve students in their placement class groups for supervision purposes.

• Year 2

To proceed to School Placement in Year 2 students must have passed the Year 1 placement. Each student in expected to have a contrasting placement experience in a different school context for Year 2. The placement school for Year 2 will again be selected by the student but the choice will be mediated and approved by the school placement coordinator (MTU).

Please note, the school placement modules are undertaken in line with the school calendar, and therefore placement starts from the middle of August until the end of May.

Course Content

Year 1 Core Modules (60 credits):

• School Placement-Related Activity
  • ED6322 School Placement I (20 credits)
  • ED6331 School Placement: Research and Professional Experiences Portfolio A (5 credits)
  • ED6332 School Placement: Research and Professional experiences Portfolio B (5 credits)
• Practice, Curriculum, and Pedagogy of Art & Design
  • ED6323 The Teaching of Art and Design (5 credits)
  • ED6324 Curriculum-related Art and Design Practice (5 credits)
• Foundation Studies
  • ED6301 Philosophy and History of Education (5 credits)
  • ED6302 Introduction to Psychology and Sociology of Education (5 credits)
  • ED6303 Curriculum and Assessment (5 credits)
  • ED6306 Inclusion-Special Educational Needs and Multicultural Education (5 credits)

Year 2 Core Modules (60 credits):

• School Placement-Related Activity
  • ED6358 School Placement II (30 credits)
  • ED6341 Collaborative Seminar: Contemporary Issues in Irish Schools (5 credits)
  • ED6354 Literacy and Numeracy Development in the Post-Primary Classroom (5 credits)
  • ED6362 Designing Curriculum and Assessment for the Contemporary Classroom (5 credits)
• Research in Art & Design Education
  • ED6359 PME Professional Research Paper (10 credits)
• Critical Art and Design Pedagogy
  • ED6353 The Teaching of Art and Design II (5 credits)

Why Choose This Course

By the end of the programme, you will have acquired the professional knowledge, the diverse subject knowledge, the understanding and the skills that you need to teach Art and Design in a secondary-level school. You will have gained practical experience in two contrasting school settings and will have developed your ability to respond flexibly to the diverse and changing needs of students aged from 12 to 18 years.

This is a transformative programme that will challenge, encourage, and invite you to question your beliefs and assumptions about the purpose of education. It is an opportunity to truly consider the nature of teaching and learning, and your role as a teacher in the 21st century.

Placement or Study Abroad Information

The course includes teaching placements under supervision in cooperating post-primary schools. All candidates, therefore, must obtain teaching placements in one of the School of Education’s and Department of Arts in Health and Education’s recognised second-level schools.

As per Teaching Council guidelines, the programme includes a requirement for two separate mentored and supervised school placements (one in Year 1 and one in Year 2) in recognised cooperating post-primary schools.

School placements are designed to give student teachers opportunities to gain professional experience in classrooms and schools, to learn about teaching and learning in a variety of situations, to participate fully in the life of the school and to gain an in-depth understanding of the role of the teacher and the school more generally.

In both Years 1 and 2, students must obtain teaching hours in cooperating second-level schools normally within a 50km radius of Cork City, which will facilitate their attendance at the required lectures, workshops and other commitments on campus on specific days and times during the teaching week. The list of approved cooperating schools for the PME (Art & Design) placement will be sent to successful applicants when they formally accept their place on the programme.

Requirements

Candidates must have as a minimum requirement a Second Class Honours Grade II in a primary honours degree (NFQ, Level 8) in a Fine Art or Design discipline(s) that is recognised by the Teaching Council of Ireland for the teaching of art in a post-primary school. Eligible applicants will also be interviewed.

Fees and Costs

Postgraduate EU and International Fees 2025/2026

See our Postgraduate EU and Non-EU (International) Fee Schedule for the latest information.

Deposits

If your course requires a deposit, that figure will be deducted from your second-semester fee payment in January.

Fee payment

Fees are payable in two equal instalments. First payment is at registration and the balance usually by the end of January.

How can I pay?

See different options on our How Do I Pay My Fees? page.

How To Apply

1. Check dates

Check the opening and closing dates for the application process in the yellow fact file boxes at the top of this webpage. The UCC online application portal usually opens around mid October.

2. Gather documents

Scanned copies of supporting documents have to be uploaded to the UCC online application portal and include:

• Original qualification documents listed on your application, including transcripts of results from institutions other than UCC.
• Any supplementary items requested for your course, if required.

3. Apply online

Apply online by clicking the red 'Apply Now' button below. Note most of our courses have a non-refundable €50 application fee.

Additional Requirements (All Applicants)

Please note you will be required to provide additional information as part of the online application process for this programme. This will include the following questions:

• You may enter the details of professional or voluntary positions held. We strongly encourage you to complete this section with all relevant work experiences that will support your application.
• In addition to your previously declared qualifications, please outline any additional academic courses, self-learning and professional training relevant to this programme.
• Please describe your motivation and readiness for this programme.
• You will be requested to provide the details of one academic referee and one professional referee (this can be from a voluntary role). Both referees will be contacted at shortlisting stage by the review panel.

PME Art & Design Application Fee

• Application Fee- €100

Deferrals

• Deferrals are not permitted on this programme.

The closing date for non-EU applications is 4 February 2025.