Program Overview

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Overview

The Dental Education PGCert provides dental professionals with a flexible and practice-based opportunity to enhance educational practice, skills, and knowledge. This course is designed for dental professionals aspiring to be clinical supervisors in undergraduate and/or postgraduate programmes, Foundation Dental Supervisors, and Therapist Educational Supervisors.

What You'll Learn

The programme provides opportunities for you to develop and demonstrate:

• knowledge and understanding
• qualities
• skills
• other attributes You'll learn to:
• use theories and principles underpinning clinical education to inform your own educational practice and the practice of others
• relate educational issues in clinical practice to a wider educational context
• critically appraise theory, ‘evidence’ and empirical data as well as your own practice
• take a strategic approach to your own identified educational needs and plan appropriately to address these needs
• design and deliver educational interventions

Modules

You will study modules on this course. A module is a unit of a course with its own approved aims and outcomes and assessment methods.

• Compulsory Modules:
  • Teaching and Learning in the Dental Workplace
  • Teaching and Learning in the Classroom
• Optional Modules:
  • Understanding Programmes of Learning
  • Current Educational Issues

How You'll Learn

Delivery and teaching methods:

• online learning
• on-campus study days
• post-study day support You'll learn through a mixture of:
• lectures
• small group discussions
• classroom and online exercises Assessment methods:
• Essay
• Report
• Reflective log
• Written exercise

Your Future

This course will support you to progress as a clinical supervisor, Foundation Dental Supervisor, or Therapist Educational Supervisor.

Quality and Ranking

• 42% of our research is classified as 4* world-leading research – Research Excellence Framework 2021
• 65% increase in research power since 2014 – Research Excellence Framework 2021
• Global Top 140 University – QS World University Rankings 2026
• Global Top 160 University - Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025
• Top 100 for Medical and Health – Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject 2025
• Top 120 for Dentistry - QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025
• Top 25 in the UK and Top 100 in the world for sustainable development – Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2024
• Top 95 for Life Sciences and Medicine - QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025

Professional Accreditation and Recognition

This course is accredited by the Academy of Medical Educators.

Facilities

The School of Dental Sciences at Newcastle is one of the most modern and best-equipped in the country. We have a spacious, purpose-built facility in the same building as the Dental Hospital. We're also next to the Medical School and Royal Victoria Infirmary teaching hospital. We are one of the largest integrated teaching and hospital complexes in the country. Our facilities include:

• a cone beam CT scanner and implant planning software, used extensively for patients treated on our implant programmes
• in-house production laboratories providing excellent learning opportunities around clinician-technician communication
• excellent library and computing facilities on-site
• research laboratories in Oral Biology, Anthropology, and Dental Materials Science
• a dedicated clinical research facility offering clinical training and research opportunities of the highest international standard

Fees and Funding

Tuition Fees for 2026 Entry (per year)

• Qualification: PGCert Part-time: £4,400 Tuition fee increases: As a general principle, you should expect the tuition fee to increase in each subsequent academic year of your course, subject to government regulations on fee increases and in line with inflation.

Scholarships

We support our EU and international students by providing a generous range of Vice-Chancellor's automatic and merit-based scholarships.

Entry Requirements

Academic Entry Requirements

A relevant primary dental degree (such as a BDS, BChD, DDS, or international equivalent), or a 2.1 Bachelor (Hons) degree (or international-equivalent) in Dental Hygiene and/or Dental Therapy.

English Language Requirements

Select your qualification:

• IELTS
• Pearson
• Duolingo English Test
• TOEFL
• Other
• Pre-Sessional Entry - 6 weeks
• Pre-Sessional Entry - 10 weeks

Admissions Policy

This policy applies to all undergraduate and postgraduate admissions at Newcastle University. It is intended to provide information about our admissions policies and procedures to applicants and potential applicants, to their advisors and family members, and to staff of the University.

Credit Transfer and Recognition of Prior Learning

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) can allow you to convert existing relevant university-level knowledge, skills, and experience into credits towards a qualification. Find out more about the RPL policy which may apply to this course.