Program Overview

The Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE)

The Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) is a professional teaching qualification aimed at graduates interested in teaching as a career.

Overview

The PGCE provides professional preparation for teaching Senior Phase (SP) grades 7-9 and Further Education and Training (FET, grades 10-12) phases of schooling. The programme is offered on both a full-time basis (1 year) and a part-time basis (2 years). Full-time students attend lectures during the day, while part-time lectures take place between 17h30 21h00.

Career Opportunities

• Secondary school teacher trained to teach one FET subject and at least one SP subject

Curriculum

All applicants must complete the following courses:

• Theory of Education A and B
• One Major FET Subject Methodology
• Teaching Experience in the Major FET subject
• One SP Subject Methodology (+ optional: a 2nd SP subject methodology if the timetable allows for this not available for part-time students)
• Teaching Experience in the SP Subject/s
• Endorsement courses (where necessary) in Computer Literacy and Language Proficiency:
  • Conversational competence in an indigenous African language (excluding Afrikaans) or South African Sign Language (SASL).

Subject Specific Information

The following table provides information related to the FET and aligned SP subject: | FET subject methodology | SP subject methodology | | --- | --- | | Accounting/ Business Studies/ Economics | Economics and Management Sciences | | Dramatic Arts/ Visual Arts/ music | Arts and Culture | | English | Languages | | Geography | Social Sciences or Natural Sciences | | History | Social Sciences | | Life Sciences | Natural Sciences or Mathematics | | Mathematics | Mathematics | | Physical Sciences | Natural Sciences | | SASL | SASL | | ICT | No SP ICT methodology course offered |

Entry Requirements

Please see PGCE entry requirements. Once your application is complete in terms of the requested documentation, your application will be referred to the relevant School for assessment.

University Application Process

Applications are handled centrally by the Student Enrolment Centre (SEnC). Once your application is complete in terms of requested documentation, your application will be referred to the relevant School for assessment.

• Applicants can monitor the progress of their applications via the Self Service Portal.
• Selections for programmes that have a limited intake but attract a large number of applications may only finalise the application at the end of the application cycle.

University Fees and Funding

The Fees site provides information about the payment of fees and closing dates for fees payments. For information about postgraduate funding opportunities, including the postgraduate merit award, the University's Postgraduate Funding portal is a database of scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities available to Wits postgraduate students.

Programme Details

• Faculty: Humanities
• School: Wits School of Education
• Qualification: PGCE
• Duration: 1-2 years
• Study Mode: Full-time; Part-time
• Closing Date: 30 September
• Course Coordinator: Dr Sphamandla Zulu (PGCE Coordinator)

Scholarship Opportunities

• Jakes Gerwel Fellowship - Graduate Teaching Fellowship
• Funza Lushaka bursaries: A limited number of Funza Lushaka bursaries are available to candidates with excellent results in priority subjects.