• Postgraduate

Professional Academic Practice PgCert

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Overview

Overview

Are you teaching in higher education? Would you like to enhance your practice by exploring the latest developments in academic learning and teaching? 

Whether you are new to teaching in higher education in the UK or are an established teaching professional, our inspiring online course is designed to help you develop your teaching skills, techniques and methodologies. 

To take this postgraduate certificate in higher education you will need to be involved in a minimum of 60 hours of teaching and/or supporting student learning during the year.

This is so you can reflect on your academic practice and actively engage in enhancing your teaching as you study.

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Select your desired study option, then pick a start date to see relevant course information:

Study options:
We support flexible study by offering some of our courses part-time or via distance learning. To give you real world experience before you graduate, we also offer some courses with a placement or internship. All available options are listed here. Your choices may affect some details of your course, such as the duration and cost per year. Please re-check the details on this page if you change your selection.

Start date:

If your desired start date is not available, try selecting a different study option.

Why study Professional Academic Practice with us?

Why study Professional Academic Practice with us?

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What our students say…

UWL has a great community feel and I love my course. It's the place to be.

Kyle Birch
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statistic announcing this course has been ranked 23rd overall in the UK by the Guardian University Guide
Lifelong careers support from the UWL Careers Service.
Industry focused teaching
Access to Perlego
Course detail & modules

Course detail & modules

This online course has been carefully designed to balance the time you spend in traditional study, taking part in activities (alone and in a group) and producing work.  

As the course focuses on academic practice, you will be taught using a wide range of teaching tools and methods including online lectures, presentations, group work, wikis (collaborative writing), discussions, video, simulation and social media. You will use tools including Blackboard, Collaborate and Campus Press.

Throughout the course, we aim to: 

  • support you in becoming a reflective practitioner whose teaching is inclusive and underpinned by scholarship 
  • provide a safe learning environment where you can critique current issues and agendas within higher education 
  • develop your academic practice and support your ongoing professional development plan.

While studying for your postgraduate certificate in higher education you will be expected to effectively manage your time so you are able to fully contribute to, and benefit from, the coursework. To help you plan, we will give you an estimate of how long learning activities and study will take each week. This will help you to develop your strengths in self-direction and initiative.

At the start of your course, you will have an online induction. This not only introduces you to the course requirements but also provides an opportunity for you to develop your online learning skills. 

Over the course of the PgCert, you will develop a portfolio and submit it through a virtual learning environment. This may include:

  • a reflection on observations of your academic practice by peers and mentors
  • a reflective account of your own academic practice, underpinned and aligned with the United Kingdom Professional Standards Framework of the HEA

You will have access to your course leader and your personal tutor can support your online activities and give you feedback as you develop your portfolio and coursework. You will also have a mentor at work who will be your first point of contact for the workplace activities on the course. They will also offer guidance on developing your subject-specific skills and on your career development.  

Upon successful completion of the programme, you will have demonstrated or will be able to demonstrate:

  • an understanding of knowledge, and a critical awareness of current problems and/or new insights in academic practice
  • an understanding of the techniques used in the study of learning and teaching practices
  • an understanding of how to evaluate and analyse research and current practice and policies
  • an ability to deal with complex issues, make decisions based on available data and communicate conclusions to specialist and non-specialist audiences
  • the ability to reflect on your own academic practice, learn independently and engage in continuing professional development.

Compulsory modules

The single study module for this course will be divided into 6 major themes:

- Learning Theories and our students
- Teaching the subject knowledge
- Curriculum design
- Assessment and Feedback
- The professional academic
- Policy and Quality

Two additional sub-themes, Technology and Evidence-Based Practice are addressed in all the major themes.

The Learning Outcomes for the course are adapted from those of the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ) at Level 7.
Entry requirements

Entry requirements

You should have one of the following:

  • an honours degree from a UK university or the Republic of Ireland
  • an honours degree from an approved institution of higher education outside the UK and Republic of Ireland; please visit the country pages for more information
  • a recognised equivalent professional qualification

You will need to provide evidence that you will be engaging in at least 60 hours of teaching and/or supporting student learning throughout the academic year.

We look for students who show enthusiasm and a passion for the subject through previous study or professional experience.

If you have any questions about the relevance of your qualifications, experience or the course in general, please contact the course leader Kate Hellman (kate.hellman@uwl.ac.uk) or the Head of CELT Dr Jessica Frye (Jessica.frye@uwl.ac.uk).

Fees & funding

Fees & funding

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The fee above is the cost per year of your course.

If your course runs for two years or more, you will need to pay the fee for each academic year at the start of that year. If your course runs for less than two years, the cost above is for your full course and you will need to pay the full fee upfront.

Government regulation does affect tuition fees and the fees listed for courses starting in the 2025/26 academic year are subject to change.

If no fee is shown above then the fees for this course are not available yet. Please check again later for updates.

Funding your studies

A range of loans, bursaries and scholarships are available to help you fund your studies.

If you are studying a Masters course you may be eligible to apply for a Postgraduate Loan, this may help contribute towards your course fees and living costs.

Additional funding is available to some types of students, such as disabled students. 

Within the university, we offer a range of scholarships and bursaries. View full details including conditions and eligibility.

Help with funding
{{ formatCurrencyValue(currentVariantData.field_p_cv_int_main_fee.name) }} per year

The fee above is the cost per year of your course.

If your course runs for two years or more, you will need to pay the fee for each academic year at the start of that year. If your course runs for less than two years, the cost above is for your full course and you will need to pay the full fee upfront.

Government regulation does affect tuition fees and the fees listed for courses starting in the 2025/26 academic year are subject to change.

If no fee is shown above then the fees for this course are not available yet. Please check again later for updates.

International students - funding your studies

We offer scholarships for international students including International Ambassador Scholarships. 

Further information about funding and financial support for international students is available from the UK Council for International Student Affairs.

 

Financial support for international students
Study & career progression

Study & career progression

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This course can help you develop your teaching practice in your current role or help to prepare you for your next career move or promotion.

Participants may be UWL staff or staff from other universities, but as a postgraduate student you will have access to life-long advice and support from the UWL Careers Team.

Whilst studying you may have discovered an area you want to study in more depth. Doctorate study enables you to specialise and develop your research and analysis skills. See our range of postgraduate courses for further details.

How to apply

How to apply

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Important notes for applicants

Disclaimer

*Modern universities - defined as higher education institutions that were granted university status in, and subsequent to, 1992.

**The National Student Survey 2022 and 2023 - Based on an average of all 27 questions. Excludes specialist institutions.

Testimonials - our students or former students provided all of our testimonials - often a student from the course but sometimes another student. For example, the testimonial often comes from another UWL student when the course is new.

Optional modules - where optional modules are offered they will run subject to staff availability and viable student numbers opting to take the module.

Videos - all videos on our course pages were accurate at the time of filming. In some cases a new Course Leader has joined the University since the video was filmed.

Availability of placements - if you choose a course with placement/internship route we would like to advise you that if a placement/internship opportunity does not arise when you are expected to undertake the placement then the University will automatically transfer you to the non-internship route, this is to ensure you are still successful in being awarded a degree.