How to apply for the PGDE Secondary

To be considered for PGDE Art and Design, applicants must have a degree that contains at least 80 credits in Art and Design. It is essential that the degree includes substantial studio-based practical experience.

Art and Design - W1X1

To be considered for PGDE Biology, candidates must have a degree which contains at least 80 credits in Biology specifically.

Degrees suitable for PGDE Biology

In some cases, applicants with the following degrees may be admitted to the programme depending on availability and qualification levels:

• Medicine
• Physiotherapy
• Veterinary

Applicants should include a full transcript of degree courses to demonstrate depth and breadth of Biology studied within the programme and send to the Admissions Office (CAHSS.UGAdmissions@ed.ac.uk) for review.

If you have an undergraduate degree in any of the following subjects, these would NOT be suitable for PGDE Biology:

• Nursing
• Nutrition
• Physiology when combined with Sports Science
• Sports Science

Biology - C1X1

To be qualified for PGDE Chemistry, candidates must have a degree which contains at least 40 credits in Chemistry specifically and a further 40 credits in a Chemistry-related subject.

Entry to the Chemistry programme is competitive as it is a popular course and in almost all cases, successful applicants will have a full degree in a Chemistry-related discipline.

Chemistry - F1X1

To be qualified for PGDE Design & Technology/Technological Education, applicants must have a degree with at least 80 credits in a relevant Design & Technology discipline. This degree should include:

• A minimum of 20 credit points from Technological subjects such as Mechanical, Electrical, or Electronic Engineering/Sciences, Mechatronics, Architecture, Construction Technology, Building Services.
• A minimum of 40 credit points from Design and Graphics-related subjects such as Computer-Aided Design, Graphic Design, Computer-Aided Design/Manufacture, Industrial Design, Product Design, or Consumer Design.

Degrees suitable for PGDE Design & Technology

If you have an undergraduate degree in any of the following subjects, these would be suitable for PGDE Design & Technology:

• Product Design Engineering, Product Design Innovation, Design for Industry, Consumer Design, Design and Manufacture, Construction Management, Architecture, Architecture Technology, Interior Design, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Electrical, Environmental Engineering, Manufacture Technology, Quantity Surveying.

We seek applicants capable of crossing boundaries and that have some design and engineering/technological knowledge and understanding. Applicants will be required to show the University their practical craft skills.

Design and Technology - J9X1

To be qualified for PGDE Drama, candidates must have a degree which contains at least 80 credits in Drama.

Degrees suitable for PGDE Drama

Relevant degrees vary widely, but we look for a degree which reflects both the practical and theoretical nature of Drama and Theatre Arts - providing the appropriate training, practical skills base, knowledge and understanding required for teaching Drama in Education within the context of the Scottish National Curriculum Framework.

Degrees in Drama, Acting, Theatre Studies or Theatre and Performance are ideal.

Drama - W4X1

To be qualified for PGDE English, candidates must have a degree which contains at least 80 credits in English Literature; however, the majority of our applicants traditionally have full degrees in English Literature.

Entry to the English programme is competitive as it is a popular course and in almost all cases, successful applicants will have full Honours degrees (at 2:1 or above) in an English-related discipline. 

Degrees suitable for PGDE English

Degrees in English Literature and Scottish Literature are suitable.

Full degrees in English Language are NOT acceptable.

English - Q3X1

To be qualified for the PGDE Geography, applicants must have a degree normally containing 80 SCQF credit points relevant to Geography. Of these, 40 of the credit points must have been studied at SCQF level 8 or above.

Credit from a Master’s degree, up to 20 SCQF credit points, may be considered but the University will make the decision about the direct relevance of the credit to the teaching of Geography.

Degrees suitable for PGDE Geography

If you have an undergraduate degree in any of the following subjects, these would be suitable for PGDE Geography if there are sufficient graduating credits in courses directly relating to Geography (other than research courses):

• Geology, Geosciences, Earth Science, Environmental Science, Sustainable Development

Applicants presenting with a degree other than a Geography degree should include a full transcript of degree courses to demonstrate the depth and breadth of Geography studied within the programme and send it to the Admissions Office (CAHSS.UGAdmissions@ed.ac.uk). 

Geography - F8X1

To be qualified for PGDE History, applicants must have a degree that contains at least 80 credits in History.

Entry to the PGDE History programme is competitive and most successful applicants have substantially more History in their degree than the minimum requirement.

Successful applicants will normally have course credits in their degree in the historical topics relevant to the history curriculum followed in most Scottish schools and the rest of the United Kingdom; namely aspects of Scottish, British, European and 20th Century World History. Consideration will also be given to candidates who have the relevant history credits but lack this breadth in their degree, for example, those who have degrees in American History, Scottish History, Ancient History or Medieval History.

Courses such as social anthropology will not count as history credits.

Please note that applicants applying with Social Sciences degrees should email their degree transcripts to Admissions (CAHSS.UGAdmissions@ed.ac.uk) to assess their suitability onto the PGDE History programme.

In an interview, all candidates will be expected to prove their ability to gain the knowledge relevant to teach the history curriculum in Scottish schools.

History - V1X1

Applicants should have a degree in the subject to be taught, however, those with a minimum of 80 credits in the relevant subject contained within their degree may also be considered. 

Postgraduate qualifications in the relevant subject are only considered where there is a shortfall of credits. A maximum of 30 credits from a source other than the undergraduate degree can be considered to ‘top up’ an existing undergraduate degree in this manner. For instance, if you hold a degree in French, with no other language, along with a postgraduate qualification in German, this would not enable you to take German as a PGDE subject.

We welcome applications from those who wish to study one language or a dual combination of the languages offered as given below:

•  Any two from French, German and Chinese
• French and Spanish
• German and Spanish
• Chinese and Spanish
• French and Italian
• German and Italian

NB: Spanish and Italian can only be taken as second subjects. Chinese with Italian is not possible.

Please contact the Programme Director for further information about dual qualification and to check the availability of your second subject. 

Entry requirements for the First Language offered

For the first language offered, applicants must:

• Have a degree with at least 80 credit points in the language they want to teach
• Have lived for six months in a country where the language is spoken before starting the course (this could be from your university year abroad), and
• Evidence that they are competent in speaking the relevant language

The applicant's academic study must include an element which will allow them to contribute to the wider aspects of programmes of study in schools, such as literature, cultural studies, area studies or languages in work.

While living abroad the applicant must have fully taken part in the language and culture of the relevant country. Applicants must normally live in the relevant country in blocks of at least three months.

Applicants who have spent one of their study years abroad will be considered as having met the residency requirement in the language in question.

Entry requirements for Second Languages if you wish to earn a dual qualification

Applicants must fully meet the requirements for their first language. They must also:

• Have a degree with 80 credit points in the second language they want to teach
• Have lived for at least three months in a country where the language is spoken before starting the course, and
• Evidence that they are competent in speaking the relevant language.

As with the first language, the applicant's academic study must include an element which will allow him/her to contribute to the wider aspects of programmes of study in schools, such as literature, cultural studies, area studies or languages in work.

While living abroad, the applicant must have fully taken part in the language and culture of the relevant country. The applicants must normally live in the relevant country in blocks of at least three months.

They must have lived in the country where the second language is spoken for a full six months before they can get full registration with the GTCS. The GTCS will answer any questions about registration and residency requirements for the second language.

Native speakers

Native speakers of a language (other than English) who have finished a degree in a language-based subject which meets the requirements above may train to teach their native language.

For example, a French student with a degree in German can train to teach German and French in Scotland, presuming the candidate meets the residency requirements for both languages.

Language Education: French - R1X1

Language Education: German - R2X1

Language Education: Chinese - T1X1 

To be qualified for PGDE Mathematics, candidates must have a degree which contains at least 80 SCQF credits in Mathematics courses. The contributing courses within the degree must be recognised Mathematics courses, explicitly titled as such rather than embedded within other disciplines, however numerate or mathematical those may appear to be.

As a guide, the 80 SCQF credits are equivalent to 2 full courses of study where three subjects are studied in any one academic year (working on the basis of 120 Credits in one year). This is usually demonstrated through two 40-credit mathematics courses across Years 1 and 2 of an undergraduate degree programme, with at least 40 of those credits studied at SCQF level 8.

Course content should be related and relevant to parts of the secondary school curriculum, including the study of statistics where possible, as that branch of Mathematics is now very firmly located within national qualifications.

Dual qualifying – we welcome applications from those who wish to study the additional subject of Physics.

Please contact the Programme Director for further information about dual qualification and to check the availability of your second subject. 

To be considered for dual qualification, you should provide documentary evidence of additional credit in the second subject before your interview (eg. in your degree transcript), via email along with your UCAS ID number to the Admissions Office (CAHSS.UGAdmissions@ed.ac.uk).

Degree relevancy for PGDE Mathematics

Engineering degrees are considered on an individual basis. Applicants should include a full transcript of degree courses to demonstrate the depth and breadth of Mathematics studied within the programme and send it to the Admissions Office (CAHSS.UGAdmissions@ed.ac.uk) to be assessed.

The following undergraduate degrees are usually NOT suitable if Mathematics is not explicitly studied as a distinct course within the degree programme:

• Accountancy and/or Finance
• Economics

Mathematics - G1X1

To be considered for PGDE Music, applicants must have a degree with at least 80 credits in music, and it must include the study of music over at least three years.

The degree must include the following:

A) The study of harmony, counterpoint, arrangement, orchestration and composition, with a broad study of music in social and historical contexts covering stylistic, structural and instrumental developments in traditional, ethnic and non-western musical cultures.

B) Keyboard studies including sight-reading music, playing by ear, accompanying, harmonising and improvising in a variety of traditional and contemporary styles. Applicants will be expected to demonstrate competent keyboard skills at interview. As a guide, applicants should be able to demonstrate keyboard skills to ABRSM Grade 5 level. 

C) The study of an instrument or voice to an advanced standard. Applicants will have to prove they have experience of an instrument and according to the following:

Applicants must meet the requirements of A and B.

Music - W3X1

Applicants would normally be expected to have a degree with 80 SCQF credit points coming from:

• subjects related to physical education and involving a great deal of practical performance, such as sport, dance or outdoor pursuits;
• subjects involving analysis of the aspects of physical education, including movement analysis, choreography, sports coaching, biomechanics, sports science, exercise physiology, sports psychology, health and fitness, studies in sports or dance or outdoor education, sports development or special needs in movement education.

However, whilst the above outlines the minimum that a degree should contain, in reality only those with full Sports-related degrees will be seriously considered, with Sports and Exercise Science the most commonly accepted degree, provided it contains sufficient practical performance.

Please note that Physiology and Sports Science is not an accepted degree.

BASI qualification (of any number of credits or level) will not meet the degree requirement for entry to our PGDE Physical Education degree. BASI courses do not comprise the equivalent of an undergraduate degree programme and although they provide candidates with an indication of their ability to work and engage with study at degree level, applicants to the programme would need to have a degree in a relevant subject area as indicated by the GTCS and meet the requirements for entry for an initial teacher education programme.

Physical Education - X9C6

All applicants who wish to apply to PGDE Physics and who have studied a wide range of modules in their degree, such as applicants who hold an Engineering degree, should email the Admissions Office their full degree transcript, including any pending modules prior to making an application to the following email address: CAHSS.UGAdmissions@ed.ac.uk

Dual qualifying – we welcome applications from those who wish to study an additional subject of either Biology, Chemistry, or Mathematics.

Please contact the Programme Director for further information about dual qualification and to check the availability of your second subject.  

To be considered for dual qualification, you must provide documentary evidence of this additional credit in the second subject (eg. your degree transcript) at the time of application. Please send this to the Admissions Office to the following email address: CAHSS.UGAdmissions@ed.ac.uk with your UCAS ID number.  

Physics - F3X1