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Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) - PGCertEd
Notes
Full articulation is only available when there are no undergraduate
courses completed as part of the Postgraduate Certificate.
Articulation to the Master of Applied Linguistics is subject
to the completion of courses forming part of that program.
Contact us
| Future Australian and New Zealand students |
Future International students |
Current students |
Freecall (within Australia): 1800 269 500
Phone (from outside Australia): +61 7 4631 5315
Email: studyedu@usq.edu.au |
Phone: +61 7 4631 5543
Email: international@usq.edu.au |
Freecall (within Australia): 1800 007 252
Phone (from outside
Australia): +61 7 4631 2285
Email usq.support@usq.edu.au |
Program focus
This program gives educators/trainers the opportunity to enhance
their professional competence through postgraduate coursework. The
program is set in the context of societies becoming increasingly reliant
on the efforts of knowledge workers. Educators at all levels have
important roles to play in developing the capacity of citizens to
work effectively with knowledge. New approaches to education focusing
on relevant contemporary issues, emphasising knowledge-building rather
than transmission can contribute to preparing citizens to participate
more fully in the knowledge economy and information society. The Postgraduate
Certificate in Education program aims to develop in its graduates
the capabilities and dispositions to work as engaged professional
educators in knowledge-building communities.
Career opportunities
The Postgraduate Certificate in Education program is designed
to develop in its graduates the capabilities and dispositions to work
as engaged professional educators in knowledge building communities.
Graduates from the Postgraduate Certificate in Education program
will demonstrate key knowledge and understanding, important for success
in a variety of roles across the broad field of education.
Program objectives
Students who successfully complete the Postgraduate Certificate
in Education should have made significant progress in the process
of acquiring advanced knowledge and understanding of key issues and
trends within contemporary education and/or of a specialised area
of education. Graduates should be able to demonstrate capabilities
and dispositions for:
-
locating and accessing knowledge of relevant theory and practice;
-
critically evaluating and building knowledge;
-
interpreting and applying knowledge to the solution of significant
problems;
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effectively communicating knowledge; and
-
identifying and participating in relevant communities of practice.
Program aims
The Postgraduate Certificate in Education program aims to develop
in its graduates the capabilities and dispositions to work as engaged
professional educators in knowledge-building communities.
Traditional approaches to education have sometimes resulted
in educators having limited opportunities for professional interaction
with colleagues. In such circumstances, where educators work alone
with a group of learners, they may develop a form of “privatised
practice” which isolates them from the wider professional community.
There is mounting evidence that educators can be more effective when
they view their work as a collaborative effort in which they interact
with other educators within and beyond their workplace and adopt stances
that may be described as “engaged professionalism”.
New Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) offer
enhanced opportunities for professional engagement and will be an
important tool for educators in the twenty-first century. The Master
of Education program will model the use of ICTs to support professional
interaction and learning.
The Postgraduate Certificate in Education program thus aims
to develop in its graduates the capabilities and dispositions to work
as engaged professional educators in contemporary knowledge building
communities.
Program objectives
Students who successfully complete the Postgraduate Certificate
in Education should have made significant progress in the process
of acquiring advanced knowledge and understanding of key issues and
trends within contemporary education and/or of a specialised area
of education. Graduates should be able to demonstrate capabilities
and dispositions for:
-
locating and accessing knowledge of relevant theory and practice;
-
critically evaluating and building knowledge;
-
interpreting and applying knowledge to the solution of significant
problems;
-
effectively communicating knowledge; and
-
identifying and participating in relevant communities of practice.
Admission requirements
The requirements described in this section are generic requirements
for entry to the Postgraduate Certificate in Education program.
The majority of courses in the Postgraduate Certificate in Education
program are offered entirely online and have specific requirements
for frequent and ongoing Internet access. Most courses include Internet
access as an important, or essential, component. Intending applicants
should ensure that they have the necessary computer and Internet access
before applying. Further information is provided in the IT requirements
section below and in specifications of individual courses.
Normal Entry
The normal requirement for entry to the Postgraduate Certificate
in Education program is a three year bachelor degree (or equivalent)
from a recognised ľ«¶«´«Ă˝app.
All applicants must have a good command of the English language.
Applicants for whom English is not their first language must meet
the specific USQ requirements for English proficiency, particularly
an IELTS score of 6.5 with no component below 6.0.
Alternative Entry
Applicants who do not meet the requirements for normal entry
may apply for alternative entry if they believe that they can demonstrate
that they have qualifications and/or experience that might be considered
equivalent to those required for normal entry.
How to apply
Domestic students
may be made directly to USQ.
International students
This program is offered to international students. An international
student is a person who is not an Australian or New Zealand citizen
and not an Australian permanent resident. Please refer to for information about entry requirements, visa arrangements and
how to apply.
Program fees
Domestic full fee paying place
Domestic full fee paying places are funded entirely
through the full fees paid by the student. Full fees vary depending
on the courses that are taken. You are able to calculate the fees
for a particular course via the .
Domestic full fee paying students
may be eligible to defer their fees through a Government loan called provided they meet the residency and citizenship
requirements.
Australian citizens, Permanent Humanitarian Visa
holders, Permanent Resident visa holders and New Zealand citizens
who will be resident outside Australia for the duration of their program
pay full tuition fees and are not eligible for .
International full fee paying place
International students pay full fees. Full fees vary depending
on the courses that are taken and whether they are studied on-campus,
via distance education/online. You are able to calculate the fees
for a particular course via the .
Program structure
The program consists of 4 units of postgraduate study, with
all 4 courses being at Level 5 or above. These courses may be selected
from any courses available to postgraduate coursework students in
the Faculty of Education – see . :
Students may also elect to undertake a TESOL specialisation
in this program. Please refer to the recommended enrolment pattern
for this specialisation.
Program completion requirements
To be awarded a Postgraduate Certificate in Education in the
Faculty of Education, a student must have completed four approved
education-related units at postgraduate level.
Required time limits
Students have a maximum of 2 years to complete this program.
Elective courses
| Faculty of Education Postgraduate
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Coursework
Courses will normally be selected from postgraduate courses
in education listed previously in the table of Faculty of Education
Postgraduate Elective Courses.
Opportunities for Workplace Learning: Supervised Independent
ľ«¶«´«Ă˝app
Many of the courses in the Postgraduate Certificate of Education
provide opportunities for students to address issues of particular
personal interest, by undertaking approved independent work, which
may include approved workplace professional development activity.
Such projects, approved in advance at the discretion of the program
coordinator are covered by enrolment in .
Research
There is no research pathway available to students in this program.
IT requirements
Some courses in the Postgraduate Certificate in Education program
are offered entirely on-line. Courses use email and discussion forums
for communication among students and/or staff. All courses expect
that work submitted for assessment will be word processed and submitted
electronically. Further, a small number of courses require access
to specific software. As new courses are introduced and existing courses
are revised, it is anticipated that they will make more extensive
use of the Internet for communication and for access to course materials
and other resources. This will apply to courses offered on-campus
as well as in other modes.
Although there are no specific computer hardware or software
requirements for the Postgraduate Certificate in Education program
in general, it is a clear expectation that students will have ready
access to a computer with common productivity software and Internet
access. Some courses may require additional software and/or a more
capable computer. Information about such requirements is included
in the relevant course specifications.
Courses offered online (WEB) do not provide for delivery of
printed materials. Students enrolling in such courses must have ongoing
convenient and reliable access to the Internet in order to access
course materials and participate in activities that will affect participation,
learning and assessment. See for more information.
Other program requirements
may be offered for selected courses. In
such cases, the residential schools may be compulsory. Where residential
schools are required students may elect to attend the on-campus version
or to participate in the equivalent online activities. Students enrolling
in courses with compulsory residential schools should ensure that
they are able to meet the residential school requirement before completing
their enrolment. Students should refer to the course specification
for details of any such requirement.
Articulation
A student who has completed the requirements of the Postgraduate
Certificate in Education (4 units) may articulate directly into the
Master of Education, Master of Learning and Development, or Master
of Applied Linguistics (subject to the completion of particular courses
that may be required in those programs).
Exemptions
Exemptions for courses in the Postgraduate Certificate in Education
program may be granted where applicants can demonstrate that they
have successfully completed an equivalent postgraduate course or have
otherwise achieved the objectives of the relevant course. Exemptions
may be granted on the basis of documented professional development
activities or extensive work experience only where it can be demonstrated
that through those activities the student has achieved learning outcomes
equivalent to those of a relevant postgraduate course. Where a student's
program of study includes electives, exemption may be granted for
one or more electives where the student can demonstrate and document
clearly successful completion of work of a type and standard equivalent
to an elective study.
Students intending to apply for exemptions should consult Section
3.5 of the
Applications for exemption will be expected to comply with the
relevant USQ and Faculty regulations and should demonstrate that the
objectives of the course for which exemption is sought have been achieved.
Within the framework of those regulations, the following points should
be given particular consideration:
-
the maximum number of units which may be exempted in the Postgraduate
Certificate in Education program is two
-
students may NOT claim exemption for work on which they relied
for admission to the Postgraduate Certificate in Education.
-
exemptions will NOT normally be granted for study completed
more than five years prior to submission of the application for exemption;
-
applications for exemption on the basis of study completed prior
to entering the Postgraduate Certificate in Education program will
NOT normally be accepted beyond the end of the first semester of enrolment;
and
-
exemption will NOT normally be granted for work undertaken concurrently
with the Postgraduate Certificate in Education unless the application
is submitted and approved before the work is undertaken, with credit
subject to the documentation of satisfactory completion of the approved
work.
Students should seek advice from the Administration Coordinator
– Student Support before applying for exemptions. Detailed information
about requirements for exemptions may be available for specific courses.
Recommended enrolment pattern for TESOL specialisation
| Course | Year of program and semester
in which course is normally studied | Enrolment requirements |
|---|
On-campus
(ONC) | Distance education
(EXT) | Online
(ONL) |
|---|
| Year | Sem | Year | Sem | Year | Sem |
|---|
|
Graduates will be competent in key areas for second language
teaching in a range of contexts. This specialisation provides an opportunity
for in-depth study in the area of second language learning and teaching,
and enhances each student's capacity for open, critical reflective
thinking about second language teaching practice.
It is recommended that the program of study commences with and is studied prior
to .
Please note on-campus offers are contingent upon sufficient enrolments.
Subject to International students' visa requirements, alternative
modes of EXT or WEB may be substituted for the elective course.
|
| 1 | 1 | | | 1 | 1, 3 | |
| 1 | 1 | | | | 1, 2 | |
| 1 | 2 | | | 1 | 2 | |
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Select one elective unit from the table of
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