Education (Secondary STEM Subjects) (Dumfries campus)

Building upon your subject expertise in science, technology, engineering or mathematics, this GTCS-accredited qualification combines classroom learning with comprehensive placements throughout Dumfries & Galloway to help you develop a career in STEM teaching within secondary schools.

The programme is aimed at graduates with relevant subject content in their academic study, who have demonstrated an interest in teaching children through a range of experiences in both formal and informal settings.

The programme is suited to candidates with a STEM degree but with a wide range of background experiences: some will be recent graduates choosing to teach as their initial career; some will be working in a STEM / non-STEM industry and want to change careers; some are primary trained teachers who want to teach in the secondary phase but would like a structured programme to enhance their skills; some are bringing up young families and want to pursue a career that allows flexibility.

Academic entry requirements

The minimum academic entry requirements for admission to a teaching qualification are:

• Degree: An undergraduate degree in a recognised STEM subject. This must be validated by a higher education institution in the United Kingdom or an undergraduate degree of an equivalent standard from a higher education institution outside the United Kingdom. All degree classifications are considered, however, priority is given to candidates with a 1st or 2:1 honours degree or experience of working with young people.
• English: National Qualifications in English at SCQF Level 6 (for example, Higher Grade) or an accepted alternative from the list below.
• Mathematics: National Qualifications in Mathematics at SCQF Level 5 (for example, National 5, Standard Grade or Intermediate 2) or an accepted alternative from the list below.

PLEASE NOTE: Applicants must have achieved their English and Maths qualifications PRIOR to application. Applicants who apply with a pending English or Maths qualification will be rejected. Pending degree qualifications are considered.

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Accepted alternative qualifications in English and Mathematics

Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) Secondary: English and Mathematics entry requirements

English

• Scottish Higher English at Grade C or above

Accepted alternative qualifications in English

• Advanced Higher English at Grade C
• A Level English at Grade C
• GCSE/IGCSE English Language AND English Literature at Grade C / 4 (both qualifications must be achieved)
• International Baccalaureate English at HL 4 / SL 6
• Irish Leaving Certificate Higher English at Grade C2 / H4
• SQA National Units at Higher Level in both Communication (NC) and Literature 1
• SCQF Level 6 Online English Access Course offered by the University of Aberdeen
• University level modules (SCQF level 7 or above) that cover sufficient English Literature content.
• English of an equivalent academic standard from outside the UK - Study must have an English Literature element. We use UK NARIC (National Recognition Information Centre) to assess the equivalency of overseas qualifications.

All applicants must have achieved a MINIMUM of Scottish Higher English at Grade C or accepted alternative PRIOR to their application being considered.

Maths

• National 5 Maths (or Lifeskills Maths) at Grade C or above

Accepted alternative qualifications in Mathematics

• Intermediate Level 2 Mathematics at Grade C
• Standard Grade Credit Mathematics at Grade 2
• O Grade Mathematics at Grade A
• Scottish Higher or Advanced Higher Mathematics at Grade C
• A Level Mathematics at Grade C
• GCSE/IGCSE Mathematics at Grade C / 4
• International Baccalaureate Maths at HL 3 / SL 4
• Irish Leaving Certificate Higher Mathematics at Grade C3 / H5
• Irish Leaving Certificate Ordinary Mathematics at Grade B3 / O3
• SCQF Level 5 or 6 Online Mathematics Access Course offered by the University of Aberdeen at Grade C
• Open University MU123 Discovering Mathematics – credits 30
• SQA National Units in BOTH Core Mathematics 4 (D11V) and Mathematics: Analysis/Algebra 1 (D11W)
• University level modules (SCQF level 7 or above) that cover sufficient Maths content
• Maths of an equivalent academic standard from outside the UK - We will always use UK NARIC (National Recognition Information Centre) to assess the equivalency of overseas qualifications.

All applicants must have achieved a MINIMUM of National 5 Mathematics (or Lifeskills Mathematics) Grade C or accepted alternative PRIOR to their application being considered.

Priority will be given to applicants who have exceeded the minimum requirements and in particular to applicants who have attained English at Higher Grade B (or above) and Higher Grade C (or above) in Mathematics.

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The minimum academic requirements are set by the GTCS General Teaching Council for Scotland. Further info at: Memorandum on Entry Requirements to Programmes of Initial Teacher Education in Scotland September 2019

Evidence of completed qualifications

At the point of submitting your application, you must have listed all your qualifications at that time, including High School Maths and English on the UCAS application form. If you have omitted any qualifications, there may be a delay in processing your application. We do allow 7 days from submitting your application for you to forward missing documents by email to dumfries-admissions@glasgow.ac.uk

Personal Statement, Experience and Reference

Applicants who meet or have the potential to meet the academic entry requirements will be considered for a place on the programme and their personal statement and reference will be reviewed.

Applicants should use the personal statement to demonstrate their suitability to join the teaching profession and to highlight their interests and wider achievements and the extent to which they match the skills and attributes desirable in a teacher. The GTCS advise that applicants should show that they have the capacity to meet the Standard for Provisional Registration which specifies what is expected of a student teacher at the end of Initial Teacher Education.

Relevant experience with children should also be noted with preference given to those with recent experience of working with children and young people.

Interview

Interviews will be held from December and invitations will be updated on UCAS where applicants can accept, decline or request a reschedule. A communication will be sent out shortly after the UCAS invitation is received and will contain details of the interview structure. Please note that we will be unable to provide feedback to applicants who are unsuccessful at interview stage.

Disclosure Scotland

If you are accepted to the PGDE you must undertake a criminal conviction check prior to enrolment. It is your responsibility to pay for the check.

Fitness to practise

Where a programme of study requires the student to act in the course of practical training in a quasi-professional role in relation to patients, children, clients or service-users or where the qualification provides a direct licence to practise, the University has a duty to ensure that the student is fit to practise.

Fitness to Practise is assessed not only in terms of academic attainment but also in accordance with relevant professional standards and expectations. Students registered to study on initial teacher education degrees are subject to separate Fitness to Practise procedures. A copy of the Faculty Code of Professional Conduct and Fitness to Practise will be made available to students on the PGDE programme.

For applicants whose first language is not English, the University sets a minimum English Language proficiency level.

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic and Academic Online (not General Training)

• 6.5 with no subtests under 6.0
• IELTS One Skill Retake Accepted
• Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

Common equivalent English language qualifications for entry to this programme

TOEFL (ibt, mybest or athome)

• 90 overall with Reading 20; Listening 19; Speaking 19; Writing 21
• Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements, this includes TOEFL mybest.

Pearsons PTE Academic

• 59 with minimum 59 in all subtests
• Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

Cambridge Proficiency in English (CPE) and Cambridge Advanced English (CAE)

• 176 overall, no subtest less than 169
• Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

Oxford English Test

• 7 overall with no subtest less than 6
• Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

LanguageCert Academic SELT

• 70 overall with no subtest less than 60
• Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

Password Skills Plus

• 6.5 overall with no subtest less than 6.0
• Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

Trinity College Tests

• Integrated Skills in English II & III & IV: ISEII Distinction with Distinction in all sub-tests
• Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

University of Glasgow Pre-sessional courses

• Tests are accepted for 2 years following date of successful completion.

Alternatives to English Language qualification

• Degree from majority-English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI including Canada if taught in English)
  
  • students must have studied for a minimum of 2 years at Undergraduate level, or 9 months at Master's level, and must have completed their degree in that majority-English speaking country within the last 6 years.
• Undergraduate 2+2 degrees from majority-English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI including Canada if taught in English)
  
  • students must have completed their final two years study in that majority-English speaking country within the last 6 years.

For international students, the Home Office has confirmed that the University can choose to use these tests to make its own assessment of English language ability for visa applications to degree level programmes. The University is also able to accept UKVI approved Secure English Language Tests (SELT) but we do not require a specific UKVI SELT for degree level programmes. We therefore still accept any of the English tests listed for admission to this programme.

Pre-sessional courses

The University of Glasgow accepts evidence of the required language level from the English for Academic Study Unit Pre-sessional courses. We would strongly encourage you to consider the pre-sessional courses at the University of Glasgow's English for Academic Study (EAS) Unit. Our Pre-sessional courses are the best way to bring your English up to entry level for University study. Our courses give you:

• direct entry to your University programme for successful students (no need to take IELTS)
• essential academic skills to help you study effectively at University
• flexible entry dates so you can join the right course for your level.

For more detail on our pre-sessional courses please see:

• Pre-sessional courses

We can also consider the pre-sessional courses accredited by the below BALEAP approved institutions to meet the language requirements for admission to our postgraduate taught degrees:

• Heriot Watt
• Kingston Upon Thames
• Middlesex University
• Manchester University
• Reading University
• Edinburgh University
• ST Andrews University
• UCL
• Durham.

For further information about English language requirements, please contact the Recruitment and International Office using our enquiry form

The School of Social & Environmental Sustainability has been in partnership with Dumfries & Galloway Council since 2008 and many of our graduating MA Primary Education and PGDE Education teachers find employment in the region. To address the shortage of STEM teachers in secondary schools, not just in D&G but across Scotland, the PGDE Secondary Education in STEM Subjects has been developed as an innovative and flexible Initial Teacher Education programme to attract STEM career-changers as well as those graduating in a traditional STEM subject.  GTCS Qualification On successful completion you will be awarded the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) teaching qualification to pursue teaching roles in schools. Professional Practice with PGDE (MEd) On successful completion of your PGDE you will have the opportunity to transfer the 90 Masters-level credits from your PGDE into this programme. For further information, please see: