What is PGCE？

PGCE stands for Postgraduate Certificate in Education. This course is designed for those who have a bachelor's degree in the UK (including Wales and Northern Ireland), but have not received teacher training, and are interested in joining the ranks of basic education. Since it is basic education, it does not include university higher education.

There are two ways to participate in PGCE courses in the UK: First, many traditional universities will have PGCE courses for everyone to apply for, most of which are full-time. Besides, there are also some training institutions that provide PGCE.

PGCE is just a course that is different from the teacher qualification certificate. After taking the course, there are other steps to obtain the teacher qualification certificate. It's worth noting that a PGCE certificate is equivalent to master's degree at the degree certificate level, however, the PGCE is not a postgraduate degree, it is instead an advanced but non-degree qualification.

What is the Use of PGCE?

After completing the PGCE course, candidates are eligible to apply for the real teacher qualification certificate-QTS (qualified teacher status) in the UK.

QTS is the teacher qualification certificate that is required to teach in public schools (private schools do not have such regulations, but most teachers in private schools will also hold PGCE certificate. And many private schools will train their own teachers to obtain this certificate).

In addition to England, Wales and Northern Ireland, PGCE is also recognized by most Scotland and many countries in the world.

What Are the Differences between PGCE and iPGCE(PGCEi)?

The main purpose of iPGCE(PGCEi) is not to train teachers, but to help teachers working in international schools outside the UK improve their professionalism. Many teachers who have worked in international schools have not received formal teacher training in the UK, but because these teachers have begun to work in international schools, they are unwilling to leave their jobs and return to the UK for training. In order to meet this demand, the university has created iPGCE(PGCEi) courses to allow teachers to continue to work in international schools outside the UK.

The nature of iPGCE(PGCEi) determines that it cannot be completely like PGCE in the UK. PGCE students in the UK spend most of their time(2/3 of the time) working in school, and study theory courses during the rest of time. During their times in school, students will have an assigned mentor, usually experienced teachers in the school. At the same time, the university will also assign a tutor to students, who will regularly visit the school to inspect students' progress. Finally, if students is qualified for PGCE, then both QTS and PGCE will be issued. However, teachers with iPGCE(PGCEi) cannot obtain QTS in the UK, therefore they are not qualified to teach in the UK.