Education (Further Education & Skills), PGCE at University of Lancashire

Programme overview

The PGCE (Further Education and Skills Sector) is a Level 7 qualification for teachers, trainers and tutors working in colleges, adult and community learning, training providers and other post-16 settings. It is delivered through partner colleges across the North West.

Faculty: School of Psychology and Humanities | Duration: 1 year full-time or 2 years part-time | Intake: September 2026, September 2027 | Location: Preston, England, United Kingdom

What you will study

The course covers teaching and learning strategies with a focus on practical and academic skills developed through reflective practice, and includes project work on topics relevant to your specialist subject. A teaching placement of at least 150 teaching hours and 100 non-teaching hours across two placements is central to the course.

Career pathways

Teaching roles in further education colleges, alternative provision, sixth forms, adult and community learning, the NHS, prisons, the police and private training providers. Graduates can apply for Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS) status, which can support employment in schools for vocational and technical subjects; the PGCE does not confer QTS.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

UK honours degree (normally 2:2 or above) or equivalent related to the specialist area; Level 3 qualification in each specialist subject to be taught if different from the degree subject; GCSE English and Mathematics at grade C/4 or above (or Ofqual-approved equivalents). A teaching contract or voluntary placement across two institutions with at least 150 hours of teaching practice (including 20 hours of online synchronous teaching) and 100 hours of non-teaching practice. Satisfactory course and subject interviews and an Enhanced DBS check; pre-service applicants for school or school-attached sixth-form teaching are also checked against the prohibition list. Applicants wishing to teach English or mathematics without a maths A-level or degree complete an additional entry assessment; SEND specialists need a Level 3 SEND qualification. International applicants: IELTS 7.5 with no element below 7.0, taken within two years of application. Ghana: a lower GPA plus a Postgraduate Diploma (Ghanaian Pre-Masters), or a Higher National Diploma plus a Postgraduate Diploma, is accepted; WAEC/WASSCE English grade C6 (or SSCE grades A-D if studied 1993-2005) is accepted as evidence of English, or IELTS 6.0 with no component below 5.5.

Intake: September 2026, September 2027

Duration: 1 year full-time or 2 years part-time

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