PGCE Health Professions at University of Sunderland

Programme overview

The PGCE Health Professions degree is designed for academic staff in Higher Education (HE) or those aiming to teach health professions education in university or clinical settings. The course develops your teaching skills and knowledge, with a focus on student-centred approaches that support diverse learners and promote student success and retention.

Department: Education and Teacher Training | Duration: 12 months part-time | Study mode: part-time | Intake: September 2026 | Location: Sunderland, England, United Kingdom

What you will study

Core module; Learning and Teaching: Applying Theory to Practice (30 credits)+; Explore academic practice and gain an overview of learning theories, practical classroom teaching and learning approaches, while also covering a range of pedagogical approaches. Identify both why you are taking an approach as well as having the ability to implement, adapt and evaluate contemporary approaches to health professions education. Route module; Designing Learning and Assessment for the Health Professions (30 credits)+.

Career pathways

On successful completion of the PGCE, you’ll be qualified to teach in HE institutions or clinical settings in the public or private sector. Alternatively, you may choose to progress to Year 2 of the Master of Education (Health Professions) degree, which would prepare you for more senior clinical teaching roles.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

You're expected to have a substantial teaching workload which should equate to more than 100 hours of direct student contact each year. You must undertake a full range of academic practice in line with the UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF) in order to complete the course. The majority of students undertaking the course will be academics on a teaching and research contract, although the course is open to research assistants and associates who also contribute to teaching, provided they're able to meet all the dimensions of the UKPSF. University staff will apply via the HR staff qualifications policy, agreeing workload remission and support with their line manager. We advise all potential applicants to have an informal phone call with the course leader before applying to ensure that the course learning outcomes can be achieved and that the route is suitable for you. Please email [email protected](opens in new tab) to arrange this.

GBP 2,833 a year (2026/27). Part-time; University fee table Source

Intake: September 2026

Duration: 12 months part-time

Apply through the official page: https://www.sunderland.ac.uk/postgraduate/pgce-health-professions#apply

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