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Geography PGCE

London, Bloomsbury

This is the programme information for 2025 entry

If you require details of the previous year's programme, Geography PGCE (2024), click here

There has never been a better or more important time to train as a geography teacher in London, one of the most diverse and exciting cities in the world. The course provides a well-balanced experience in schools, university and fieldwork. You will develop the professional knowledge, skills and expertise for a rewarding career, joining a vibrant geography education community, preparing young people for the changing world. The course includes knowledge of pedagogy and curriculum at A level (Key Stage 5), preparing you to teach at all levels of secondary education.

UK students International students

Study mode

Full-time

UK tuition fees (2025/26)

£9,535

Overseas tuition fees (2025/26)

£27,500

Duration

1 academic year

Programme starts

September 2025

Applications accepted

All applicants: 08 Oct 2024 – Closing date to be confirmed

Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Early application is advised as programmes may close as soon as places are filled. Applicants should check the government website for the latest vacancy information.

Apply for this course

Skills

This course will give you everything you need to face the classroom, both the pedagogical theory and the practical skills to be an inspiring teacher.

Support

Our gradual immersion approach will introduce you to the classroom progressively, from one pupil to the whole class.

A unique gradual approach to teaching

Experience

Placement in very diverse, carefully chosen schools will allow you to learn from different contexts and be prepared to teach in any school.

Read our placement guide

Start teaching

With a PGCE you can start teaching as soon as you complete the course and are recommended for Qualified Teacher Status.

IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education and Society, has been ranked 1st for Education in the QS World University Rankings by Subject since 2014.

Entry requirements

First degree

A minimum of a lower second-class UK Bachelor's degree or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard in Geography, or a Geography-related degree.

A levels

Geography at grade C required if the first degree subject is not Geography.

GCSEs

English Language and Mathematics at grade C or 4. We do not accept "applied" or "additional" GCSE subjects. Applicants who do not offer a GCSE in English Language or Mathematics may demonstrate an equivalent standard by completing a test via Equivalency Testing or A Star Equivalency and achieving at least a grade 4. For Mathematics, equivalency tests in Mathematics Foundation or Mathematics Higher with grade 4 are accepted. BTEC, Functional Skills or Access course qualifications are not accepted in place of GCSEs.

School experience

We recommend that you aim to gain some experience in a classroom prior to interview.

Skills tests

Trainees will be assured against a set of fundamental Mathematics and English skills by the end of their teacher training.

Relevant experience and background

Applicants whose degree qualifications are below a lower second-class standard may be admitted if they can demonstrate an appropriate academic background at Master's level and above and/or significant postgraduate experience in the relevant field.

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 2

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

This programme is suitable for international students on a Student visa - study must be full-time, starting September.

DBS and occupational health

If you are made an offer you will be required to successfully complete Occupational Health and Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) Enhanced Disclosure checks. The Occupational Health Check is £100 and, depending on your DBS requirements, there may be an additional fee between £12.75 to £25.50, depending on the number of documents checked, if you submit your DBS Enhanced Disclosure check via a UK Post Office. These checks are required to ensure you meet the Department for Education’s requirements for physical and mental health to teach, as well as assessing your suitability for access to children and vulnerable adults. More details can be found on the Entry requirements page.

If you have lived, worked, studied or travelled in any single country outside of the UK for six continuous months or more, in the last five years, you will be required to obtain a Certificate of Good Conduct from the relevant country/countries. The cost of this check varies by country and is payable by the student. More information on how to obtain these can be found on gov.uk.

For more information about the DBS application process, please contact the UCL ITE Admissions team.

About this course

On successful completion of the course, you will gain a PGCE and QTS (Qualified Teacher Status), equipping you to teach geography in secondary schools. During the PGCE, you will be supported to tackle the at once practical and conceptual questions such as: who are the children I teach? why teach geography? what geography should I teach? and how should I teach it? You will practise teaching in two placements selected from our partnership of schools who will welcome and support you. You will be mentored by experienced geography teachers in school and tutored by experienced academics who are researching and teaching in geography education at IOE. The course includes knowledge of pedagogy and curriculum at A Level (Key Stage 5), preparing you to teach at all levels of secondary education.

The Geography course also features four Intensive Teaching and Practice (ITAP) sequences designed to establish and develop your geography teaching through the year. Closely linking theory and practice, and enabling you to observe, deconstruct, plan, practise and progress in specific areas of teaching, these focus on:

establishing positive learning environments
teaching geographical concepts
teaching Geographical Information Systems
fieldwork

Who this course is for

The course is suited to those wishing to gain Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) for teaching in a UK maintained (state-funded) school and who have fulfilled the appropriate entry requirements.

The course will appeal to anyone who is interested in geography, teaching and young people's education. We welcome applicants from a range of academic, professional backgrounds and prior experience. You will need a degree in geography or a related subject, and demonstrate interest in young people's education.

Read more about the requirements for teacher training

What this course will give you

This course is distinctive in helping you engage in current debates, issues and ideas as well as practical strategies for school geography teaching, so you can develop critical thinking and leadership as a geography teacher who can shape change in a curriculum for the future. The course is an exciting mix of teaching practice in two school placements, and university sessions, based in Bloomsbury, a vibrant and beautiful part of central London.

The majority of your time is spent in school, planning, teaching lessons, observing and meeting with other teachers. University teaching includes debates, lectures, seminars, workshops, your own presentations, tutorials, structured independent tasks and a mix of online and face-to-face teaching, including fieldwork in London and the Lake District and teaching using a Geographic Information System (GIS). The course connects the theory explored in university with practice on school teaching placements. New ideas are presented and discussed each week at university and then investigated, applied in school and reflected on back at university in a cycle that helps you make sense of your teaching and develop your expertise. The course encourages and supports your creativity and innovation in teaching geography with the close support of your university tutor, school mentor and your peers. In this way Student Teachers on IOE's Geography PGCE are engaged and active reflective practitioners, who are often advocates of exciting innovation and change within Geography Education.

Read more about teacher training at the IOE

The teacher you want to be

Graduates of the Geography PGCE are highly employable and sought after by schools and colleges in London and beyond. Almost all graduates secure their first teaching post by the time they finish the course. Our graduates also have great career prospects in the long term. Many become Head of Department or Head of Year within 2-5 years, often acting, in their schools, as mentors to new PGCE student teachers and later becoming senior leaders and indeed headteachers. Others have developed their careers as subject specialist teachers and educators, both becoming lead teachers in the classroom and researching, writing and advising other teachers.

The Geography PGCE aims to provide a springboard into a rewarding career as a skilled teacher and future educational leader. The course is designed to help our graduates lead meaningful professional lives grounded in the contribution they make to young people's understanding of the world and their place in it.

The tools of a great educator

Understanding of theory and subject or phase pedagogy
Creating a successful climate for learning, including behaviour management
Planning and teaching classes that engage pupils
Using assessment to inform planning
Working with the wider school community, including parents

Employability

The majority of PGCE graduates go on to become geography teachers. Graduates also go on to become heads of department in schools and colleges, as well as school leaders, including headteachers. Graduates of the PGCE also regularly mentor student teachers and work in teacher education.

Accreditation

When you successfully complete this course, UCL will recommend you for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). QTS is awarded by the Teaching Regulation Agency in England.

Structure

The course is taught through a mix of face-to-face and online sessions, (including keynote lectures and debates, presentations, discussions, and classroom group tasks), and a practical teaching element based in two schools. You are required to read widely and to carry out written assignments in your own time.

You will also take part in activities that provide the opportunity to focus on developing specific, pivotal areas of teaching through our ITAP sequences. These opportunities (totalling 20 days, 4 of which are school-based) will strengthen the link between theory and practice and provide you with specific feedback to support your progress in these pivotal areas.

Assessment is by practical teaching, assignments and portfolio tasks.

Throughout, you have excellent support to succeed from your school mentors and university tutor. There is no written exam but you will undertake two Master's level modules. These assignments draw on your practice giving scope for you to be creative, choose the exact focus, follow your interests in geography, education and tailor the work to the classes you teach on placements. The assignments help your reflection and evaluation of practice become critical and informed. In this way, you learn not just `what works' in teaching in a particular school, but to understand how to apply your knowledge and skills to different schools, and classrooms. This makes you a deeper thinking, more independent and resilient teacher.

The PGCE is a full-time course, designed so you learn to teach in schools for approximately two-thirds of the course (124 days) and through IOE-based learning in the other third.

When you are not undertaking teaching and learning activities at IOE or in other forms outside of schools, you will spend at least 124 days of study and practice in a range of school settings – including two longer placements in IOE partnership schools. Because actual placement dates are determined by partner school term dates, the exact number of days spent in school for any given student may vary slightly.

Contact hours vary throughout the year depending on whether you are on placement or attending IOE.

University sessions typically run from 9.00am (earliest) to 5.30pm (latest). During school placements, you will be expected to attend according to the school’s policy. This will typically involve attending at least 30 minutes before the start of the school day and leaving at least 30 minutes after the school day ends (with additional time expected if there are particular departmental or other meetings you need to attend). You will have readings and additional self-directed study to complete in addition to these contact hours.

I found my time at IOE to be a very enriching experience in which I acquired in-depth knowledge of a range of educational philosophies, issues, and perspectives.

Charlotte Milner

Geography PGCE

Q&A with Charlotte Milner

Modules

You will undertake two modules at level 7 (Master’s level) of 30 credits each and one Professional Practice module at level 6. The level 7 credits can be carried forward onto some full Master’s courses at IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education and Society (check individual course requirements). You will be awarded a PGCE when you successfully complete all three modules.

Throughout the year, you will also participate in specific activities at IOE and in school that focus on important areas of our curriculum. Our ITAP sequences (totalling 20 days with at least 4 of these days in school) will help you to better understand links between theory and practice. They will also involve feedback from experts so that your progress is supported in these pivotal areas.

Compulsory modules

Secondary - Professional Practice

Subject Studies - Geography

Wider Educational Studies - Geography

Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Upon successful completion of 60 credits and the Professional Practice module, you will be awarded a PGCE in Geography.

Fieldwork

The fieldwork experience will empower you to teach in real-world settings and develop essential fieldwork-leading skills. You will have the opportunity to engage in practical, hands-on learning by visiting Kew Gardens. You will also attend a three-day residential stay in the Lake District, where you will learn how to lead geographical fieldwork activities at Key Stage 4 and 5.

School placements

You will spend most of your time in two placement schools, working with geography mentors who provide strong support. We are fortunate to have a superb range of excellent schools with whom we work, across the region, with many outstanding mentors and strong geography departments.

The Professional Practice module is assessed through these placements, associated tasks and a portfolio built up throughout the year.

During placement periods, you will need to travel to and from each school placement. Please be aware that not all schools have parking and that there is variation in how accessible schools are. However, if you let us know of any particular accessibility needs you have, we will endeavour to accommodate them.

We ensure your placement will provide fulfilling and valuable experiences through:

A dedicated team who will identify the best schools for your placements
Support and guidance from your university tutor and your school-based mentor
School experience that allows you to progress at an appropriate pace for you
Reasonable travel times from your home to your school

Making the most of your placement

Teaching is a demanding profession and student teachers can feel nervous about school placements or anxious about the workload. Your tutor and school-based mentor will help you navigate your school experience, ensuring that you have the input you need. Empathetic feedback and discussion about your developing professional practice will support you to be successful.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services team.

Where you'll study

IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education and Society, is a world-leading centre for research and teaching in education, culture, psychology, and social science. We are one of the UK’s largest teacher training providers, offering a wide range of programmes across all phases of learning and more subjects than any other university. We also offer an extensive range of master’s programmes. Our research addresses society’s most important challenges and feeds into our teaching, enabling our graduates to go on to influence future generations for the better, from individual lives to societal change.

Find out more about IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education and Society

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students

Fee description	Full-time
Tuition fees (2025/26)	£9,535
Tuition fees (2025/26)	£27,500

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees.

Additional costs

Fieldwork: £240 (one off). This covers full board and accommodation, plus the full services of the Field Studies Council on the Lake District field trip in June. It also covers the cost of entry to Kew Gardens and a workshop with the Kew Gardens education team. We have kept your contribution as low as possible by UCL IOE part-subsidising these fieldwork costs. The £240 is paid in instalments during the year.

You are responsible for covering the costs of travel to and from placements (these are typically located within the M25) and travel costs for visits organised by the course.

The cost per day, as of July 2024, if you are using Oyster pay as you go varies between £8.50 (zones 1 and 2 only) and £22.30 (zones 1 to 9) based on current prices. Costs can be reduced by purchasing a weekly or monthly travelcard as well as applying for an Oyster Student photocard which allows up to 30% off travel when purchasing a travelcard.

You also require an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check plus an Occupational Health check prior to beginning the course. Information about costs is available on our entry requirements page for teacher training courses.

The Financial Assistance Funds provide support to UCL students who are in unexpected financial need.

UCL’s main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1-2 is £114.50. This price was published by TfL in 2024. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide.

Funding your studies

You may be eligible to receive a training bursary for living costs. For Secondary, this depends on your PGCE subject (not all attract a bursary) and your degree classification or highest relevant academic qualification. Scholarships are available in some subjects.

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the UCL Scholarships and Funding website.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

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