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History, according to the current national curriculum, "should inspire pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past". Our aim is to equip students to do just that, developing their ability to plan meaningful historical experiences for pupils in the 11–16 age range, to teach effectively and to assess their own and their pupils’ achievements.
Key information
Programme starts
September 2019
Modes and duration
Application dates
Tuition fees (2019/20)
Note on fees:
The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website.
Students who successfully complete this programme will be recommended for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).
Entry requirements
A minimum of a lower second-class UK Bachelor’s degree or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard with at least 50% History content.
No specific subjects required.
English Language and Mathematics at grade C or 5.
We recommend that you aim to gain some experience in a classroom prior to interview.
If you are made an offer you will be required to successfully complete Occupational Health and Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) Enhanced Disclosure checks. The total cost of these checks is £135. 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.
All applicants must successfully complete professional skills tests in literacy and numeracy before they can enrol. More information can be found on the Get Into Teaching website.
English language requirements
If your education has not been conducted in the English language, you will be expected to demonstrate evidence of an adequate level of English proficiency.
The English language level for this programme is: Good
Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.
International students
Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.
Visa information
This programme is suitable for international students on a Tier 4 visa - study must be full-time, face-to-face, starting September.
International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below.
Select your country:
About this programme
There are five key themes underpinning the UCL PGCE History programme: 'historical thinking','diverse histories', 'history for all', 'engaging with history' and ‘ becoming a professional history teacher'. These themes reflect our location in the capital, the wide range of schools and students that we work with and our ambition to engage, challenge and enlighten all learners. Students will understand why history is taught in schools, how pupils learn and make sense of the past, and how to teach history in an exciting way that develops learners.
Students undertake two level 7 (Master’s-level) modules of 30 credits each, totalling 60 credits. These can be carried forward onto full Master’s programmes at the IOE (check individual programme requirements).
The Secondary PGCE consists of three core modules: two Master’s-level (level 7) modules, which are assessed through written assignments, and the Professional Practice module, which is assessed by the observation of practical teaching in placement schools.
Compulsory modules
- Wider Educational Studies - History (30 Level 7 credits)
- Subject Studies - History (30 Level 7 credits)
- Secondary - Professional Practice (Level 6)
Optional modules
- There are no optional modules for this programme
Teaching and learning
Teaching at UCL Institute of Education is mostly through seminars and workshops in your teaching base group of about twenty trainee teachers, with additional keynote and subject lectures, tutorials and directed study days, as well as time spent in placements. Assessment is by practical teaching, assignments and portfolio tasks.
Students will also record their progress in a Career Entry and Development Profile statement. This will form part of an ongoing portfolio charting the student's continuing professional development.
Placement
Students spend most of their time (120) days in schools, working with history mentors who support them through two school placements. We are fortunate to have a good choice of schools to work with, within our regions inside the London Orbital Motorway (M25). The Professional Practice module is assessed through these placements, associated tasks and a portfolio.
Funding
Bursaries are available for some subject programmes to students who meet the eligibility criteria. To find out what funding may be available to you, please visit the Department for Education funding page.
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.
Careers
Graduates of this programme are currently working across a broad range of areas. Most of them are working as history teachers and heads of department in schools, while some have jobs as history educators in museums and archives. Many graduates in this area can be found working as senior leaders in schools. Many of our alumni continue to support UCL's work as subject mentors in schools, and some provide specialist input into the university sessions of the course.
Employability
Graduates of the Secondary PGCE programme 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 PGCE programme. Graduates of the programme also have great career prospects, with many becoming Head of Department or a Head of Year within 2-5 years, often acting, in their schools, as mentors to new PGCE student teachers. Many of our graduates become senior teachers (such as Assistant Headteachers or Head of a Faculty) in 5-8 years of graduating, and some are now 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 themselves. The Secondary PGCE Programme aims to provide a springboard into a rewarding career as a skilled teacher and future educational leader.
Why study this programme at UCL?
Students will be joining one of the largest History PGCE programmes in the country, allowing them to benefit from a team of tutors with a wide range of expertise and interests. Students will also be able to develop strong peer networks across tutor groups and share ideas, resources and advice.
The UCL Institute of Education History PGCE course explores a number of aspects of diverse multicultural histories, and our tutors and alumni are regularly involved in presenting such hidden histories in local and national forums. We also offer students unique London-based opportunities at museums or other historical sites, in order to develop understanding of learning history outside the classroom.
UCL also hosts the Centre for Holocaust Education and we provide the opportunity to complete a full two-day teachers' programme in Holocaust Education as part of the PGCE. Moreover, we have strong links with the history department at UCL and their specialist units like the Centre for the Study of the Legacies of British Slave-ownership.
Accreditation:
Students who successfully complete this programme will be recommended for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).
Department: Institute of Education
Application and next steps
Applications
Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.
Who can apply?
The Secondary PGCE full-time programme is suited to those wishing to gain Qualified Teaching Status (QTS) for teaching in a UK maintained (state-funded) school and who have fulfilled the appropriate entry requirements.
Application deadlines
- All applicants
- 9 August 2019
Early application is advised as programmes may close as soon as places are filled.
For more information see our Applications page.
Apply nowContact information
- Admissions / Programme Administrator
- teaching-admissions@ucl.ac.uk / historyPGCE@ucl.ac.uk
- 0203 370 1217 / +44 (0)20 7612 6589
- Alison /Catherine Kitson /McCrory, Subject Leaders (2)
- a.kitson@ucl.ac.uk / Catherine McCrory
- +44 (0)20 7911 5527 /020 7612 6095
Page last modified on 6 March 2019 by UCL Student Recruitment Marketing