Programme structure (2023 onwards)

The Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice structure.

Programme Structure

The Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice programme structure, courses plus the full course handbook to download - for students who start their programme from AY 2023/24 onwards.

The Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice programme is comprised of three 20 credit compulsory courses. Includes full course handbook to download.

Becoming an Engaging Teacher (20 credits)

This course is designed for participants to gain a rich understanding of how to develop staff-student and student-student educational relationships as the foundation of their practice. Participants will explore their identity as a teacher in relation to key theories and evidence-based approaches to teaching, such as: active learning; reflective practice; student engagement; and co-creation. There will also be opportunities to explore the key role of dialogic approaches to assessment and feedback in building meaningful student-staff relationships.

Participants will develop understandings of the link between building positive educational relationships and supporting inclusive learning communities. They will be provided opportunities to explore cutting-edge developments in HE inclusive practice, including developing anti-racist pedagogy. Participants will have the opportunity to experience peer observation of teaching, which will provide feedback on their teaching practice. Participants will then be supported in reflecting on how the feedback from the peer observation of teaching, as well as ideas and examples from the course, can be applied to their own context to enhance their practice.

More detailed information on the course is available from the Degree Regulations and Programmes of Study (DRPS) website:

Becoming an engaging teacher

Designing curricula and learning environments (20 credits)

In this course we will provide a broad introduction to designing curricula and learning environments in higher education. We will begin by considering the basics of course and programme design, including University approval processes. We will discuss broad conceptualisations of curriculum, to include all aspects of the student learning experience. We will invite participants critically to consider space, place and time in learning and the implications of post-digital and hybrid approaches. Important through-lines for the course are inclusive design and education for sustainability.

More detailed information on the course is available from the Degree Regulations and Programmes of Study (DRPS) website:

Designing curricula and learning environments

Emerging issues in academic practice (20 credits)

The aim of the course is to allow students to design and implement an in-depth learning project into a topical issue of their choice in academic practice. The course will allow students to develop their educational research and design skills, produce writing and outputs appropriate to their project and engage in academic debate that is useful and relevant to their roles.

While the topic will be the students’ choice, it is envisaged that they will include topics relevant to their School’s Learning and Teaching Strategy, to wider University strategy, mission, policy and objective, as well as emerging issues in the higher education sector.

More detailed information on the course is available from the Degree Regulations and Programmes of Study (DRPS) website:

Emerging issues in academic practice

Clinical education in practice (20 credits, open only to students coming from the Clinical Educator Programme)

If you are transferring in from the Clinical Educator Programme, you take Clinical Education in practice in place of Emerging issues in academic practice. 

This course aims to develop the educational knowledge, skills and attitudes of those teaching and assessing medical students and post-graduate doctors in training. Participants will reflect upon educational CPD gained through the Clinical Educator Programme and critique how this has informed their practice and or the learning experiences of those they teach. These reflections will be captured by blogging allowing participants to demonstrate how they evaluate and have develop their teaching in keeping with current evidence and values in medical education. While the content and structure of the blogs are open to exploring any variety of teaching methods, peer and tutor feedback will support them in being structured in such a way that meets Descriptor 1 (D1) of the Professional Standards Framework.

More detailed information on the course is available from the Degree Regulations and Programmes of Study (DRPS) website:

Clinical education in practice

Programme handbook

Please find the current version of the handbook below - PDF and MS Word version.

Assessment requirements

To qualify for the award of the Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (Higher Education), you must satisfactorily attend and complete assessments for three 20 credit  courses. (Clinical Educators only may replace Emerging issues in academic practice with Clinical education in practice. 

Details are included in the individual course outlines.

 

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