Secondary (PGCE)

You’ll need:

• a 2:2 degree (UK honours degree or equivalent) in a relevant subject
• strong subject knowledge
• GCSEs (minimum grade 4/C) in English language and maths

If you don't have the required GCSEs we'll ask you at the offer stage to take equivalency tests. You'll need to cover the cost of the tests yourself.

Find the equivalent international qualifications for your country.

You don’t need experience in a school before you start this course, but we do recommend it as a very good way to improve your understanding of the role of a teacher.

Please also provide full details of subjects and level of any Access or other qualifications you have.

If you’re currently studying for one of the required qualifications, any place offered would be conditional on a successful outcome of this, or of a Southampton University equivalency test.

We do not accept Pre-sessional Language programmes as evidence of meeting the English Language requirement for this course.

English language requirements

If English isn't your first language, you'll need to complete an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) to demonstrate your competence in English. You'll need all of the following scores as a minimum:

We accept other English language tests. Find out which English language tests we accept.

If you don’t meet the English language requirements, you can achieve the level you need by completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.

Pre-masters

If you don’t meet the academic requirements, you can complete a pre-master's programme through our partnership with ONCAMPUS. Learn more about the programmes available.

Got a question?

Please contact us if you're not sure you have the right experience or qualifications to get onto this course.

Email: enquiries@southampton.ac.uk
Tel: +44(0)23 8059 5000

This is a full-time course. You’ll study from September to July, with breaks at Christmas and Easter.

You’ll divide your time between training at the university, and training and teaching experience in 2 placement schools. Most of this training is subject-specific.

Typically, the number of days is:

• 120 days training and teaching experience in 2 placement schools
• 20 days intensive training split between the university and key partnership schools
• 20+ days subject-specific training at university
• Additional professional studies training and enrichment opportunities at university

Your main placement will start in late September. Your experienced school-based mentor will guide you through an individualised progression based on your own starting point. By the end of the course in July, you’ll be able to confidently manage an early-career teacher’s timetable. You’ll also train and teach in a contrasting school for long enough to understand the differences between the schools.

We work closely with schools in Southampton and also have strong partnerships with schools throughout Hampshire, Wiltshire, Dorset and the Isle of Wight. For trainee teachers based in the Salisbury area we have a long history of working with Salisbury schools to secure excellent placements. Placements take account of where you are living and your transport options, as well as your identified training needs.

The course consists of 4 compulsory modules. These are assessed at Masters-level and lead to the award of the PGCE.

Want more detail? See all the modules in the course.

Learning

In your school placements, you’ll have structured opportunities to observe experienced teachers at work and to discuss professional issues with colleagues. You’ll spend the majority of time learning from practical experience in the classroom.

At university, the learning activities include:

• workshops and seminars
• tutorials  
• group activities  
• directed study  
• independent study and research 
• conference days
• guest speakers

Assessment

Assessment is based mainly on your ability to teach. You’ll also have 3 major assignments and several short tasks, which you’ll receive preparation for. 

 We’ll also assess you using:  

• written assignments  
• a presentation  
• a portfolio

Academic Support

We’ll assign you a personal tutor, and you’ll have access to a senior tutor.

Successfully completing this course will give you Qualified Teacher Status as well as your PGCE award. This means you'll be able to work as a teacher in state-maintained and special schools in England and Wales.

There is currently a shortage of qualified secondary school teachers in most subjects in England, so employment and career prospects are excellent. The PGCE qualification is also recognised in many other countries.

We have particularly high employment rates from our PGCE courses, with many trainees going on to work in our partnership schools.

If you choose to continue your studies, the credits you build up from your masters-level modules can be put towards a future masters degree qualification at Southampton, or the credits are transferable to other institutions.

We're a top 20 UK university for employability (QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2022). Our Careers, Employability and Student Enterprise team will support you throughout your time as a student and for up to 5 years after graduation. This support includes:

• work experience schemes
• CV/resume and interview skills workshops
• networking events
• careers fairs attended by top employers
• a wealth of volunteering opportunities
• study abroad and summer school opportunities

We have a thriving entrepreneurship culture. You'll be able to take advantage of:

• our dedicated start-up incubator, Futureworlds
• a wide variety of enterprise events run throughout the year
• our partnership in the world’s number 1 business incubator, SETsquared

Tuition fees

Fees for a year's study:

• UK students pay £9,250.
• EU and international students pay £25,400.

Check fees for other versions of this course.

What your fees pay for

Your tuition fee covers the full cost of tuition and any exams. The fee you pay will remain the same each year from when you start studying this course. This includes if you suspend and return.

Find out how to pay your tuition fees.

Accommodation and living costs, such as travel and food, are not included in your tuition fees. There may also be extra costs for retake and professional exams.

Explore:

• accommodation costs
• living costs
• budgeting advice
• fees, charges and expenses regulations

Extra costs you might have to pay

Travel to and from school placements.

10% alumni discount

If you’re a graduate of the University of Southampton, you could be eligible for a 10% discount on your postgraduate tuition fees.

Funding, bursaries and scholarships for teacher training

There is a variety of government funding available for teacher training, including bursaries, scholarships and other financial support.

Find out more and check your eligibility on the Department for Education website.

Other postgraduate funding options

A variety of additional funding options may be available to help you pay for your master’s study. Both from the University and other organisations.

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Find out about funding you could get as an international student.

You must apply for this course on GOV.UK. You’ll need to create an account in order to submit your application.

Application deadlines

The deadline to apply for this course is early July 2025. 

We advise applying early as applications may close before the deadline if places are filled. We allocate places on a continuous basis from October 2024 until the course is full.

Visit GOV.UK for the latest information on PGCE course availability.

Supporting information

GOV.UK processes applications for this course. When you apply, they’ll give you details of any supporting information or documents you’ll need to supply.

Academic and employment history

We require all applicants to provide a full breakdown of their previous employment and academic study, including career breaks, from age 16 (GCSE) up to the point of their DFE application.

Original documents

You'll need to provide copies of your original academic qualifications, for example GCSE, A Level and degree, during the application process.

If you join the course, you will also need to provide your original documents in person during induction. Please allow enough time to order replacement certificates if you no longer have your originals.

We will only accept certificates or a final official Statement of Results from the awarding body. We do not accept Candidate Statement of Provisional results and we are also unable to accept letters from educational establishments/schools or colleges as confirmation of results. For evidence of undergraduate education, we will accept a certificate and/or official transcript.

What happens after you apply

After applying through GOV.UK you’ll hear from us by email. We have 40 days to respond, but most applicants hear back much sooner.

If you get through to the next stage we’ll invite you to an interview with tutors, where we’ll assess your suitability for training and teaching. We’ll also ask you to give a short presentation and carry out a written task.

We’ll then decide whether to offer you a conditional place. The decision will be uploaded to your GOV.UK application within 5 working days.

All offers are conditional on enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and health checks. You will need to pay for these checks.

If you have spent time outside of the UK, you will also need to obtain criminal record checks from the countries you have lived in.

Equality and diversity

We treat and select everyone in line with our Equality and Diversity Statement.

Got a question?

Please contact us if you're not sure you have the right experience or qualifications to get onto this course.

Email: enquiries@southampton.ac.uk
Tel: +44(0)23 8059 5000