Widening Participation and Evaluation (PGCert)

Award
Postgraduate Certificate
Typical Offer
2:1 degree View full entry requirements
Duration
1 year
Course Type
Part-time
Campus
Online only
Next course starts
October 2024

About this course

Boost your continuing professional development with our Postgraduate Certificate in Widening Participation and Evaluation. This course will support your practice related to widening access and participation for students from underrepresented backgrounds.

You’ll explore the relationship between widening participation policy, theory and practice. You'll also understand the drivers for widening participation strategies and produce outputs that will enhance your practice. These will include: 

  • critical analyses of existing approaches
  • a rationale and concept paper for your own initiative
  • an evaluative framework derived from the completion of Theory of Change documents

You can use these outputs to create a comprehensive business case at your higher or further education institution.

On this widening participation-focused programme, you'll be part of a strong community of practice, working with fellow learners and expanding your professional networks.

You'll develop the skills and knowledge to become a confident widening participation practitioner, aligning your practices with sound evaluative principles and learning methods.

We'll support you through a blend of in-person teaching, recorded lectures, interactive seminars and workshops. 

Alongside your course peers and subject experts, you'll explore concepts which reflect good widening participation practice. You can also personalise your learning to focus on your chosen assessment areas.

By the end of the course, you’ll be able to:

  • apply an understanding of widening participation policy, pedagogic theory and scholarship to your practices
  • critically engage with quality monitoring, evaluation and research approaches
  • identify and implement evaluation strategies for widening participation activity
  • analyse and report findings from evaluating practices

We regularly review our courses to ensure and improve quality. This course may be revised as a result of this. Any revision will be balanced against the requirement that the student should receive the educational service expected. Find out why, when, and how we might make changes.

Our courses are regulated in England by the Office for Students (OfS).

Course lead

The course leaders are Professor Chris Downey, Professor of Education, and Dr Emma Thompson, Head of Enhancement within our Widening Participation and Social Mobility team.

Awarding body

This qualification is awarded by the University of Southampton.

Download the Course Description Document

The Course Description Document details your course overview, your course structure and how your course is taught and assessed.