Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PGCertHE)

The programme is delivered via on-campus workshops and asynchronous Moodle-based activities in which participants share practice and experiences with colleagues across the School. 

It is possible to complete the programme in one academic year, but you also have the option to extend your participation over a longer period of up to 3 academic years from your initial registration. For further information, please attend one of the programme briefings (details below). 

Subjects 

Compulsory modules

All participants will study:

• Module 1 - Developing your teaching and learning practice
• Module 2 - Course design

Participants choose one further module from those listed below:

• Module 3 - Student learning
• Module 4 - Assessment and feedback
• Module 6 - Independent enquiry into pedagogic practice
• Module 7 - Creative pedagogies for the social sciences

The PGCertHE requires participants to prepare a portfolio which includes:

• reflective pieces on the development of their teaching practice;
• critical evaluation of effective disciplinary teaching and student learning in either written or audio-recorded format;
• the development of a new or revised course design; 
• two teaching observations.

To facilitate preparation of their portfolios, participants are expected to attend regular workshops that explore different aspects of teaching and learning linked directly to the programme assignments. 

Upon completion successful participants are eligible for HEA accreditation at Fellow level and will be awarded the LSE Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education.

The PGCertHE is a practice-based programme and is aimed at early career academics, including assistant professors, LSE fellows, and other colleagues who have substantive responsibilities for student learning. 

The PGCertHE is a requirement for newly appointed assistant professors unless they hold an equivalent qualification from another university. The programme needs to be completed before your interim review. Any exceptions from this requirement are usually negotiated at the time of appointment. If you are unsure as to whether you need to complete the programme, check your letter of appointment (under the heading 'Teaching'). 

It is possible to apply for accreditation of previous learning (APL). If you have over three years teaching experience before joining the School and/or have completed accredited relevant professional development you may be exempt from completing certain modules. 

If you would like details of how to apply for APL , please indicate this on the registration form.  

You are eligible to join the programme if you: 

• can attend at least 20 hours of PGCertHE workshops over the period of your registration
• will be teaching a course (lectures and/or seminars) for at least one term in each academic year of your registration
• in a role that involves providing support to individual students (e.g. office hours)

Briefings

If you are a newly-appointed member of staff and are attending the New Academic Induction Programme (NAIP), the PGCertHE briefing will be included in NAIP schedule.

If you are not attending NAIP and you think that you might like to participate in the PGCertHE then we encourage you to come along to the programme briefing on Friday 29 September 11.30-12.30pm in LRB.5.02. You can book a place here.

At the briefing you will meet the programme team and they will talk through the programme structure and requirements, and you will also have the opportunity to discuss any questions that you might have. 

Registration 

There are 2 steps to register on the PGCertHE: 

• Step 1: Please complete and submit the registration form. 

The deadline for submitting your registration form was 27 September 2024. 

• Step 2: Confirming your registration and completing your opening year statement (OYS) 

Once we have received your registration form, we will get in touch with details of how to enrol on the Moodle site, download your reflective practice journal and complete your opening year statement. 

The deadline for the completion of the OYS is Friday 4 October 2024. 

If you have any queries please email either Dr Jenni Carr (j.carr4@lse.ac.uk) Programme Director or Chris Doughty (c.g.doughty@lse.ac.uk) Programme Adminsitrator.