| The Post-Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) is a one-year, full-time (60 credits), intensive programme of study designed to prepare student teachers for entry to the teaching profession as a secondary school teacher. The course is a research-informed, academically challenging, developmental programme in the area of initial teacher education. It is recognised by the Teaching Council, the regulatory body for the teaching profession in Ireland, as well as being widely accepted in other countries as signifying qualified teacher status. The course is divided into two main areas: teaching placement and university experience. Students typically teach each morning in a recognised secondary school and attend lectures, tutorials and workshops in the university each afternoon. It is the responsibility of the student to secure a teaching placement and schools must be within a 15 mile radius of UCD. |